JESUS first describes the Christian as the salt of the earth. This is startling enough, but he then tells us something even more startling - he says that the Christian is the light of the world. He does not just say is a light in the world, but something far more special. He says we are the light of the world. When we are told in John 1 that Jesus is the light of the world, we find this wonderful but not startling. But now Jesus says every Christian is the light of the world. I find this hard to comprehend, but what I do comprehend I would share with you.

What Jesus is telling us as Christians, and not just special Christians, but every Christian, even the simplest Christian, is that without us the world would have no light. This tells us something about the world which the world does not accept and is angry if told this truth. It tells us that the world is in darkness. This sounds stupid and arrogant, but the implication of what Jesus says about the Christian as being the light of the world leaves no other conclusion. Without Christians in the world would have no light.

How can this be? The world has a great deal of light if we measure light by knowledge. The world has increased tremendously, and is increasing very fast, in the knowledge of science, philosophy, art, medicine etc. and so has a tremendous amount of light in knowledge, but what is true is that this light is all bound up with the material, and the temporal, and the intellect. What the world lacks is the light of life. The light to understand what life is and what is its meaning, and how life can be full and complete and rich. Even the best thinkers of our time admit that they do not have light in this sense. The world at present, as all through history, has tremendous problems on a personal, social, political, national and international level. We do not know how to live in peace and harmony, and even with all the knowledge that is there, and all the wealth that people enjoy, there is still unrest and misery and unhappiness, and more importantly purposelessness. Jesus describes the problem of the world and exposes the darkness in the world in John 3:19 “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” The Bible reveals two kingdoms. The kingdom of darkness ruled by the devil; and the kingdom of light and of God, ruled by Christ. Because the world is ruled by Satan, described in 1 John as the god of this world, it remains in darkness. People love darkness because the darkness is in their hearts and in the very seat of their personalities.

The truth about every Christian is that they are the light of the world because they have the light of life. This life is the divine life which comes from Jesus. Jesus is the true light that lights every person coming in the world. There is no light but from him. The Christian receives true light form Jesus as Jesus raises us to new life in himself. Our light is derived from Jesus, and we are the light of the world because we have the light of Christ. The Christian has been brought out of the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of Satan, and has been born anew into the Kingdom of Light and of God. We are light in the Lord. Jesus tells us in John 8:12 “Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” Though we are now members of the kingdom of light we still express this life through our physical bodies living in this world, and it is for this reason we are the light of Christ in the world. Paul expresses the Christian’s condition in Ephesians 5:8 when he says, “For you were once darkness, now you are light in the Lord.”

Because of this Christian new birth we have the light of Christ, and if we live the Christian life, then we can’t help but be the light of the world. Christ makes himself known as the light of the world through each individual Christian. It does not matter if we are very simple and lowly Christians, we are still light in the Lord, and so we are the light of the world because the light of Christ is in us.

What is the nature of this light? The reason why the world is in darkness is because the world has not got this light. This light is the light to appreciate the holiness of God, and the darkness of sin. The world loves darkness so the world loves sin. If God in his common grace did not hold back the darkness in the world, the darkness of sin would take over and hell would come on earth. The world loves the darkness of sin, and so commits sin, but it does not make people any happier or fulfilled. The Christian has found the light of Christ shining within them, and exposes the the sin and corruption, and the brought repentance and hate of sin, and given the holy life of Christ in the soul. Because of this the Christian lives differently in the world. The Christian does not have to say anything in the first instance to be light, for the Christian living the light of Christ and being Christlike will be light in the world which the world can’t help but see. The world will either be drawn to the light or so hate the light that it will oppose it, and this is where the persecution begins for the believer in this world.

The light which the Christian has seen and knows and which is in them is the light of the love of God. The light is to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This is light of knowledge which is heavenly and spiritual and of the Kingdom of God. Paul speaks of it 2 Corinthians 4:6 - “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’” This is the light of the love of God in Jesus Christ. The love that saw us in darkness, lost and dead, and reached down to save us by giving Jesus Christ to die and be the propitiation for our sins. It is the love that has saved us from darkness and death, and brought us into the kingdom of light by new birth in righteousness and true holiness.