Be the Light of the World

1 Imagine you are at the theatre. Your wallet falls from your pocket right as the lights go out. You shuffle your feet, searching for it, but without any light you cannot find it. For a moment you feel worried. Your wallet has some cash in it, but it also has your license and your credit cards. Without it, you will be unable to drive yourself home, nor will you have the money to pay for a ride. Then, the stage lights come on, and in the light, you are able to find your missing wallet. Relieved, you pick it up.

2 Today we are all metaphorically in the dark. The world around us is shrouded with darkness. Climate change is quickly getting out of our control. War is waging in some areas, all the while threatening to spread worldwide. Science and technology continue to advance, but still scientists cannot seem to bring an end to human suffering.

Question (1,2): In what ways are we “in the dark” today?

3 The bible promised dark times as we draw closer and closer to the end of this age. This darkness would be driven by the human condition (Read: 2 Timothy 3:1-5). As we collectively draw away from God, humanity continues to degrade in a concerning and sometimes scary way. But when we read the bible, we can find hope: a light, provided to us by God, to guide us back towards Him.

Questions (3): What does the scripture at 2 Timothy 3:1-5 say about the human condition in the last days?

The Light in Scripture

4 Like our darkened theatre, people today are lost in the darkness, without answers to some of life’s biggest questions. Seeing the world draw further and further away from God brings distress that causes many to question God. Yet in His wisdom and love, Yahweh provides a lamp to mankind that helps us find our way back to Him.

5 Hundreds of thousands of people have found the bible to be this guiding light. The bible not only answers the big questions, but also provides advice on daily life. Have you ever encountered a situation where you weren’t entirely sure which path was the right to take? How about have you ever been involved in a dispute you didn’t know how to settle? The bible can provide practical advice for these and many other situations.

Questions (4,5): How does the bible work as a lamp? In addition to answering the big questions, what can the bible do for us?

6 As God’s written word, the bible acts as God’s voice in today’s world. In ancient times, God used prophets and priests to instruct His people. While ministers and pastors exist today, they do not communicate directly to God through any means except the bible. When the bible was forming, not everyone had access to it. Today, however, the bible is widely available in many translations the world over. This special privilege of knowing God’s word today is part of what makes the bible special.

Question (6): How does the bible act as God’s voice today?

7 When we read the bible, we get to know God better. Found in its pages are scriptures that reveal Yahweh’s character. For instance, the bible tells us plainly that God is patient (2 Peter 3:9) and truthful (Numbers 23:19). Yet more about God’s character is revealed in the things He does for us as revealed in scripture. When we read the bible, we can see evidence of God’s love for us in the things that He has done, going so far as to allow His only Son to die so that we could have the chance of eternal life (Read: John 3:16).

Question (7): How is God revealed in scripture?

8 The bible also reveals to us God’s plan. In the scriptures we can read why Yahweh created the earth, how sin and death came to exist, and what God is doing about it. Bible prophecies reveal that Yahweh not only intends to fix this broken system we currently live in, but to replace it with a perfect system where He will reign eternally. Beyond that, the bible shows us how we can become attain everlasting life in paradise with God.

Question (8): What does the bible tell us about the future?

9 Reading the bible daily can help us understand Yahweh’s standards. When we read the scriptures, we are called to repent of our sins. By following the bible’s advice, we find the path to everlasting life. That is why the bible writers called the scriptures God’s “lamp” (Read: Psalm 119:105).

Question (9): How does the writer of the scripture at Psalm 119:105 describe the bible? In what ways does the bible act as a lamp?

"I have Come Into This World as Light

10 In a spiritual discussion, “darkness” refers to a moral and spiritual separation from God. Darkness can equate to ignorance, hopelessness, and immorality. Light, however, is the opposite. It can refer to faith, justice, and divine peace. No more are these qualities, this holy “light”, revealed than in the man Jesus of Nazareth.

Question (10): What do the terms “light” and “darkness” refer to in a spiritual setting?

11 Jesus said of himself, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). What did he mean by this statement? Here, Jesus was referring to the ministry he was preaching. At the time, Jewish leaders had fallen astray of the real teachings of Yahweh God, instead opting to lean on traditions. Most of these traditions were rooted in spiritism, which was rampant at the time.

12 Jesus’ ministry was not like that. Instead of focusing on the traditions of men, Jesus drew attention to the glory of his Father. Every word he preached was in honor of Yahweh, giving focus on God’s intention and His plans. Even though Jesus had been given extraordinary power and authority, he did not allow it to go to his head. When tempted by none other than Satan himself, Jesus refused to allow himself to be swayed. He wholeheartedly obeyed his Father’s will. So much was Christ the reflection of his Father that the apostle Paul called him the “exact image” of God. (Read: Hebrews 1:3). It was these qualities that made Jesus the “light of the earth” (John 9:5).

