You may often ask yourself if your life in Christ makes any real difference. The debates ensue as to the method best expressing the gospel. No reasonable believer would think that we could preach the message of the gospel without words, yet as we study scripture we often run into truths like the ones in this very famous and beloved set of verses.
Your life as a follower of Christ does in fact make all the difference. Christ teaches here that his followers are so incredibly foundational to pushing back the darkness and evil that surrounds us, he lays down the level of that influence―you are the light of the world.
No one may ever hear your name in the headlines or read books about your feats throughout history, but Jesus underscores how important your personal faith in him really is. It is so essential, if it were not for the light of the followers of Christ and the wonderful works they do as they engage in serving the Savior and spreading good deeds, there would be no light at all. When you engage in good deeds in the world, no matter how insignificant they may seem, you are engaging in worship because you are honoring God, because he sees it all and he knows your heart and your motives.
Whether it is rescuing a kitten from a tree, escorting an elderly person across a busy street, mowing a widows yard, or building a hospital, God sees it all and it glorifies him, and those actions are the light that God sends into this fallen world.
Never discount the things you do in serving God. Whether you are the preacher, the scholar, the church custodian, the nursery worker or the missionary doctor, you are glorifying him. A simple act of opening a door, or giving a bottle of water to a thirsty man is worship, if it is done in the name of the Lord.
Let him work through you. Be the light that shines in a dark and selfish world.
And let that light shine greatly.
*****************************************************************
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Mathew 5:14–16 NIV
©2023 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.
_______________________________________________________________________________
We can come to know Christ through confession of our sins and repentance (turning away from sin). Let me encourage you to do this by talking to God through prayer. Here is an idea of how you might do that:
"Dear God, I believe your son Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day following his death. I confess my sins, all of them, to you now with a humble heart. I repent of those sins and ask you to empower me with your Holy Spirit in overcoming further sin. Amen”
If you prayed this or a similar prayer committing your life to Christ and becoming one of his followers, let me encourage you to find a good, Bible-believing church. If you live in the Weslaco/Rio Grand Valley area of Texas, let me invite you to the church I attend, Mid-Valley Assembly (www.midvalleyassembly.com).
Begin talking to God in prayer and reading the Bible daily. A good way to begin to read the Bible is to start with the Book of John in the New Testament.
Feel very free in connecting with me if you need any further help in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do this via the above email or facebook page or this web page.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Mercy Road Ministries was founded and now led by Ben Bounds. Ben has pastored churches across Texas for over thirty years and is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He holds a BA in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies from Southwestern Assemblies of God College and did graduate theological studies at the BMA Theological Seminary.
Ben's first book, The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, was released on 12.08.2017 through Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. It is available in paperback and hardback through your preferred bookseller (Mardels, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and paperback, hardback as well as ebook through online book retailers (www.christianbook.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, www.booksamillion.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, etc.).
Ben is the host of Staying in Bounds, an on-air Bible devotional broadcast multiple times daily on KWJV 103.7 FM Weslaco, TX which can also be heard worldwide online at www.kwjvthestar.com. Ben and his wife, Linda, together have four adult children and nine grandchildren. They live in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Ben can be contacted for preaching engagements at benbounds695@gmail.com or 903.441.3279. Ben can also be contacted via his website @ www.benbounds.com, which is also his blog and contains more information about his ministry.
Follow Ben @ https://www.facebook.com/mercyroadministries/ and this website www.benbounds.com.
Comentários