How We Respond to the Light
· 2 min
The third leg: Outward, a changed life
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John 3:20–21
Suppose someone takes up a faith. It makes sense to him, and he's had his own experiences too. But the people around him see his face growing darker and his temper getting worse. Then he may have believed wrong. You judge a life by its fruit.
We all know John 3:16. The next few verses tell us how to judge a life: look at how it responds to the light. A healthy life is like someone who's happy to go for a checkup. He wants the light to show where the problems are so they can be treated early. A sick life is most afraid of being exposed.
A good life is one that confesses sin more and commits sin less.
Confession is the health indicator of the spiritual life.
When someone points out my mistake and I say, "Thank you for helping me see that," that's a good life. If I get angry out of embarrassment the moment it's pointed out, that just shows something's wrong with my life. When you have God's life, your life naturally changes: you long to be close to God, you love reading his word, you love people more, and you're more sensitive to sin. Usually your family are the first to notice.
When I was leading gospel meetings at a university in the United States, there was a sister who wanted to be baptized. She had come to faith, but she was still living with her boyfriend. I didn't condemn her. I just said to her, "If you're willing to move out, I'm a hundred percent sure the church elders will take you into their home." She thought about it for a long time, but in the end she said she couldn't do it, and decided not to be baptized for now. It was a sad outcome. If you repent but don't change, the problem just stays there. I won't condemn anyone, but I will honestly ask, "Do you want to drag this problem out for ten years, or face it now, with me beside you?"
We also need to be clear about this: changing your values takes time. That's a question of how mature your life is, not of whether you're saved. As long as a person has objective truth to stand on, has the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, and their life has started to change, they are saved. They just still need the Holy Spirit to keep helping them grow.
Meeting once a week is important: face to face, learning together, growing together. But it's even more important to keep that relationship going through the other six days:
This week's life-giving Bible reading
- Read 1 John 5:11–12 once every day, put your own name in, and read it out loud. After six days you'll know it by heart.
- Read a short passage of Mark every day, and write down the sentence that moves you most, along with your reflections. It's best to read with a group; online works too.
- Care for each other one on one. Every new believer has a brother or sister in Christ who walks alongside them.
- Share at the next gathering: What moved you in your Bible reading this week? How did it feel to be cared for? What testimony do you have from daily life?