JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

WISDOM FOR LIVING DEVOTIONAL

NOVEMBER 14, 2020

TOPIC: JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

BY T. O. BANSO

 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14 New King James Version).

Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined” (New King James Version).

In this scripture, the light is Jesus Christ and His message; and the people in darkness were the people of Zebulun and Naphtali, referred to in Isaiah 9:1, but by extension, all sinners. Jesus fulfilled this scripture in Matthew 4:12-13 when He departed to Galilee and came and dwelt in Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali.

Verses 14-16 note, “This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: ‘In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River — in Galilee where so many Gentiles live — the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined” (New Living Translation).

Sinners are in darkness. Those who are saved have seen the light. Jesus is the real light. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’” (John 8:12 New King James Version).  He said in John 9:5, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (New King James Version).

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light! Are you walking in darkness or you’ve seen the light? Jesus came to deliver the world from the power of darkness. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14 New King James Version).

Have you been delivered? Are you born again?  If you are, share the love of God with those yet to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Let the light you’ve received light up your world. Become the light of the world, as Jesus said His followers are (Matthew 5:14).

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:17). If you’re still walking in darkness, receive Jesus Christ into your heart today. Accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. David said, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1a New King James Version).

Maybe you’re even born again but you’re still walking in darkness. Did you ask how? 1 John 2:9-11says, “If anyone says, ‘I am living in the light,’  but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves other Christians is living in the light and does not cause anyone to stumble. Anyone who hates a Christian brother or sister is living and walking in darkness. Such a person is lost, having been blinded by the darkness” (New Living Translation).

If that describes you, you must repent now. You must repent of hatred and begin to walk in love. Romans 13:8b says he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Verse 10b adds that love is the fulfillment of the law. In other words, love satisfies all of God’s requirements. That’s talking of agape-love. That is unconditional love and love that is mainly of the will, not of the emotions. If you’re not waling in this kind of love, you’re walking in darkness. God is love.

According to 1 John 1:6-7, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (New King James Version).

1 John 4:7-8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (New King James Version). Jesus is the light of the world. Have you seen the light? If you’ve seen the light, are you walking in the light?

Are you walking in the light of the Word of God? The psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 New King James Version). Walk in the light and you’ll become the light of your world.

Paul says in Ephesians 5:8-14, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (New King James Version).

Jesus is the light of the world. Accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. If you walk in His Word, you’ll be walking in the light.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The LORD be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Jesus, the light of the world, I surrender my life to you today and invite you into my heart.  I shall walk in the light of Your Word. I pray that those who are walking in darkness will see the light of Jesus and come to it. They will give their lives to Jesus. I also pray that every backslider will return to Jesus Christ and walk in His light.

(For over 300 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org