Light & Dark

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of the darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 Corinthians 4:3-7

Last Thursday, David Platt spoke in Chapel about our temptation to twist the worship of God into something that is comfortable and pretty, and to dilute the gospel of God so that it is less demanding and more palatable for the world. The truth is, though, that the worship of God is not comfortable for our sinful selves nor is it pretty – it cost God the bloody death of His Son. Nor is the gospel of God something that can be taken lightly; God accepts nothing less than our total allegiance and devotion.

As Platt talked about the spiritual battle us believers are in, he took us to 2 Corinthians 4. In this passage, the spiritual battlefield is vividly laid out. On one side, you have Satan, called the god of this world, blinding people all of the world so that they cannot see the glory and truth of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). He will do whatever it takes to keep them in the dark. He will use idols and other religions. He will use materialism and physical needs. He will even use truth so long as it keeps people from worshiping the one, true and living God. On the other side, you have God the Father, who shines His glory through the light of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). He knows our spiritual state. He knows we are in darkness. So He sent His Son. The Apostle John says, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). This light is Christ (John 8:12). Right smack in the middle of this battle (between verses 4 and 6), which Platt so clearly pointed out (and which I never noticed before), is us. Second Corinthians 4:5 says our job is to proclaim Christ. God has called us to the front lines of the battle for this. And notice in verse 7: this treasure (the good news that the light of Jesus Christ has come) is in jars of clay. We are broken and fragile soldiers in this battle. We used to be on the other side in darkness, but because God saved us (shone light in our hearts), we are now on the side of light. And God did this so that His power might be demonstrated in us.

As I was listening to this message and later reading this passage, I couldn’t help but think of the people God has called me to minister to. With Scarlet Hope, I go into the darkest places in the city. Every time the outreach team goes out, we are engaging in spiritual battle. We, as broken as we are, are carrying the life-transforming light of Christ into the darkness of enemy territory. So I began to pray this passage for the ladies I meet, and it gave me a new sense of urgency for them. I, of course, cannot make them come to or choose the light, but I can share the hope of that light with them. Only God can open up their eyes, which have been blinded by Satan, to see the beauty and glory of Christ. He is doing that through this ministry and He will continue to do it. And He is not doing it because we are anything. We are just jars of clay. But He does it because He desires these women to know Him and He desires to rescue them and transform them and use them for His glory. God has many daughters in this city trapped in the darkness of the sex industry. They have yet to hear His voice and respond to His light. Pray with us that His daughters will wake up all over this city.

But when anything is exposed by the light, it become visible, for anything that becomes visible is light, therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:13-14