Light-Like!

Jesus Christ as the Light of the World transforms our lives as we follow Him. We too become lights in this world? But how do we increase our spiritual lumens so that we shine brighter in this world. We become light-like as we separate from this world. God has called us to be distinct, to be different from the world surrounding us. We cannot influence our world if we adopt the world's standards and practices. Jesus has called us to be in the world but not of the world. We are to be in the world, but the world is not to be in us. Secondly, we become light bearers by developing light-like character qualities. God has called us to internal, personal holiness. Separation from the world without corresponding development of personal holiness produces external religious legalism and internal, self-righteous hypocrisy. We develop personal holiness by putting off the old, putting on the new-- and we do so by changing the input in our minds and hearts. The product is goodness, righteousness, and truth. Our pursuit is to be fully pleasing to Christ.