The Purpose of the Church (The Light of Christ)
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Priority #7:
Priority #7:
Because Christ is the Light of God.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
He is Holy!
Holiness is not just a quality that He possesses. Holiness is not an attribute of Who He is but His very essence. Therefore He cannot be anything but Holy. This verse is telling us, that if God ever ceased being Holy then He would cease being God. Not only would He cease to be God but He would cease… Because He is Holiness, He is Light.
In-case we missed it… This verse states “no darkness” but it doesn’t end there.... “…no darkness at all.”
Did you know that light is technically invisible? What we see is the effects of light.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
God creates man in Genesis 2:7, Genesis 2:17-18 He commands man not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil lest he die. Genesis 3:6 man sins and the world once again was submerged in darkness...
Spiritual darkness...
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Christ is the true Light, the very source of Light. Light is what comprises His very being.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
He shinned His Light into the darkness of the world.
But He bodily ascended to the right hand of the father.
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
The lights went out again...
And this is where we come in...
The Spiritual body of Christ - We are to manifest the light of God to the world. We are not the source of light, because we are not the true light.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
The only light that the world has is the light that is manifested through the body of Christ.
Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Remember: We are not the light, but we shine as lights in the world because we possess His light, and therefore we possess the ability to shine His Light into the world.
Unless, we keep that light hidden, under those things (murmurings, disputings) that would keep us from being that shining light.
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
Now, we can be individual light bearers, but the way that we shed the brightest light is when we shine it collectively.
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
This is when we shine the light of God’s holiness to the world!
And this is what it is all about
Because Christ is the Light of God (1 John 1:5)
We must embrace an uncompromising priority on Christ-Like Holiness!
What does that look like in a local church? What are the marks of the local church that embodies the Light of Christ.
Every person is fully acquainted with the biblical perspective of holiness.
a. Holiness includes three things.
God setting me apart.
God setting me apart from the world.
God setting me apart from the world and unto Himself.
It is not just from but too.
Paul speaks in Acts and he says this…
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Not just from, but unto God...
Sometimes we get caught up in Biblical holiness being about what we don’t do...
But, that is only part of it isn’t it? What about what we do?
Do we manifest he fruit of the Spirit? Or are we just the don’t people… And not the do people...
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
If all we have done is put off the old man and not put on the new man, then we have a false holiness...
Note: It is not just out but in!
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
He does that so that He can do this and if all we have done is that and we have not done this, then it is not true holiness.
B. Holiness involves three entities.
God
Me
The world
It is God’s will
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
Searching for the will of God…
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
Note: It is the Worlds only hope.
(Holiness is not an end in itself! Holiness doesn’t just have to do with personal sanctification - it has to do with world evangelization. Making disciples.)
Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
If we are holding onto the word of life and we are not standing on the platform of holiness then what we have is an ineffective witness.
We we would only understand who we are. We are called to manifest the light of God through personal holiness. So that, we can hold forth the word of life, holiness is not just about personal sanctification but world evangelization.
2. The local body that embodies the light of God
Every person is wholly living out the biblical scope of holiness.
a. Holiness as to do with our relationship to our bodies.
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
The people that do these things are the lost people of the world but God’s people know how to possess these vessels.
B. Holiness has to do with our relationship to our brothers.
That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
If your a child of God and your messing with another child of God, get ready because God is going to mess with you, and you deserve it...
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness… Why?
Because we have been called to manifest the light of Christ, to a lost and dying world...
Attribute/Priority #1 Because Christ is the Word of God (John 1:1,14)
We must embrace an uncompromising priority on Expository Preaching.
Attribute/Priority #2 Because Christ is the Image of God (Col. 1:15)
We must embrace an uncompromising priority on Biblical Discipleship.
Attribute/Priority #3 Because Christ is the Power of God (Romans 1:16)
We must embrace an uncompromising priority on Missions.
Attribute/Priority #4 Because Christ is the Life of God (John 1:4, 15:4-5)
We must embrace an uncompromising priority on Reproduction.
Attribute/Priority #5 Because Christ is the Glory of God (1 John 1:14)
We must embrace an uncompromising priority on Spirited Worship.
Attribute/Priority #6 Because Christ is the Love of God (John 13:34-35)
We must embrace an uncompromising priority on Sacrificial Love
Attribute/Priority #7 Because Christ is the Light of God (1 John 1:5)
We must embrace an uncompromising priority on Christ Like Holiness.