A REFLECTION OF LIGHT

     Darkness breeds fear of the unknown, but when light comes, we awaken to optimism. Light brings hope for the future, strength to press on, and a sense of direction that becomes more clear and more secure with each step we take. When we apply this understanding to our hearts, we can see that sin, like darkness, is the cause of our fears, and only deliverance from this fear can bring us peace. This place of safety is reached just like the sunrise replaces the nightfall. Fear and doubt are replaced by faith, and none of it is manmade; we inherit them, both fear and doubt, and faith.
      Like Adam, because of sin, we have "a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation." (Heb. 10: 27) Yet when redeemed in Christ, we come to know the love of God, which is shed abroad in our hearts, and we receive the gift of faith, so "that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: ... [for] there is no fear in [His] love; but [His] perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment." (1 John 4: 17-18) This change in position is what the new creation is all about; once we were alienated from God, "Who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ .... Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. 5: 18, 17) What is old, and what is new? It is the knowledge of rejection, and the knowledge of acceptance. Christ came to "deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Heb. 2: 15) He "brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." (1 Cor. 15: 54-56) And so we go from fear of judgment (condemnation) to "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints...." (Eph. 1: 17) As "by one man's offence (Adam's) death reigned by one ... [and] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One (Jesus Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Rom. 5: 17-19) And so, as beneficiaries of this inheritance, we are to walk "as they that shall be judged by the [perfect] law of liberty." (James 2: 12)
      This inheritance is something we receive, not something we do. From one position or the other, fear or faith, we build our lives. There was no way out of darkness until the Light came and showed us the way. We can now walk with confidence toward God, knowing that "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day [because we now can, being freed from sin]; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness [immorality], not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (Rom. 13: 12-14)
     Abraham and Sarah, who were not able to produce the results that they were promised, were very aware of their inability; yet "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness ... For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was ... through the righteousness of faith." (Rom. 4: 3, 13) Where did this faith of his come from? It came from the revelation of God, Who spoke it into Abraham, just like the sunrise. We have received this same enlightenment, "because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength [in sin/darkness], in due time Christ died for the ungodly [the sunrise came and delivered us]." (Rom. 5: 5-6) The context of this passage reveals both our old and new condition.
     Paul writes of this faith, and grace, that brings us hope: "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Rom. 5: 1-5) Having this peace with God, being thankful and confident of the gift of grace and faith, we can persevere and endure all things, while rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. We know it is darkest before the dawn, the sunrise is coming, and the darkness must flee. "For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor. 4: 6)
     When this light comes into your heart it empowers you to go on, reflecting the hope and power that comes from that light, in spite of opposition from within and without. 2 Cor. 3 speaks of the glory Moses received when he communed with God, so much so that he had to wear a veil over his face to protect the children of Israel. That "veil of separation" is done away in Christ; "... their minds were blinded .... the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it [the heart of Israel] shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Cor. 3: 14-17) Israel could not reflect that liberty, because of their stubborn refusal to draw near to God. He would have protected them as He had protected Moses. When Jesus addressed them generations later, He said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ... how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!" (Matt. 23: 37) Nevertheless, when they shall turn to the Lord, they shall be enlightened with the Truth that sets them free!
     The following applies to ALL who have received the free gift: "you should show forth the praises of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light:..." (1 Peter 2: 9) both Jew and Gentile: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. 3: 18) The NIV translates this: "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit." This transformation into His image is a gradual increase, as we abide with Him in His presence. His glory is transferred to us as it was to Moses. Jesus says this, "Father, ... the glory which You gave Me I have given them...." (John 17: 21, 22) We don't take it, He gives it, and we reflect that glory to others. This, Scripture says, is done "by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. 3: 18)
     What must we do to reflect Him? Be still in His Presence, and know that He is God. Let "the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ. ... shine," (2 Cor. 4: 4) and hide not your light, the reflection of The Light, from others who are still in darkness. We are to draw them with The Light, as He draws all men unto Himself. We know this to be true! We know that of our own selves we can do nothing, yet a Body, His Body, has He chosen to reveal Himself to those bound in darkness. So let your Light shine, not you, but your Light shining out of you, for others to see. It is not a confession, nor a profession, but of a reflection of your heart, which has been enlightened by the Son!
