Our love for God can be identified by how we respond when the light of Christ shines on us.
There are many in our culture today who claim to love God and yet, they don’t look like the traditional Christian. Instead, they would accuse those of us who follow Jesus’ teachings literally to have ‘missed the plot.’ “Why can’t you just be more loving and kind,” they would claim, “That is what Jesus was all about.”
However, when we examine the Scriptures closely, and take into account what Jesus actually said about Himself, we might be surprised. Especially when we consider the response of the crowds to Jesus’ claims.
A number of Jesus’ disciples left Him after He declared Himself to be the “Bread of Life.” The crowds attempted to stone Him when He said He was the “Light of the World.” Why? Because Jesus was claiming to be equal with God, the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, and the only means by which we can have access to God the Father.
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
When Jesus declared Himself to be the Light of the World, He was met by immediate opposition. Earlier in the Gospel of John, Jesus told Nicodemus the reason people reject the light:
“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19-21)
Jesus further elaborates on this in chapter 8. The people could not understand Him because they were spiritually dead and enslaved to sin. They identified themselves with Abraham and claimed to love God, but they treated Jesus with disdain.
LOVE FOR GOD
Our love for God can be identified by how we respond when the light of Christ shines on us. Let’s be honest: we do not always respond positively to the truth, especially when the truth reveals something about ourselves that we would rather remain hidden.
When Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman at the well, He pointed out a dark secret about her life. She had been married five times and the man she was currently living with was not her husband. This is likely why she had come out to the well in the heat of the day to avoid the other women. She was ashamed of her lifestyle. But by revealing the truth about her life, Jesus was also saying that He possessed the power to address her spiritual needs.
Jesus explained to her that He is looking for a particular type of person to worship Him. Those who would worship Him in spirit and in truth. What does that mean? Jesus wants worshippers who know that they need Him, who can acknowledge their sins and respond in repentance when they are brought into the light.
THE TRUTH AND LOVE
Jesus is speaking the truth even though He knows He is going to be rejected. He is not doing it to be obstinate or rude. He’s not simply trying to get under their skin. Jesus is speaking the truth because we all need the light of Christ to expose our sins so that we can address them.
Jesus acknowledged that He would have a greater following if He said what the people wanted to hear. “If I were to say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know Him and I keep His word” (John 8:55).
We live in a culture today that not only wants us to accept their sinful lifestyles as a personal choice, but one that also demands that we openly approve of them. Christians are being asked the ‘gotcha’ questions in an attempt to shame them from society. Friends and family members are demanding to know where we stand on the current cultural issues.
Jesus was challenged in the same way, but instead of altering His message or veiling the truth behind political correctness, He declared, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). In no uncertain terms, Jesus doubled down on what the people were upset about: His claim to be God. The people were so angry at this point that they picked up stones to kill Him.
Much has been said about speaking the truth in love within our culture today. Many have put a greater emphasis on the ‘love’ portion while downplaying the ‘truth’ side of the scale. However, it is never loving to withhold the truth from those who are enslaved to sin. Jesus says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31). Because His actions were righteous, He did not need to cloak His intentions in the shadows. He spoke boldly and openly because sugarcoating the truth does not make it easier to swallow.
Elsewhere, Jesus says that if we are the light of the world, we shouldn’t hide that lamp under a basket, but put it on a lampstand so that it would give light to everyone in the house (Matthew 5:14-15). Later, the Apostle John would follow up his Gospel account of Jesus life with a letter to the Churches saying, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (I John 4:20). If we put these truths together, it is clear that if we say we love God, we will love others by boldly proclaiming the truth against the pushback of society.
THE DARKER THE NIGHT
In John 3:16, we see how God demonstrated His love toward us. Because we were sinners, God gave us His only Son, so that whoever would put their faith in Jesus as their atoning sacrifice, would not have to face the wrath of God as punishment for their sins, but would have eternal life and fellowship with God.
Now, Jesus is saying that if we love God, it will be evident in how we respond when we are confronted with the truth. We will repent from our sins and press into Jesus as our redeemer. Then, as followers of Christ, we will boldly proclaim our faith and shine the light of the gospel into the midst of the darkness.
Still, we might remain timid within a hostile culture that stands against the truth. But in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, when we were first introduced to Jesus, we are told this, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). My dad used to always say, “The darker the night, the brighter the light.” We should not be intimidated by the darkness. The shadows are looming and feel as though they are encroaching upon us, but we can be encouraged and reminded that the darkness cannot overcome the light.
If we would take the time to consider the light of the gospel in our own lives on a daily basis, then we will be prepared, in boldness and readiness, to declare the truth to those who are lost.
Adam Miller is the President and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church.
You can hear his teaching on our daily broadcast on the radio or online, watch his preaching live on Facebook, and read his articles on our website.
