Ye Are the Light

Summary Scripture: Ephesians 5:8

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Philippians 2:5-6

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Here we have the testimony of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul describes him as equal with God. Note that the scripture declares him to have been in the form of God, and that form took upon itself the likeness of men, which refers to the human body that he came to us in. The key here is that the body he dwelt in did not diminish the power, or attributes of the God he is. It simply shrouded the appearance of the spiritual form of the Son of God. It was not possible for God to dwell among men in all His glory. Man was not able to bear such an appearance. All mankind would have been consumed. Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to take on flesh.

Hebrews 1:2-3

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

The brightness of his glory: The outpouring; the streaming flow of light. Express Image: The same as; an exact presentation of God. I need you to see that Jesus was a manifestation of God in flesh. He was no less God because of the flesh.

1 Timothy 6:15-16

15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Jesus dwelled in the light of God the Father.

John 1:18

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Jesus was living in the Spirit of God while walking here on earth. The Spirit of God is the glory and light of God.

John 14:10-11

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake.

John said, in the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Word is an expression of all that God is. It is the seat of his emotions, desires, intent, purpose, thoughts and will. It is the soul of the Godhead. It is not of this world. It is a quickening spirit, given the fleshy body we came to know as ‘Jesus’, that it might dwell among men. But coming into a fleshy body did not change the power or the attributes of the Word. “And the Word was God.”

Colossians 2:9

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

It was the entire Godhead that dwelled in Christ, not a similitude. The light with all its brightness was contained in that body known to us as Jesus. It was shrouded by flesh so that it could walk among men without destroying them. For it is obvious that humanity cannot look upon the essence of God and live. Thus, John says we beheld his glory, (the glory of one that was the only begotten of the Father).

The diciples saw Jesus do works that only God could do. But then the day came when Jesus took them up to the mount where he was transfigured into the glorious being of light that he was.

Matthew 17:2

And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Here God allows Peter, James and John to peer into the realm of the Spirit, that they might behold the essence of Christ. They saw for certain that he was not of this world. But Mark enlightens us further on this matter.

Mark 9:1-2

1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

The vision that the three members of Jesus inner-circle experienced, was not the fulfilment of the first verse above. This prophecy was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. That is the day the kingdom of God came to the earth. But note that it was to come with power. The power of righteousness and perfection, but also the power to destroy the works of the devil in the lives of others. It came without observation to the world, because it is shrouded by our fleshy bodies; just as it was with Jesus. Nevertheless, it is there. It is within us. In us dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We are the express image of his personage. God is indeed manifested in flesh today, even as he was in the days Jesus walked the earth.

Paul also spoke of the light that was in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Again, we are reminded of the power of God living in us. It is the power to do the works of God in the earth. As is Jesus, so are we in this world today (1 John 4:17). But I want to go back to John 1:14 . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. If you are going to make it into the kingdom of God at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, then at some point you must believe on him and yourself the way the scripture has said.

The truth is, the Church has never entertained the true nature of its being. We have hidden it in the quagmire of false doctrines and traditions of men. When are we going to accept everything the Father has said about us? God has commanded the same light that was in Christ to shine in our hearts (soul). That light is God the Father. It is his Spirit.

I submit to you that God’s Spirit is no less in us than it is in Jesus. Our soul has been joined to God. We are his offspring, his children. As he is, so are we. If Jesus was full of the Glory of God in the flesh, then we too, are full of that glory. Jesus was full of the glory of the only begotten of God. But my friend, he is no longer the only begotten of God. We were begotten of God through Jesus. We have that same glory in us. We too, are full of grace and truth. This is the nature of the sons. There is nothing mystical about it. It is just who we are.

Let us look into this glory a little more. In the Old Covenant this word grace simply meant favor or well favored. But in the New Covenant, it takes on another meaning. It is God’s influence in the heart, that is reflected in the life. This is the attribute of Jesus Christ. He was full of God’s influence. His very testimony was that the words he spoke were those of the Father. The works he was sent to do, were done by the Father. He was one with the Father in all that he said or did. That was the manifestation of grace. Jesus walked in truth. This word is proclaimed by Vine’s expository to mean evidence, confirmation, authentic, and a validation.

Jesus walked here as a validation of all that the Father had said or promised. He was a visible presentation of God and his word.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

It is possible for every Son of God to have this testimony because he is full of grace and truth. The influence of God in our hearts raises us up above distress and despair. The influence of God in our hearts enables us to suffer in the flesh, that Christ might be seen in the works we do in the body.

1 Corinthians 15:45, 47-48

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

We have not acknowledged the awesomeness of the God in us. Could it be that the church does not believe that the Holy Ghost is God in his completeness? When the scripture says we are complete in him (Col. 2:10), could it possibly mean that as a son of God, there is nothing lacking in us? But indeed, as Jesus is, so are we today in this world. We have this great light within that shines brighter than men are able to behold.

If the scriptures speak the truth, then we must conclude that unbelief and unrighteousness are the barriers that separate us from the power of God.

2 Corinthians 12:9

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The influence of God is sufficient. The Holy Ghost is greater than any spirit that is in the world. But his strength in us is made perfect in our weakness. We must allow and not be offended by infirmity, reproach, need, or persecution. But the church has fervently resisted and is vehemently opposed to such suffering in the flesh, even for the sake of Christ. Furthermore, the righteousness of God can only be seen when evil is given a free hand to tempt or attack it. To be weak in the flesh is to be strong in the Spirit; for the Spirit of God will not compete with our arrogance, pride or selfishness. The love of God must be real. It must manifest as truth and not lip service. It will be tested for its authenticity. Our love must prove to be perfect, and that can only be accomplished in hard trials and persecutions.

2 Corinthians 12:10

Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

The light shines brightest in the midst of darkness.

Whenever we exalt flesh, we become equal with darkness. Humility, mercy and grace are the restraints God has placed in us.

• Humility: To allow ourselves to be humiliated

• Mercy: to forgive those who wrong us

• Grace: to allow the outpouring of the love of God to flow from us to our offenders

If only you would believe this report. If the people of God would embrace the grace God has freely given us, the power of the light that shines in our soul, would pour out of us like a river of living water. Remember beloved, it is the weakness of the flesh that releases the power of the Spirit.

Matthew 5:14-16

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

I love you and there is a resolve in my spirit that this ministry will accomplish the will of God in this world.