Easter - 2018

Monday, May 23, 2016

Show the Love by Sharing the Strength!

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1 Corinthians 4:6 – For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

God has shined a light in the darkest reaches of the heart of a follower of Jesus. The God of light therefore acts quite differently from the god of this world, who blinds people, flings them into utter darkness, and hardens their hearts (4:4). Paul alludes here to the creation account in Gen 1:3–4: “God said, ‘Let there be light.’ ”

Paul is teaching us that the same God who created light in the midst of chaos at the beginning of creation beamed that supernatural light into the heart of the believer.

The image of light shining reminds most interpreters of the account of Paul’s own conversion experience recorded in Acts. In Acts it is described as a light from heaven and connected with glory and “brilliance” of Jesus. Acts does not portray this event as some internal awakening but as an external reality. What Paul makes clear here is that the external reality became an internal reality. Paul was no longer defined by his sin, he is defined by his relationship with the light. God offered new possibilities. We have new opportunities as well.

The new possibilities are the strength discovered in Christ’s love.  A Little girl was holding two apples; Her mother asked for one. The girl quickly bit one apple and then bit into the other… the mother was disappointed … Then the girl handed one to her mother and said, “Here this is the sweeter one.”

My friends, the strength we gain in knowing the bitter taste of the world verses the sweet and everlasting taste of God’s strength is what we are showing those around us. 

We show the love of Jesus when we show our strength discovered in Jesus. 

You know I love ya, Don

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