INTRODUCTION: Jesus healed a blind man who had been blind from birth (John 9:32). Jesus then related this to spiritual blindness He says, John 9:39- "And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who 
do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.""

Undoubtedly, this man experienced great joy when he was able to see for the first time. However, there is light that we experience for the first time when we encounter the Light of the World.
 

BODY
 

I. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD GUIDES OUR WAY.

A. The Word of God gives us light.

1. Psalms 119:105- "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."

2. Psalms 119:130- "The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple."

B. The Lord's way is light.

1. Acts 17:27- ""so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;"

2. The Lord's light challenges us to walk in it and live a new way of life.

a. 1 Peter 2:9- "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

b. 1 John 1:7- "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

A. When we look in the mirror of God's truth, we see ourselves as we really are.

1. James 1:23-24- "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; {24} for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was."

B. The poor in spirit see themselves as the are - poor, miserable, and blind before the Father.

1. Matthew 5:3- ""Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

2. Revelation 3:17- ""Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;"

A. The Light knows.

1. Ephesians 5:13- "But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light."

2. Hebrews 4:12-13- "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. {13} And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

B. Jesus talks about this principle.

1. John 3:20-21- ""For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. {21} "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.""

IV. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD SHINES IN THE HEARTS AND LIVES OF GOD'S PEOPLE.

A. We are the children of light.

1. Ephesians 5:8- "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light"

B. We are to reflect Christ's light to a world in darkness.

1. Matthew 5:14- ""You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."

2. Philippians 2:15- "that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,"

3. All can reflect the light of Christ to those around us.

a. A well-known Bible teacher had just finished speaking to a large class of businessmen on the Christian's responsibility to be a "light" in the world. He emphasized that believers are to reflect the Light of the world, the Lord Jesus. After the class, one of the members related to him an experience he had in his home which had impressed upon this same truth. He said that when he went into his basement he made an interesting discovery. Some potatoes had sprouted in the darkest corner of the room. At first he couldn't figure out how they had gotten enough light to grow. Then he noticed that the cook had hung a copper kettle from the ceiling near a cellar window. She kept it so brightly polished that it reflected the rays of the sun onto the potatoes. The businessman said to Brooks, "When I saw that, I thought, I may not be a preacher or a teacher with ability to expound Scripture, but at least I can be a copper kettle catching the rays of the Son and reflecting His light to someone in a dark corner."

Copyright 1999 by Grady Scott may be reproducted for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others.