“There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:9-13 NASB1995)
The “true Light” being spoken of here is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He always was, as is God the Father, and he was with God in the beginning, and he is our creator God who made us, who formed us in the wombs of our mothers. And light has to do with truth and righteousness, and it is the opposite of darkness which represents what is evil and sinful. Light also has to do with the truth of the gospel of Christ, of our salvation.
When Jesus enlightens us, he speaks the truth of his word to us. He said,
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23-26 NASB1995)
So, if we want to put our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation from sin, and for eternal life with God, Jesus requires that we deny self, we die daily to sin, and that we follow him in walks of obedience to his commands. For when Jesus took up his cross it was to put our sins to death with him so that, by faith in him, we will now die to sin and obey him, in his ways. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if we die with Christ to sin and to self, by his grace, then we have the hope and the promise of salvation and of eternal life with God.
For to be ashamed of Jesus and his words is to deny what he teaches in favor of what tickles itching ears and what gives us permission to continue living in sin, no repentance and no obedience to God required. It is to ignore the bulk of the teachings in the New Testament on the subjects of faith, salvation, repentance, obedience, and eternal life with God, especially regarding what God requires of us who claim that we are his, by faith in Jesus. And he requires death to sin and obeying him. If we choose to ignore his teachings, we will not be received into his kingdom, when he returns.
He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23 NASB1995)
So, you see, it is not enough for us to just profess faith in Jesus Christ with our lips, but we must be those who are obeying our Lord and his commands, in practice, in the power of God living within us, and not of our own doing. And the very sad reality here is that many people today are believing that all that is required of them is a confession of faith in Jesus Christ, and they are now saved and on their way to heaven, but regardless of how they live. And one day they will stand before God in judgment, and he will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Ouch!
And Paul taught that when we believed in Jesus Christ with biblical faith, “our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts.” “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:6,12,16,23 NASB1995) Die to sin. Obey God, not sin. Have eternal life.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
For Our Nation
Professionally recorded in Nashville, TN
Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
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The True Light Enlightens
An Original Work / July 31, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
