Let my light shine

Writers know the power of words and punctuation. A misplaced comma can change the meaning. Even little words need to be exact. Today’s Bible passage has a little word that could be translated at least two ways from the original Greek to English. The biggest surprise is that either way is correct.

“But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles . . . .” (Galatians 1:15–16)

Some versions say “. . . was pleased to reveal his Son in me . . . .” rather than to me. As I consider the immediate context, I can see the value and truth in both versions.

The phrase “to me” describes how God opened Paul’s eyes so he could see Jesus. The Christ had been revealed to him, and because of that, Paul was motivated to proclaim Him and His saving work to the world. Seeing Jesus changed his life and his direction.

However, “in me” is also true. When people become Christians, the Spirit of Jesus Christ brings the very presence of the Lord into their hearts. When they abide in Christ in loving obedience, others can see Jesus in them. God uses this amazing phenomena to reveal Jesus Christ to others.

What are the steps? First, the sense of need must be there. It comes to us through conviction of sin and/or helplessness. Before I became a Christian, I recognized that I am a sinner and unable to save myself. I still recognize my sinfulness and am even more aware of my helplessness. In that attitude, I am eager to give my life to Christ, to have Him do in me what I cannot do myself.

Next, God reveals to sinners the wonder of Jesus Christ, the Savior. Seeing Him indeed changes everything. He forgives sin, grants repentance and faith, and comes into our lives. He lives in me!

This remarkable event happens just once, and He promises to never leave me or forsake me. However, the saving part has just begun. An illustration of a guest coming into our home is often used. It describes that the guest enters the house but is not given access to some of its rooms. I am to give full access to Jesus, allowing Him to not only enter all, but to be in charge of all. Sin permeates every part; so must the Savior.  When that happens, people began to see Jesus in me.

Regeneration is a biblical term for this wonderful new life. At first, the new Christian is called a babe in Christ because we have been spiritually reborn. As Jesus brings maturity to my faith, increasing both it and the desire to live in obedience, people see less of the old me and more of the new creation, the treasure, the life of Christ in this clay pot.

 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. (2 Corinthians 4:6–7)

As Jesus is manifested in the lives of His people, He is glorified and others are confronted and will respond. Some will fall in love with this wonderful God-man Redeemer, and others will hate Him and try to silence those who bear Him and His message.

How is this practical? Obviously, I’m to get out of His way and let the light of Christ shine through me.

Why being ‘born again’ is such a big deal . . .

Over the years I’ve noticed that people become uncomfortable when conversation turns to motives. If someone is asked why they did a thing, or why they talk a certain way, that person fudges and hedges. They do not want to answer those why questions or perhaps they don’t know.

Motive is key to the way I live making the Bible difficult to read. It reveals my motives . . .

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12–13)

Yet this is also the blessedness of reading the Bible. God uses His Word to expose motives so He can set me free from the driving forces that draw me into sin. When God shows me why — beyond the basic fact of sin — I can see attitudes that need changing. Most of the time, these attitudes reveal what I rely besides Him. When His Word exposes them, and when I agree with Him and confess my sin, He is faithful to forgive me (because of Jesus) and begin the cleansing process.

This process gets rid of sin and selfishness by renewing the way that I think . . .

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Chambers says it this way: “No man can make himself pure by obeying laws. Jesus Christ does not give us rules and regulations; His teachings are truths that can only be interpreted by the disposition He puts in. The great marvel of Jesus Christ’s salvation is that He alters heredity. He does not alter human nature; He alters its mainspring.”

What a marvelous truth! The law is right and good, but without a change in motivation, anything that looks like obedience is either pretense or hypocrisy. I cannot do what God says from the heart without a new heart. This is why Jesus said . . .

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17–20)

While we put a lot of stock in ‘doing’ right, God is far more interested in ‘being’ right. This is the reason for a salvation that puts the very life of Jesus Christ into the hearts of His disciples. We cannot do it by ourselves. We need the power and life of God Himself to be godly.

No one can stand before God and claim to be without sin. I know in my heart that when I look good to others, God can see selfish motives and sinful intentions. Only Jesus can make my motivations pure and simple — Chambers says like a child — with new attitudes that come from being remade within. This is the righteousness that exceeds that of even the most pious religious people and this is what Jesus was getting at when He said . . .

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God . . . . Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3, 5)