The Light of the World

The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. (Luke 11:34-35)

In all men, their eye is bad until Christ – the Light of the world, comes in. (John 8:12)

The whole body is full of darkness – yet consider when the Good Shepherd comes in, how it is that the whole body is full of light. The smallest candle dispels all darkness in a dark room.

But can darkness overcome light? It cannot. Darkness is not positive in nature and can produce no change in state, but the smallest light does have effect. All those around see it. Even the poorest Christian, if truly so, has power to dispel the darkness.

But those in darkness, whose minds have not been enlightened to know the Lord, remain in the darkness, even if light is present.  But though he does not understand this light – he sees it and is affected by it. Darkened minds and hearts know something, just not salvation. This is why Paul tells us in Romans 10 that they need a preacher to help them understand this flicker of light they see.

Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.

Christ is telling us that we ought to be thinking about our state, are we light or not. “Take heed” is a warning statement! Because of the negative nature of sin and darkness, we could actually be deceived to think the darkness in us is really light! Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you are disqualified?”

Examination takes effort. It requires one to measure the works of a man – to see if they line up to the works found in a regenerate man. True faith is a positive matter, there is always fruit to be found. Look at the fruit, is it genuine gospel fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control? Do these characterize the fruit? Do they characterize you?

Take heed!  To be deceived about the darkness within is to be deceived indeed.