Shine!

The Light Of Christ's Gospel
[2 Corinthians 4:1-6]

1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

Our default ministry as a servant of God is to spread the Gospel! There is no better person to this ministry than you for we have received the mercy of God. Freely you receive so freely give (Matthew 10:8). The experiential knowledge of the grace of God that brought you out of darkness into the Light shall be the force that propels you forward so others might know of His goodness and grace of salvation too! What we have is for good! When God gave, He gave wholeheartedly, without a shadow of doubt or turning (James 1:17).

Most of us received salvation because someone(s) shared to us the Good news. They knew and assumed responsibilities for the ministry of advancing the Gospel. And so it shall be the same for us. The good things that we learn, receive, hear and see our spiritual family do, do and the peace of God will be with us (Philippians 4:19). Further more, James 4:17 clearly states:

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

We have the knowledge of good and evil and surely, we cannot help but do what is good, exercising what the word of God says!

2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Having the Word of God does not make us perfect overnight. There is a process by which we turn away from the ungodly thoughts and ways of our "previous" lives. God will teach us His ways and as we walk in it, the power and truth of God’s word would be revealed in our lives by and by. The changes in this ongoing process of sanctification would be evident to people around us thereby causing a stirring in their conscience. You shall be like a Timothy, sent out to remind others of the ways of Jesus (1Corinthians 4:17). This is lifestyle evangelism! By our words and ways, we reveal who God is and what pleases Him. And so my prayer is as Romans 15:6 says:

that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.

In all that we are and do, we be and do to exalt the name of Jesus. As Paul says here, “we do not preach ourselves but Christ the Lord.” We merely serve to bring the Word to the world that the veil of deception held by the Devil would be lifted in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14)!

A bondservant is one bound to service without wages. A servant is one who is subject to the beck and call of his master. As a bondservant for Jesus, a slave of Christ, we are to do as God wills; as God sees fit for us to live each day. By this, we present ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord. “Not my will but yours be done, Lord!” Jesus says:

“Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)

“But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:6-8)

“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few… Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves…” (Luke 10:2-3)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)

6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

From Genesis 1, we know that:

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day" and the darkness "night."

This is the account of creation. So it is the same in the creation of our new life in Christ. It is only God who can command light to shine out of darkness. It is only God who can save and it pleases Him to do so! There are times that we would wonder if it is God’s will to save our family and friends. We pray for their salvation, we reach out, we share what God is speaking to us and nothing happens as far as our naked eye can see. But let us be reminded that as new creations in Christ, there is a new dimension of life and vision open to us: the spiritual. So “while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2Cor4:18). Hence, we are to “speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1Cor2:13). And where would we find the things spiritual to compare with? In communion with the Holy Spirit and the unfailing word of God!

Our part is to make known the knowledge of salvation to man. The Holy Spirit will bring the conviction to the hearts. It will not be by persuasion of words so we need not be over-zealous, stepping into the boundaries of what is not ours to do. It is God who causes the increase. Have faith in God! For Jesus says in John 10:27-29, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.”

When God created light, He saw that it was good and so separated the light from the darkness. Similarly, God has set us apart from the darkness of the world as the light of the world and Christ has said that we are sent into the world just as He is (John 17) to declare and demonstrate the love of God.

You bear the light of Christ’s Gospel. Hand it out. Shine! #nelle#