     This knowing is not what we learn of Him, it is something that He reveals of Himself. Paul prays for the church in this manner: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him...." (Eph. 1:17) So, the Father of Glory imparts to us through the spirit of wisdom, the revelation of Who He is! Again, this is a gradual increase, but it comes after an initial infilling of His Spirit, to which Paul refers as the "earnest of our inheritance." (Eph. 1: 14) Paul is writing to "born-again believers" (the saints) who "have obtained an inheritance ... [through] the adoption of children by Jesus Christ ..., according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved ... that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ ... after ... you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation...." (Eph. 1: 11; 5-6, 12-13)
     This true born-again experience in which God reveals Himself to a person, is not something that can be hidden. When a Christian goes into His proverbial "prayer closet" (gets intimate with God), he comes out of that closet, or he should come out of that closet, showing "forth the praises of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light...." (1 Pet. 2: 9) This would be an outer reflection of an inward impression. Our expressions of His impact in our lives will be seen by others. This is not the singing of His praises, or talking about His wonders; it is a visible effect of His influence in our lives, the radiant Joy of someone who has been delivered from the gloom and doom of sin, a Rejoicing that comes from one who was once downtrodden, overcome with grief. This brings glory to God. Why? Because it is not manmade. It does not come from the mountaintop experience of success, but wilderness experience, valley-depth understanding. Only God could do this in you; it brings Glory to God! Today, sadly, we have an incorrect concept of God's ways, that equates outward success with His approval. It is not always so. A great example of this is given by Jesus in regard to Peter. After Peter's denial of Jesus, and after Jesus arose, Jesus came to Peter to comfort him. Jesus says something very interesting, which emphasizes man's view of values, strengths, and weaknesses. Jesus gives details "signifying by what [manner of] death he [Peter] should glorify God." (John 21: 19) Peter's death would "glorify God!" Jesus tells Peter (John 21: 18) that when he was young, he went where he chose, but when he would be old, another would take him where he did not choose to go; and Peter went on to live his life with the faith that knew his life's outcome, not trying to change it. As a redeemed man, Peter was free from the worries of this world.

     James writes about people who say they have faith, but do not express it by their actions. In essence, don't say you are God's people and act like devils: "So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy; and mercy rejoices against judgment." (James 2: 12-13) We are to minister the healing which we have received, reveal the Truth of the Gospel to those who have not received it, and be merciful to those who despitefully use us. For we have obtained all these things and more, while we were yet sinners, alienated from God. If we have The Light, we are not to reflect darkness; but if we give evil for evil, rather than mercy toward evildoers, would we not be reflecting darkness? Jesus said, "But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matt. 6: 23)
     Jesus reflected this mercy of God toward all, even to those whom the law clearly declared guilty. He said, "He that has seen Me has seen the Father...." (John 14: 9) Could we say that about ourselves? If not, then the opposite would be true, just as He said of the Pharisees, that they were reflecting their father, the devil. When we have seen Jesus, we have seen the Father's attitude toward us. Jesus was showing forth the praises, declaring the glory, revealing the heart of God. We are told elsewhere to "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...." [And] "we have the mind of Christ." (Phil. 2: 5, 1 Cor. 2:16) This "mind" is a disposition, the same sentiment or attitude that Christ revealed, and He reflected the Father. How can we reflect the Son? What brings glory to God? Obedience! Obedience to the Faith, unto Righteousness, and obeying of the Truth.
     Today, many want to perform signs and wonders, not works of God. Jesus manifested these very works of the Spirit as "greater witness than that of John [The Baptist]: for the works which the Father has given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." (John 5: 36) That same John who bore witness to Christ and the Truth (see John 5:32-33) was the one who, when he "heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto Him, Are You He that should come, or do we look for another?" (Matt. 11: 2-3) The witness that John gave came from God, not from John. John's witness was a reflection of God in Him. His question reveals his flesh; though he earlier spoke the words of God, and was a great man, he was still a mere man, whose own doubts and fears are made evident in his words, as John reflects, not God, but his sinful nature. Interestingly, Jesus does not scold John; instead, He sends a reply that bears witness to His calling: "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up...." (Matt. 11: 5) These are the sort of works men seek to perform for God, yet these were only part of God's purposes. They drew people's attention to what God had planned in Christ for all mankind. Jesus went on to say, " ... and the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matt. 11: 5) This is a greater work than the others, yet the others get greater attention. The Good News of Salvation was of far greater value than the physical blessings.
     Jesus concluded His response to John the Baptist with this: "And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me." (Matt. 11: 6) When Jesus' disciples asked Him, "What shall we do, to work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him Whom He has sent." (John 6: 28-29) What did the Father send the Son to do? He anointed Him "to preach good tidings unto the meek; ... to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound...." (Isaiah 61: 1) This is the Good News, "the Gospel of your Salvation" (Eph. 1: 13); the physical works are secondary to the spiritual. Jesus said, "Notwithstanding in this [physical manifestations] rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10: 20) When our realization of this Truth is manifest in our lives, all temporal things pale in comparison, and then our "testimony" will become clear to all, as we learn to see "what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6: 8)
     What is the focus of our lives? Are we beholding Him, basking in His radiance, and receiving His Glory? We are told to look upon Him, and when we do, we receive Life, and that more abundant! When we do this, as the song says, all things that surround become shadows in the Light of Him; nothing else is exalted above Him. "They looked unto Him, and were lightened [cheerful, sparkling, glowing, like the sheen of a running stream]: and their faces were not ashamed." (Psalm 34: 5) His Glory overcame their shame, they could no longer reflect the shame because of the greatness of His Glory! When our boasting is in the Lord, our shame is lowered to its rightful place at the foot of the Cross. There can be a wrongful exalting of shame, a pride in shame, that often comes across as humility. People with this false humbleness cannot recognize and unashamedly rejoice in the Lord's use of them. When we truly rejoice in the Lord, there is a purity that recognizes Him, even in us, and does not defensively claim "It's not me, it's the Lord." Is there not a great joy in being used by the Lord, even in the smallest matters? Why then would we not shout for joy at this blessing? Possibly because we think it might be taken as pride, when in fact it is the opposite.
