Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly. “We had to speak God’s word to you first,” they said. “But you don’t accept it. You don’t think you are good enough for eternal life. So now we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 This is what the Lord has commanded us to do. He said, “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles. You will bring salvation to the whole earth.’ ” (Isaiah 49:6) 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad. They honored the word of the Lord. All who were appointed for eternal life believed.
49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole area. 50 But the Jewish leaders stirred up the important women who worshiped God. They also stirred up the men who were leaders in the city. The Jewish leaders tried to get the women and men to attack Paul and Barnabas. They threw Paul and Barnabas out of that area. 51 Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet. (Acts 13:46-51)
A light . . . light can make a way safe and secure, as in an underpass walkway or a darkened room. However, light is also capable of exposing danger or unacceptable elements. Ever hold a bright lite up in a room and see the particles floating in the air . . . the kinds of particles we breathe in daily?
In our CHRISTian journey, we use the light of the Gospel to both expose sin and offer grace and forgiveness. This light keeps a mature believer on one's toes and causes unbelievers to come to repentance . . . or it can actually cause danger for the one sharing. You see, the Gospel light also aggravates and angers those who will not accept it. Yes, sharing the Gospel and doing our best to live it out can put us in danger at times, yet we are encouraged to press onward and not shrink back. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11)
Jesus still is the Light of the world! Will we continue to hold that light up and show the world?
No comments:
Post a Comment