Sunday, August 11, 2024-Apostle BILLEY
Ephesians 5.8
Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
What is Light?
What is darkness?
1 John 1.5
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
God is Light!
Before we were darkness, now we are light. God is Light.
Which means that the reason we are light is because God himself is Light.
When the Lord Jesus came, he preached the gospel of salvation, and we accepted; the words we accepted were words of light.
Light is the truth that sets us free.
The truth we receive in our minds works like light.
Therefore, it is written, Those who accept the truth will be set free from the works of darkness, so that we may be like God who is Light. (John 8.32)
That’s why we’re God’s children.
1 John1.
6 If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
This means it’s possible to walk in the light, in the truth.
So we’ll be in communion with Him.
Light is the nature of God. There are no lies in Him.
God is the truth, everything he says is true – so where there’s truth, there’s light.
So, in receiving his words, we receive light, but also truth.
And this truth frees us from all the lies of this world.
1 John1.8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
By saying that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
So what do we need to have inside us? It’s the Word of God.
Ps 119.130 The revelation of your words enlightens; it gives understanding to the simple.
What is the church built on?
On the revealed Word.
And this revelation of his Word sheds light. By receiving his Word, we become light.
Light is the nature of God.
We receive God’s nature through the Word we receive, which is also his seed.
The revelation of his Word will enable us to know the works of God, but also of darkness.
What is in God?
Love
1 John 2
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
So, among the fruits of light are love, patience…
We receive God’s nature through his light.
Everything good that we receive from God is part of the light.
So when a Christian doesn’t want to forgive, is he in the light or the darkness?
When he is slanderous, where is he?
With God or not?
What if he finds himself in fornication?
Does he walk in the light?
What is walking?
It’s the application of God’s Word.
In practical terms, this means that God wants us to love each other.
The moment you agree to love and practice, then you are in the light.
If someone hurts you, and you refuse to forgive, you’re in darkness.
That’s why it’s so easy for those who don’t walk fully with the Lord to find themselves in darkness.
Be careful at work, don’t let yourself be contaminated.
Colleagues at work: some lie, claiming to have worked when they haven’t, others gossip…
Pagans walk in darkness, but not so for Christians.
If you haven’t worked, declare that you haven’t worked.
The psalmist says in Proverbs 16.8: Better is little with righteousness, Than great revenues with unrighteousness.
The Word created us light, that is, filled with God’s love, good things…
John 1
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
God created us light not like light.
Proverbs 20.27
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.
This is why man can know what is good and what is bad.
The world is full of darkness.
The only thing that can destroy darkness is the light we receive from God.
What is darkness?
It’s the opposite of love, it’s fear, jealousy, envy, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness in the heart, love of the world, lust of the eyes, fraud…
How can we receive this light?
Ps 119.105
Your word is a lamp to my feet; And a light to my path.
He who listens to the word attentively and receives it within himself.
He thus received not only the rock but also the light.
This Word functions as the rock, the truth, the light…
It’s not about physical light.
Light is the nature of God, it shines.
That’s why God’s children are unbeatable.
So when the devil sees these Christians, he sees the light, the character of God.
So, what is this person’s character?
The person is patient, knowledgeable, bold, joyful, peaceful, pure in thought, transparent, prompt, faithful, gentle, self-controlled, strong in faith, fervent in prayer, truthful, resistant to evil, sanctification, blessing, prosperity, sense of sacrifice, clarity of mind, power, justice, mental and emotional strength, victory, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, love of the Word, humility, fear of God, inspiration from on High…
What’s part of the darkness?
Anything that doesn’t come from God.
Death, wickedness, anxiety, ignorance, misery, doubt, fear, works of the flesh, adultery, fornication, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, quarrels, jealousies, animosities, disputes, divisions, sects, envy, murders, drunkenness, overeating, selfishness, offenses, love of money, boasting, pride, blasphemy, rebellion, ingratitude, slander, being irreligious, intemperance, being cruel, being haughty, despising the good, being carried away, loving pleasures more than God, hypocrisy…
All these things are part of the darkness and separate us from God.
Why does God say to walk in the light and not in darkness?
It’s to be with him on this earth and also, afterwards, when we end our days on earth.
It is important to know that when I pray and say Lord let your light shine in me :
I need to see one of the many things that make up light, like love or kindness, for example.
That is to say, God’s love in me, and I must manifest this, be ready to help, to pray for others, to support people… Even at home, at work…we must not develop sadness, insults….
This is how we walk in God’s light.
Hebrews 9.
27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
It is reserved for man to die only once.
Jesus came so that the darkness of our lives could be removed before death.
And if the darkness is removed, then it’s possible to go to heaven.
God doesn’t change His laws.
The light is transparent, hiding nothing. It’s the darkness that hides things.
That’s why Jesus said whatever is done in darkness will be revealed.
There are 3 locations.
There’s heaven, earth and hell.
What characterizes these 3 locations?
In heaven there is only light.
In hell, there’s only darkness.
On earth, there are both darkness and light, i.e. the activities of heaven and hell on earth.
It’s up to you to choose whether you want to be contaminated by darkness or by light.
And you have to choose, because after death comes judgment, so there’s no forgiveness.
It will be too late, no matter how much we pray.
For after death comes judgment.
Beloved, be serious about taking God’s word seriously and coming out of the darkness.
Those who are already in hell want to return to earth, knowing that they can no longer go to heaven.
The land they left behind has become like paradise, despite the harshness of things, despite the sin that is on this earth…
For life on earth is far preferable to hell.
But when they were on earth, did they practice the way of God ? No.
So, if they were to return to earth, unforgiveness, fornication, hatred, evil in every form…they won’t do it again because they’ve seen the consequences of the way of darkness.
Brother, sister: Prayer and meditation save your soul. It’s all very serious.
The Word is the light, and he who has the light cannot be tamed by darkness. (Matthew 16.18). So he can’t go to hell.
He will walk in the light. This is the relationship with God, this is the church.
Church is for learning about heaven.
The world is for the things of hell. So how can a Christian dress indecently?
John 8.12
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Let’s stick to God, this world is going to end.
It is those who are in the light who will go to heaven.
Be wise, God wants us to be among the wise.
LET US PRAY →
Lord, let your light shine in me.
Visit me with the power of your light.
Touch my soul, my spirit and may the darkness be destroyed.
May the light of your Truth set me free.
I am a child of light.
May your light destroy the darkness of my life.
Lord, do what you want to do in my life.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.