By David J. Stewart | December 2012
Isaiah 9:2, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
What
a beautiful Scripture. There are two main prophecies concerning Christ in
the Old Testament.
First, that the Messiah is coming. Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Second, that the Messiah would be born of a virgin and his name would be Emmanuel. Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Jesus is the light. John 1:4-5, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” Jesus is the light that shines in darkness, lighting men's souls with righteousness. We all have darkness in us as sinners. It is in our nature. John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” Everyone has darkness in them, but the Lord is the light that shines in that darkness. 2nd Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” We can be saved and have our sins forgiven if we'll believe the gospel.
The gospel means “good news” or “glad tidings.” Romans 10:15b, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” The gospel is composed of three things according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
I've heard many preachers lately sincerely tell their congregations to admit they're a sinner, and then trust upon Christ's death to have their sins forgiven. My friend, that's an incomplete plan of salvation. Many preachers surprisingly DON'T mention Christ's resurrection. Did not Jesus raise up from the dead? Yes, of course He did, triumphantly 1st Corinthians 15:14-17, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” My friend, always include the resurrection when presenting the gospel, otherwise it's not the gospel. Jesus DIED, He was BURIED and then He was RESURRECTED from the dead.
Most unsaved people believe that a historical figure named Jesus once lived and died, but only born-again Christians truly believe that Christ rose up from the dead and is alive today in Heaven bodily. Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (and living in our body in the Holy Spirit).” Amen, Jesus is seated at the right-hand of the Father, making intercession for the saints as our heavenly High Priest. Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” If the cross is not preached, there cannot be any salvation. Many false prophets today are teaching a humanistic plan of salvation that leaves out the cross upon which Christ died. No one can be saved without the preaching of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you receive the gospel as full-payment for your sins, then you are saved immediately, eternally and permanently. If saved, always saved.
As Christians we don't live the Christian life; but rather, Jesus lives it through us. Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
We are the light of the world as believers, because Jesus is the light that shines from within us (Romans 8:9; John 8:12). That's why the moon is a common symbol in witchcraft and the occult for Satan, who has no light of his own to radiate. The moon reflects the sun's light, but has no light of its own to shine. Satan deceives people (2nd Corinthians 4:4), appearing as an angel of light according to 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15.
Here is a precious Scripture. Isaiah 60:20, “Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.” Amen, the Lord shall be our everlasting light!!! Jesus is the light that shines in darkness. Christians are the light of the world, “because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1st John 4:4). Only born-again Christians have the light, which is God's Holy Spirit, indwelling them (1st Corinthians 3:16-17). What a precious Savior, Jesus is mine!!!
Do you have the light of Jesus Christ in you my friend, or are you wandering blindly in darkness, not knowing where you walk? Many people have heard the gospel truth preached to them, but they've rejected it as foolishness (1st Corinthians 1:21). Matthew 6:23, “But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” How great is that darkness!!! This refers to people who have seen the truth, but don't receive it. The eye in the Bible represents the understanding.
It
is very interesting that when the serpent (Satan, Revelation 20:2) told Eve
that her eyes would be opened, in the Hebrew it is singular (that is, eye).
The Devil wasn't referring to her physical eyes; but rather, the eye of her
understanding. This is why we see one All Seeing Eye in the New World
Order's official symbol, The Great Pyramid. The eye is symbolic of
understanding Satan's plans and what he's really up to. As Christians we
have incredible insight into Satan's plans from the Bible. The world fails
to see that the stage is being prepared for the coming Antichrist, the man
of sin. As God's children we are not naive nor ignorant of Satan's devices.
Those believers who walk with God by humbling themselves (James 4:6-17), searching the Scriptures (John 5:39), praying (Philippians 4:6-7), turning from their wicked ways and seeking God's face of blessing by pleasing Him (James 4:8; 2nd Chronicles 7:14) and walking by the Light of the Lamp of God's Word (Psalms 119:105), know what is going on in the world. We are one step ahead of the Devil.
The light is in fact, the truth. Jesus proclaimed to be the way, the truth and the life in John 14:6. The Word of God is truth (John 17:17). Jesus came into the world to bear witness to the truth. John 18:37, “...To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth...” The world is in darkness, without truth. The Bible can be summed up in one word, that is, truth. Oh, how this evil world needs the truth of Jesus Christ Who died, was buried and has risen from the dead, shedding His blood for our sins (1st Peter 1:18-19 - all Scriptures references only from the King James Bible).
