Lights Shining in the Darkness

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14–16)

There are approaches to “good works” that are just plain wrong, of course. First, we should not do good works in order to earn our way into God’s grace or somehow build up enough “credit” to win our way into heaven. Grace is exactly what we don’t deserve, and grace is the only way to be saved. We are being saved from our sins and the punishment they deserve, and all the good works in the world cannot help one iota but only the grace of God.

We also are instructed by God not to do good works in order simply to be seen by men or to win the praise of men. Later in this same sermon (the famed “Sermon on the Mount”) Jesus says specifically, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1) If our only goal in doing good is to win the praise of others or to stoke up our own ego or merely to “keep up appearances,” i.e., do enough to make sure people think well of us, then our good works are all for the wrong reason.

But here Jesus says our good works themselves are to be so abundant, so remarkable, so evident, and so representative of our lives overall that they shine out as lights in this dark world of evil. We Christians are to stick out simply by being good Christians. We are to love God and others so much that people can’t help but notice. We are to live by such faith in every circumstance—and especially the bad ones—that people are amazed and perhaps even long for (and hopefully pray for) that kind of faith themselves. Our good works should be so profuse, simply because that is what the Spirit of God is doing in us, that they can’t help but be notable.

Motive matters, of course. Jesus says here the end result will be that men “glorify your Father in heaven” when they see your good works. Our desire should be that God receives the praise and the glory and credit for anything good done in us or through us. But if we are not doing any good works, or if our good works are done in a corner somewhere—perhaps for fear someone might mistake us for being a Christian, heaven forbid—then no light is shining, the darkness is still winning out in your arena, and the God of all glory and wonder is not being glorified.

So the way to “shine your light” is not to put a spotlight on yourself so others can see you and ooh and aah. Rather the way to shine as lights in the world is to trust God, obey God, do His will, and seek His glory, in every circumstance and before all men, and the rest will take care of itself.

“Great and glorious God in heaven above, we give You thanks for sending our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Light of the world, to shine in the darkness, that we might know You and come to the Light ourselves. Make of us, dear God, lights that shine in the world, exposing evil, driving out darkness, bringing glory to You , O God. Move within us by Your Holy Spirit in such a way—fill us with Him, dear God—that we are overflowing with such good works that they incite the praise and wonder of men for the great works of God done in and through mere men. For we are saved entirely by Your grace—not of works, lest any man should boast—and we are saved for good works, that You might be glorified forever and ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”