A Christian can always tell when they are in faith. It’s as though a light has been turned on in the inside of them and shining on the problem before them. They are enabled to see the solution in the light of God’s Word as faith becomes real.
Jesus said in his Word, “No follower of mine shall walk in darkness, he shall possess the light of life. As we dig into the Word of God we begin to see ourselves as salt and light and not darkness. For once we were darkness but now we are light in the Lord. Like one living through a power outage becoming self-sufficient and finally power is restored.
We are no longer a survivalist, living off the grid of God’s Word. We like the world mistrusted everyone and everything. And like the survivalist we developed a beans and bullets mentality answering the door armed and ready with both barrels loaded. But now after salvation the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We can now love our enemies and actually do good to those who hate us because the power is in us to do so.
This light and love has been given us to share with a survivalist world who has not known Jesus Christ. It is possible to live in the bush inwardly while living constantly among people outwardly. This leads to alienation from God and mistrust and alienation from others.
Many exist in this world which is barely surviving with some on their last can of beans. Others, live life no longer a survivalist alienated from the life of God but live as the Apostle Paul says joint heirs with Christ as adopted sons and daughters. Their happiness and success is not based on the accumulation of money or things but on a relationship with their creator and other believers while reaching out to others. This is not an exclusive view of life but an inclusive effort to reach those who do not know God with his love through Jesus Christ.
So how do we turn the lights on and become a light in a dark world. If you’ve received Jesus into your heart and are filled with his Spirit it is just a matter of putting on and putting off. The Apostle Paul states in Ephesians 4: 22-24, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” In a sense we turn on the new and turn off the old self.
We make the decision or choice moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day to turn the light of Jesus Christ on, letting it shine through us. With Jesus in your heart and the Holy Spirit present the wiring and power is already there. Repentance, time in the Word, time with the Lord in fellowship, and relying on the Holy Spirit keeps the power on, but through faith and our choices we throw the switch, letting the light shine in the darkness.
Do watch who you follow in life as the scriptures give us a warning in Matthew 15: 14, “….If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”