Walk In The Light
October 13, 2024
Dr. Paul Cannings
The church’s love for God was exposed when Covid 19 impacted the world. People packed planes and sports games and went back to work, but not to the church. This voting season has also exposed the church. To see the hatred, anger, and polarization that our churches are demonstrating is mind-boggling. It is interesting to note, in the scriptures, that the Lord does not pick sides, in other words, He does not ride donkeys or elephants. When the Lord of Host confronted Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15), the Lord demanded that Joshua do what He said. When Jesus was physically on earth, He clearly stated, “” “He is the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
We rely more on common sense, driven by media commentators, in critical times than seeking the Lord. The scriptures are clear that the Lord has provided us “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3-4; ‘everything’). So, scripture is not silent (Hebrews 1:1-3). Who a candidate demonstrates themselves to be can be evaluated by the scriptures. We are commanded by God to “test every spirit.” (1 John 4:1-2; notice it is a small ‘s’), not to believe every spirit because of who they say they are or how much sense they seem to make. Our trust is required to be of God first, not a person. This is why the passage in Proverbs 3:5 starts with “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…..”; notice ‘all your heart’; not some (heart – not following our emotions; Romans 6:12-14). Our reliance is on His wisdom, not ours. “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the One who catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” (1 Corinthians 3:19-20; NASU)
Knowing who a person says they are is based on how the scripture directs us to decide the nature of a person. The scriptures instruct us to look at the fruit that comes from their life (Matthew 7:16-20). Many people looked up to the High Priest in Jesus, but Christ had an entirely different truth (Matthew 23). The disciples thought Judas was a great person, but Christ sees his heart (John 17:12). This is why the scripture says, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luke 6:45; NASU) This is why, for us to see the truth, we must walk in the light. It is Christ who is the Light (John 1:6-7). When we faithfully practice His Word, we walk in the light (Hebrews 5:14), and instead of hating one another, we have peace (1 John 1:5-7; 2:9-10). As we mature, we become light (Matthew 5:14-16).
Be the light!