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Scripture teaches that as children of God we are light in the world (Matt. 5:14, 2 Cor. 6:14, Eph. 5:8, Phil. 2:15, 1 Thess. 5:5). We don't create this light ourselves, rather our light finds its source in Christ (John 8:12, 12:36, 1 John 1:5).
This is a great blessing. To us it is a blessing because we are no longer stumbling around in the dark, groping aimlessly with no real purpose. We know why we've been made, or better, for whom we've been made. On top of this we are free from the crushing grip of sin. Rather than having a black sin factory at the core, with an occasional attempt at a good deed or two, we now have a new and shining heart, made in the likeness of God (Eph. 4:24), where love and purity is the rule and sin is the exception. It feels good to be clean and have a clean conscience not only in justification, but in day to day experience (Matt. 5:8, 2 Cor. 1:12). Even better still perhaps is the joy often felt of being light to others still in the dark. Just as Christ rejoiced to shine on those who sit in darkness, have not some of your most joyous moments been the times when you have the privilege to point a lost soul to the Savior's arms? What a blessing, that God would save us and flood our lives with light, and then (because he knows we are eagerly waiting for a way to honor him in return) he even lets us carry that very gospel light to others. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!
However in other respects being light is a great danger. Never forget that in our world light is hated. When the source of all light, the Lord Jesus, came into this world men ran from the light. They made excuses about the presence of the light and denied it. They hated the light in their hearts (for they hate God, and God is light - John 3:19-20), and eventually looked for a way to snuff it out. They killed the Lord of glorious light.
Does that seem irrational? Well we don't live in a rational world. Sin is irrational. Men are corrupted to the core, calling evil 'good' and good 'evil.' The point is this, if you live a life of light in this world men, demons, or a mixture of both are going to try to snuff you out too. They'll hate you just as much as they did Christ, because he lives in you, if indeed he does live in you.
So beware. You'll be a target for the enemy. Think about it, if you were an emissary of darkness wouldn't you take out the guy holding the torch leading others to righteousness? If you pick up that torch you're asking for trouble. Even if God doesn't let your enemies kill you (which still happens all the time), pain can come sorely in other ways.
"For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
They make ready their arrow upon the string
To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart." - Ps. 11:2
But be a man. Steel yourself. God reigns. Follow Christ, love those still in the dark, and go anyways.
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I used to think that men wanted to be rescued. I've had to rethink that. I've heard it said that it's not as if men are drowning in the water calling out to be saved. They're drowning all right, but if you go in after them, they may just try to pull you down and drown you with them.
