The above statement is so full of meaning that it’s impossible for me to describe it all here in a blog. But there’s obviously a reason why the Spirit has me writing to you about this topic (hint: it involves honesty). Let’s start with a passage of Holy Scripture.
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.
- Ephesians 5:13-14a
But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light [of God’s precepts], for it is light that makes everything visible.
- Ephesians 5:13 [Amplified Bible]
An honest student of the Word of God approaches the Bible with a reverence which transcends all preconceptions about God or His Word. What I mean to say is that we mustn’t interpret the Bible through a lens we brought with us from our days as unbelievers; rather, we must turn the tables on our human habits and allow Holy Scripture to interpret our lives by illuminating the Truth.
This means that we must acknowledge the truth about ourselves at face value. For example:
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
- Ephesians 2:1-3
The truth is that you were born spiritually depraved, polluted by sin. You were not born inherently good and somehow the devil and his agencies managed to trip you up all of these years. You have a sin nature in you that loves to reject the light of truth.
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
- John 3:19
We are “by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3) until we are saved. Even then we still must cope with our old sin nature which wages war against our new nature (ref: Romans 7:7-25). Although we may not always like to hear the truth (our fleshes downright hate it), the fact is that Truth is Light.
Light exposes the lies that live and breathe in darkness.
So, let’s get practical for a moment…
Whether it’s the good, the bad, or the ugly that Light exposes, the only thing that matters is that we understand the truth. When Holy Scripture reveals something about us, we must accept it at face value. We mustn’t become satanic and try to find loopholes and excuses. Rather, we must say, “Yes, that is an accurate description of who I am.” That is meaningful progress. If we reject the truth (preferring to recede into darkness) we stunt our spiritual growth. Self-preservation is like that (it’s not our friend).
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
- Luke 9:23-25
Truth is light. Light shines into darkness. When it does, you have a personal choice to make; accept what the Word of God shows you, then grow or shrink away from it to your own demise. And for the record, it shouldn’t matter if what the Light exposes is pleasant or not. What truly matters is that God has been gracious enough to reveal it to you. Be grateful.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word [My Truth, My Light], you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
- John 8:31-32
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