Questions (11, 12): How did Jesus’ ministry bring spiritual light to the earth. How does our Read scripture show Jesus as the light of the world?

13 Truth and “light” come from Yahweh God (Psalm 119:160). During his ministry on earth, Jesus said of himself, “I am the way, the life, the truth. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). What did he mean by this? Not only did his ministry reveal the Father, but Jesus is the mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). It is impossible to come to God other than through Jesus. When he died, Jesus’s death installed the New Covenant, otherwise known as the Covenant of Grace. By way of His son’s death, Yahweh is able to forgive all sins on earth. There is no other covenant active on earth aside from this one. When Yahweh brought forth the New Covenant, He set aside the Old (Hebrews 8:13).

Question (13): How does Jesus serve as a mediator?

14 During his earthly lifetime, Jesus preached many things about God and His ways. We know that his message was truth because it came directly from God. Jesus is God’s son, and a perfect reflection of Him. Everything he did was to fulfill his Father’s will (John 12:44). Through his conduct and his ministry, we find Jesus to be the light of the world sent by his Father to guide us back to Yahweh.

Question (14): How is Jesus a guide to Yahweh?

You are the Light of the World

15 Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” (Read: Matthew 5:14-16). Although he spoke this to his disciples, this verse applies to us today as well. Yahweh through His son Jesus calls us to act like a guiding a light for others today. But how can we accomplish this?

Question (15): Why did Jesus call us the light of the world?

In Our Conduct

16 The way we act can tell others about us. Imagine you’ve entered a restaurant. You want to order dinner, but the hostess is rude and dismissive. You might choose to leave that restaurant and find one more welcoming. Much the same, the way we conduct ourselves as God’s children says a lot to others about Him. If we act with brazen conduct, contradictory to bible standards, we might give others the impression that it’s okay to behave in such a manner. Likewise, if we are kind and compassionate for our neighbors, they will see the true love of Yahweh shine through us.

Question (16): How does our conduct act as a guiding light to others?

17 How we behave and present ourselves to others should be spirit-directed. How do we decide what behavior is right and what is wrong? Remember that God gave us His Word to guide us in all our ways. Therefore, we should trust the bible to provide insight into how to conduct ourselves. Since we are representatives of God, we must choose to act in accordance with His will, even when it is challenging to do so.

Question (17): How can we decide what is appropriate behavior?

In Pure Worship

18 As God’s ministry, we must worship Him properly. Not all worship is acceptable to Yahweh (Read: Hebrews 12:28). Yahweh calls us to worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Therefore, our worship should be pure. We need to set apart our worship from the traditions of men and instead focus on what is good and acceptable to Yahweh.

Question (18): What does God say about our worship?

19 Many churches today worship Yahweh through practices that aren’t found in the bible. From infant baptism to eating unclean foods, modern worship has increasingly adopted practices that displease our Creator. By accepting impure practices or rituals into our worship, we show others that these are okay practices to Yahweh. However, God makes it clear that clean worship is important to Him (Matthew 7:21). When we take a stand for proper worship, we help guide others onto the correct course, and thus bring them closer to the truth of Yahweh.

In Our Ministry

20 One of the most important aspects of our faith is our public ministry. Over the many centuries since the Messiah walked on this earth, much bible truth has been lost. Worse still, several biblical practices have been replaced with pagan ones. So much has truth been replaced with tradition that many people don’t know that modern churches have adopted pagan worship!

Question (20): How deeply rooted is paganism in modern Christianity?

Our ministry is one way Yahweh's light shines through us

21 Our public ministry helps draw people to the truth. By preaching to others about subjects such as the Kingdom of God, Jesus and his identity, the Sabbath and Holy Days, and the root of good and evil, we reveal God’s loving truth to those who may have otherwise never heard it. By drawing people to Yahweh, we help them find the bible’s enlightening guidance for their own lives. Thus, we act as a lamp for them to find the truth about Yahweh.

Question (21): How does our ministry guide people?

Yahweh's Light Lives On

22 The bible says that as we draw closer to the end, we’d find ourselves in “times of great difficulty” (2 Timothy 3:1). Some people have doubts that we are drawing close to the end, yet bible prophecy reveals that we indeed are! Knowing this, it is important than ever that we find Yahweh’s light in today’s age of darkness.

23 It can seem impossible to find that light, yet the bible promises that we are not alone. By trusting in Yahweh and the provision of His Word, we can find a path of “light” in today’s age of darkness. Jesus said the path to everlasting life would be narrow and difficult (Read: Matthew 7:13-14). But not impossible. When we follow Jesus’ footsteps and obey Yahweh’s commands, we know that we are on that narrow way that leads to life everlasting.

Questions (22, 23): How does Jesus describe the path to everlasting life? How can we know we are on the path of righteousness?