You Are...the light of the world.

After preaching from John 8:2-20, God laid on my heart a couple other thoughts and passages. Yes, He is The Light of the World, so then why does The Gospel of Matthew communicate to us that followers of Jesus are the light of the world? Here are a few ADDITIONAL passages and articles to Consider!!!

Matthew 5:14-16 (CSB) Believers Are Light
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.


***How does this phrase in verse 14 come alongside the fact that Jesus is THE Light of the World? How does it fit in with the passage I preached on from John 8:2-20? 


In John MacArthur’s NKJV study bible page 1400 (the footnote for verse 16) tells us about what it means to be the “light to shine. A godly life gives convincing testimony of the saving power of God. That brings Him glory. Cf. 1 Pet. 2:12.”

• 1 Peter 2:12 (NASB) Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of visitation.

ARTICLE FROM gotquestions.org
In the analogy of light to the world, the good works of Christ’s followers are to shine for all to see. The following verses in Matthew 5 highlight this truth: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, NASB). The idea here is similar—the presence of light in darkness is something that is unmistakable. The presence of Christians in the world must be like a light in the darkness, not only in the sense that the truth of God’s Word brings light to the darkened hearts of sinful man (John 1:1-10), but also in the sense that our good deeds must be evident for all to see. And indeed, our deeds will be evident if they are performed in accordance with the other principles that Jesus mentions in this passage, such as the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-11. Notice especially that the concern is not that Christians would stand out for their own sake, but that those who looked on might “glorify your Father who is in heaven” (v. 16, KJV).
In view of these verses, what sorts of things can hinder or prevent the Christian from fulfilling his or her role as salt and light in the world? The passage clearly states that the difference between the Christian and the world must be preserved; therefore, any choice on our part that blurs the distinction between us and the rest of the world is a step in the wrong direction. This can happen either through a choice to accept the ways of the world for the sake of comfort or convenience or to contravene the law of obedience to Christ.
Mark 9:50 suggests that saltiness can be lost specifically through a lack of peace with one another; this follows from the command to “have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” And in Luke 14:34-35, we find a reference to the metaphor of salt once again, this time in the context of obedient discipleship to Jesus Christ. The loss of saltiness occurs in the failure of the Christian to daily take up the cross and follow Christ wholeheartedly.
It seems, then, that the role of the Christian as salt and light in the world may be hindered or prevented through any choice to compromise or settle for that which is more convenient or comfortable, rather than that which is truly best and pleasing to the Lord. Moreover, the status of salt and light is something that follows naturally from the Christian’s humble obedience to the commandments of Christ. It is when we depart from the Spirit-led lifestyle of genuine discipleship that the distinctions between ourselves and the rest of the world become blurred and our testimony is hindered. Only by remaining focused on Christ and being obedient to Him can we expect to remain salt and light in the world. https://www.gotquestions.org/salt-and-light.html

ADDITIONAL ARTICLE FROM gotquestions.org
In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Of course, it is not technically our light that should shine before others. It is the light of Christ, entrusted to believers as light-bearers (cf. John 1:8). In other words, we do not produce the light within us. God does. And through our good works, people may glorify the One who gives that light.
One of the ways to let our light shine before others is to show compassion to others. Jesus expressed deep compassion for all people, regardless of their ethnic background, social status, gender, or personal beliefs (Matthew 9:36; 15:32; Mark 6:34). As Christians, we should follow His example by showing compassion and kindness to everyone.
Another way to let our light shine before others is to practice humility (Philippians 2:1–11). Christians are called to be humble in all things, knowing that it is only through the grace of God that we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Humility also means the willingness to confess our sins before God and others (Luke 15:21; James 5:16). In doing so, we demonstrate our receptivity to correction and guidance (Proverbs 15:32).
Generosity is another means of letting our light shine before others. Christians are called to be generous with their money, time, resources, and love (Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:16). After all, everything that we have belongs to God (Deuteronomy 10:14). So, we should share our God-given blessings with those in need and give without expecting anything in return (Luke 6:30).
Forgiveness, too, is a means of letting our light shine before others. Jesus taught that we should forgive others as we have been forgiven (Matthew 18:15–20; cf. Ephesians 4:32). Thus, we should seek reconciliation with those who have wronged us—and with those whom we have wronged—to promote peace and unity (cf. Ephesians 2:14).
There are many ways to let our light shine before others. We can volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter, donate money to a charity, or be kind and compassionate to someone in need. We can also lend an ear to a friend who is going through a tough time and offer words of encouragement, or we can simply smile and say, “Hello,” to a stranger on the street (cf. Hebrews 13:2).
Perhaps the best way to let our light shine before others is to share the gospel, the “good news,” with others. The good news is that God redeems sinners through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). If we believe in the person and work of Christ (who He is and what He did), then we are saved from eternal condemnation. We should not keep this message to ourselves; good news is meant to be shared, and we should make it visible for everyone to see (Matthew 28:19).
The ultimate purpose of letting our light shine before others is not to draw attention to ourselves or to promote our own interests; rather, it is about living in such a way that others will glorify our Father in heaven. Of course, this is not an easy task. It can be difficult to maintain a spirit of compassion, humility, generosity, and forgiveness in a world that is often characterized by hatred, anger, and division. We may even be met with resistance and opposition (Matthew 10:16; John 15:18). But we are not alone. We have the Holy Spirit within us, and He empowers and guides us to reflect the glory of God. https://www.gotquestions.org/let-your-light-shine.html

Lastly, in Genesis we read that we are image-bearers of God. Which means that we too can share in some of His characteristics. As He is The of the Light…we too can reflect His character and be a light to the world. 

• Genesis 1:27 (NLT) So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Let’s continue being a light for all to see Him through us. All for His Glory!!!
Practicing His Presence, 
Nate