Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul gave some advice to a young man named Titus that all Christians would do well to take to heart:
βIn all things shewing thyself a pattern of good worksβ¦β (Titus 2:7).
If youβre not sure what a βpatternβ is, do you remember reading about the βseven lampsβ that made up βthe candlestickβ in the tabernacle (Num. 8:1-4)? If so, you may remember that this candlestick was carefully made βaccording to the patternΒ which the Lord had showed Mosesβ (Num. 8:1-4). It was a pattern that typified the Lord Jesus Christ, who later declared,
βI am the light of the world:Β he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness,Β but shall have the light of lifeβ (John 8:12).
When the Lord walked among men, He was the light of the world becauseβlike the candlestick that typified HimβHe was βmade under the lawβ (Gal. 4:5), and He walked βaccording to the pattern which the Lord had showed Mosesβ in the Law, as He offered the light of eternal life to men. But later He added,
βAs long as I am in the world,Β I am the light of the worldβ (John 9:5).
Now that the Lord is gone, the world has aΒ differentΒ source of spiritual light, one that Paul described in Philippians 2:15,16. Speaking to members of the Body of Christ, he wrote,
ββ¦YE shine as lights in the world;Β holding forth the word of life.β
Now that the Lord is no longer here on earth,Β itβsΒ our turnΒ to be the light of the world, as we offer the light of eternal life to the lost!
But we donβt shine as lights in the world as our Lord did, by walking according to the pattern of the law. βWe are not under the law, but under graceβ (Rom. 6:15), so we shine the light ofΒ graceΒ by walking according to the pattern of good works we find in the epistles of Paul, the apostle of grace. If you are still observing Israelβs sabbath, or adhering to the restricted diet of Leviticus 11, etc., you are telling people weβre under the Law! And thatβs not shining the right light of life to lost sinners. Itβs hard to get saved by grace if you think weβre under the Law!
We know that walking in good works is an important part of shining as lights in the world, for in telling the Philippians they were the light of the world, Paul prefaced his words by saying,
βDo all things without murmurings and disputings:Β That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke,Β in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,Β among whom ye shine as lights in the worldβ (Philippians 2:14,15).
Thatβs Paulβs way of saying that you shouldnβt be trying to shine the light of life to men if you yourself are walking in darkness!
But as you shine the light of grace, adorned by the testimony of your pattern of good works, it is important to let people know that youβre not walking in good works because youβre a good person. You need to let them know that youβre doing it because youβre a child of God! Thatβs what the Lord had in mind when He said,
βLet your light so shine before men,Β that they may see your good works,Β and glorify your Father which is in heavenβ (Matthew 5:16).
Now, you know why He had to say that. When men see you do good works, they tend to glorifyΒ youΒ instead of God, saying things like, βIsnβt he a good man for doing something like that!β The Lord said not to let them think that way, to let your light shine in such a way that they will glorifyΒ GodΒ instead. How do we do that? Thereβs only one way to do it, and thatβs to let people know that you belong to the Lord! That way God gets the glory when men see your good works, and not you. Itβs the only way to cast the Lord in a good light, so tell someoneΒ today! source
