Another case of mistaken identity is when believers assume they are spiritually identified as “the light of the world.” The misguided assumption usually stems from something Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount when He was speaking to His Jewish disciples who had not yet even received the Holy Spirit. When Jesus told his buddies they were considered the light at that time—He was referring to the nation of Israel—the only people who were in covenant with God before the cross. But later, Jesus would reveal that He is the true light of the world.
Nowhere in New Testament letters written to the churches are we identified as the light of the world. Whatever light comes from us is because we are in Him as children of the light—and He in us. This takes the pressure off us because we have no need to wonder or fear if “our” light will go dim. The light in us is not tied to works and performance which can be up and down or inconsistent. It’s the light of Christ that abides in us and it’s eternal. He is the light that shines from us.
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