Walking in Light, Life, and Love

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Our Assistant Pastor, Stan Josephsen, ministered to us concerning what it will take for us to be able to stand as true Christians in the troublesome days ahead.

(10/9/2005) Stan warned us that "business as usual"---including routine church attendance and service---will not be enough to bring us through the judgments that are set to fall upon our nation and across the whole earth.

Instead, we will have to learn how to walk in Light, Life, and Love in order to survive and be of good use in God's hands. This process will require from us the willingness to receive chastening and instruction both from the Lord and those whom He has placed in our lives to work change in our personalities.

While many in the Christian churches of today focus primarily on Love, that is something that is an end result of walking first in the Light and letting it lead us into Life. Love comes from His life, which comes from walking in the Light together with Him.

Light was defined as anything that makes visible, or brings sin out from its cover of darkness. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:13-14---NIV)

When we recognize and allow God's Spirit to point out the sin in our life we are coming to the Light. We walk further into it by asking Him not only for forgiveness but also deliverance from that darkness. Too many church people are forgiven but not delivered from their sins and so they fall into repetitive cycles of victory followed by defeat.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9---NIV)

Walking in the Light requires fellowship, both with God and His people. Fellowship is based on accountability---the willingness to cooperate with the process of having our own sins, not those of others, brought out in the open as God knows how best to do.

Living as children of light produces fruit---goodness, righteousness, and truth. This produces Life and enables us to prove God's will.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8-10---NIV)

The product of Life is being able to love God, your neighbour, and yourself as the Lord intended---to understand its real meaning. Loving God requires keeping His commandments. Walking in the Light, living by His Life enables us to love Him by doing what He has said.

Sudden change is on the horizon. To walk in the Light we need to become accountable to God's Spirit and the people He will use to challenge our personalities and reveal any darkness that may yet reside in them. If we cooperate with the Light, His life will grow in us and His Love will follow close behind.