Shining Your Light Within Boundaries
" 14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)
When you read the above verse, what kind of lamp did you envision? Did you a imagine a simple candlestick dripping with wax, or did you imagine an old kerosene lamp with a protective glass covering? I personally had never really thought about it until recently, when I had one of my "revelations", as I call them. I had always imagined a kerosene lantern, perhaps because I'm attracted to their old rustic charm, but what struck me this time was that the kerosene lamp has, as I mentioned, a glass globe around the flame that not only better illuminates the room but also protects the room from the flame and the flame from the room. The flame may waver inside the glass without the risk of sparks flying and causing a fire, and a paper may brush the glass without it catching the flame. The flame only escapes if the lantern itself breaks.
The light can only exist with the kerosene igniting the flame, the covering protecting the flame, and the lantern frame holding the covering. As believers commanded to shine the light in our own lives, we can view the kerosene as the Spirit, the covering as Jesus and his blood, and the lantern itself as God (aka the Father). We can rest in the confidence that though the wind may howl, the lantern will never break, the glass will never shatter, and the oil will never diminish. Collectively, these things create boundaries. The boundaries, or in other words, the commands, that have been implemented by our God through the Messiah protect us from destroying others and help us keep our circumstances from destroying us.
Sin, as we know, is transgression of God's commands. Though believers are dead to the enslavement of sin through God's sacrifice, there is always the temptation that we might use God's grace as a pillow for our future mistakes (see Romans 6:1-2). Sin rarely affects the sinner alone, so God's commands provide the boundaries that help protect all parties from sin's repercussions. An affair may be exclusive to the adulterer and the adulteress, but on the other side there is a spouse that is hurting. A divorce may be between husband and wife, but children often suffer the consequences. Rebellion may be between the son and his parents, but his actions will ultimately influence every other relationship. There are many more instances that could be described.
The punishment for sin is often simply the consequences that naturally stem from our poor choices. Exodus 34:6-7 says, God is "merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth; showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes, and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents' offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, even by the third and fourth generations". Many of our problems could be solved or prevented by simply obeying God. His instruction is loving and ultimately for our benefit.
Though we may avoid the obvious sins of adultery and rebellion, there are more subtle sins that must be controlled, especially our words. The Spirit inspires us to speak truth, but we do not want the fire of our tongue to destroy the faith of another (see James 3:5-6). Correction is beneficial, but condemnation is devastating. God's Word gives us guidelines to help us manage our words so that we might build one another up rather than tear each other down. We want the light of the Good News to penetrate every inch of surroundings, but we do not want to consume others with the unquenchable fire of judgment that belongs to our God (see Hebrews 12:29 and Isaiah 33:10-14).
God's boundaries protect us from potentially destructive circumstances just as well as they protect others from our actions when we obey. While hardship will never leave, even if it takes many forms, Yeshua's covering keeps trouble from fazing us and extinguishing our light. We may never be active partakers in the aforementioned sins, but many of us are recipients of the consequences. God's commands to love everyone unconditionally, to show unlimited mercy, and to serve faithfully give us the strength to combat our difficulties.
So the question is not "are you shining your light?" but "are you shining your light within the boundaries God has given?" The safest place to be is in the center of God's will. We find the center of God's will only when we love Him, love others, and obey His commands.
When you read the above verse, what kind of lamp did you envision? Did you a imagine a simple candlestick dripping with wax, or did you imagine an old kerosene lamp with a protective glass covering? I personally had never really thought about it until recently, when I had one of my "revelations", as I call them. I had always imagined a kerosene lantern, perhaps because I'm attracted to their old rustic charm, but what struck me this time was that the kerosene lamp has, as I mentioned, a glass globe around the flame that not only better illuminates the room but also protects the room from the flame and the flame from the room. The flame may waver inside the glass without the risk of sparks flying and causing a fire, and a paper may brush the glass without it catching the flame. The flame only escapes if the lantern itself breaks.
The light can only exist with the kerosene igniting the flame, the covering protecting the flame, and the lantern frame holding the covering. As believers commanded to shine the light in our own lives, we can view the kerosene as the Spirit, the covering as Jesus and his blood, and the lantern itself as God (aka the Father). We can rest in the confidence that though the wind may howl, the lantern will never break, the glass will never shatter, and the oil will never diminish. Collectively, these things create boundaries. The boundaries, or in other words, the commands, that have been implemented by our God through the Messiah protect us from destroying others and help us keep our circumstances from destroying us.
Sin, as we know, is transgression of God's commands. Though believers are dead to the enslavement of sin through God's sacrifice, there is always the temptation that we might use God's grace as a pillow for our future mistakes (see Romans 6:1-2). Sin rarely affects the sinner alone, so God's commands provide the boundaries that help protect all parties from sin's repercussions. An affair may be exclusive to the adulterer and the adulteress, but on the other side there is a spouse that is hurting. A divorce may be between husband and wife, but children often suffer the consequences. Rebellion may be between the son and his parents, but his actions will ultimately influence every other relationship. There are many more instances that could be described.
The punishment for sin is often simply the consequences that naturally stem from our poor choices. Exodus 34:6-7 says, God is "merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth; showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes, and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents' offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, even by the third and fourth generations". Many of our problems could be solved or prevented by simply obeying God. His instruction is loving and ultimately for our benefit.
Though we may avoid the obvious sins of adultery and rebellion, there are more subtle sins that must be controlled, especially our words. The Spirit inspires us to speak truth, but we do not want the fire of our tongue to destroy the faith of another (see James 3:5-6). Correction is beneficial, but condemnation is devastating. God's Word gives us guidelines to help us manage our words so that we might build one another up rather than tear each other down. We want the light of the Good News to penetrate every inch of surroundings, but we do not want to consume others with the unquenchable fire of judgment that belongs to our God (see Hebrews 12:29 and Isaiah 33:10-14).
God's boundaries protect us from potentially destructive circumstances just as well as they protect others from our actions when we obey. While hardship will never leave, even if it takes many forms, Yeshua's covering keeps trouble from fazing us and extinguishing our light. We may never be active partakers in the aforementioned sins, but many of us are recipients of the consequences. God's commands to love everyone unconditionally, to show unlimited mercy, and to serve faithfully give us the strength to combat our difficulties.
So the question is not "are you shining your light?" but "are you shining your light within the boundaries God has given?" The safest place to be is in the center of God's will. We find the center of God's will only when we love Him, love others, and obey His commands.
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