     What then should be our response to others? To do justly toward all men, to love mercy, minister it, release it to others, and from this awesome position of having received His mercy that triumphed over judgment, walk humbled in the "sight" of Him! Compare yourself and others to Him: do we measure up? There is no pride in self; it is humbled in the comparison. Jesus said of and to His disciples: "You are the light of the world.... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5: 14, 16) How is this not hidden, but expressed? By showing forth our unfettered praises in all their forms. God knows, and nobody needs to "see" our unfettered praises, yet everybody needs to see them! In full view of God's mercy, we have a steadfast hope. Since we are "justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Rom. 5: 1-2) "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness [all-outspokenness] of speech." (2 Cor. 3: 12) This "plainness" is a bold confidence in the assurance of God, that cannot be hidden or suppressed. Peter tells us to "be ready always" to reveal the "reason of the hope that is in you...." (1 Peter 3: 15)
     When we hold back, we not only deny the Lord, we deny those in darkness who need to see this reflection of His love that is within us. When the joy of the Lord wells up within you, do not fear to release it, don't hold back. Do not withhold the source of your strength. His joy, in you, and your joy in Him, expressed by your living praise, can overflow to others, who are seeking to release that very same thanksgiving. Even though it may be bottled up, entangled by cords of concern, peer pressure and fears, it is seeking release. Like tears held back and then released, there is a cleansing that comes from the release of such bottled-up emotions. Unfettered praise, declarations of truth, when unleashed, create a reaction. How somebody responds is a reflection of them, not you; do not fear men.
     Paul, speaking to Festus and King Agrippa, could not hold back this witness of Christ within himself. He told of the encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, in which Jesus called him (Paul) to go unto the Gentiles, "...To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me [Jesus Christ]." (Acts 26: 18) Festus "with a loud voice" says to Paul, "You are beside yourself, much learning does make you mad. But he [Paul] said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness." (Acts 26: 24-25) Paul could have held back these "words of truth and soberness," but he could not, for the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not something to be buried within us. King Agrippa responds to Paul, "Almost you persuade me to be a Christian." (Acts 26: 28) This was "unfettered praise" coming from Paul while he was in bonds standing before Agrippa. Jesus was also accused of being beside Himself, and David was called a fool by his own wife because of his "unfettered praise."
     If you then are a Reflection of the True Light, let your Light so shine from you that others will seek the source. Do not hide it under restrictions of man-made pressures, or keep it to yourselves. Freely you have received, freely give. When you are a recipient of the blessings of God, and His law is written upon your heart, you are to be a doer of that law, and be joined with others "Which show the work of the law written in their hearts...." (Rom. 2: 15) Those verses in Romans 2, involving both Jew and Gentile, speak to the need of our being representatives, or reflections, of the God we believe in. "But he is a Jew [recipient of God's blessings], which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (Rom. 2: 29) You are not That Light, and your own light must decrease that He may increase. So, "Arise, shine, for your Light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon you." (Isaiah 60: 1) "Let your Light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5: 16) Your Light is Jesus Christ. Your Light is not a possessed thing that speaks of you, but a reflection of Him Who abides with you!
     "Only let your conversation be as it becomes the Gospel of Christ:... stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God." (Phil. 1: 27-28) Our whole lifestyle (conversation) should be a reflection of the hope that is within us. Knowing where we are going and knowing Whose hand,vs we are in, should produce in us a confidence that is not shaken by circumstances. The redeemed of the Lord are to "look up, and lift up your heads; for your [full] redemption draws near." (Luke 21: 28) When the threats of our enemies (adversaries) terrify us, this terror is a reflection of our lack of confidence. a testimony of our fear of perdition/destruction.
    We will reflect what we value. "And they overcame him [the accuser of the brethren] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Rev. 12: 11) "... and let us run with patience [perseverance] the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith...." (Heb. 12: 1-2) He alone "is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy...." (Jude 24) " ... let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of Light, ... the Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 13: 12, 14) Let us not be like Don Quixote, "the Knight of the Woeful Countenance," but rather let us be of a Joyful Countenance, as those who really do "have also a more sure [confirmed] Word of Prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day Star arise in your hearts." (2 Pet. 1: 19) So, as the Redeemed of the Lord, let us say so (reflect it), for "the Glory of the Lord is risen upon you." (Isaiah 60: 1)

With much love, Joe (with Mercy)

PS. During the preparation of this word, as I was running it by some friends, there was a connection made with that mention I made of Don Quixote; the Reflection of Light was a major factor in the movie about him, called "The Man Of La Mancha." Don Quixote, while having a passion for what was Right, was mentally disturbed, and proceeded to fight imaginary battles with evil. Though he was delusional, there was an underlying theme throughout the movie about how our perceptions can lock us into hopelessness, and that we need to dare believe that in another's eyes we have a beauty that we cannot see. I recommend the movie.