“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6, KJV)
You cannot give away something that you do not have. Rarely do many of us carry around cash anymore. Most of us, for better or for worse, live in a plastic economy. When we run into someone who needs some spare change, we often must say sorry, I am out. I have no cash. We often go to a grocery store where you have to put a quarter into the shopping cart in order to unlock it for use. Occasionally, I will see someone standing there who, like me once in a while, has forgotten their quarter. If I have a quarter, I will give them one. However, normally I do not have an extra quarter and credit cards will not work. So, I would be of no use to someone needing a shopping cart without a spare quarter.
Consider Paul’s words in this verse. He stated that God has commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, and He has shined this light in the hearts of Paul, his team and other believers. Moreover, this light was not given in vain. There is a tremendous purpose in putting the glorious light in the heart of believers. It is so that believers can also give this light to others.
Paul and his team preached of the glory of the gospel, because they had received the gospel. Their preaching came from the truth understood and born in their hearts. Nothing was going to stop them. Nothing could, since they had experienced something that was so wonderful, so amazing that it could not ever be silenced. Their lives radiated the glory of the gospel.
This is what makes preaching effective. This is what touches the hearts of people. in the heart of every true believer there is a glorious light. It is the light of the knowledge of the gospel. It is this light that changes the way believers act, the way they think, and the way they talk. Believers radiate the light through good works and thus, glorify God. Their speech is seasoned with salt. They spread the good news.
We all with unveiled hearts and minds, should consider the light of hope in our lives and how it should influence those around us. Let us all seek to let our light so shine before others that they may see, not us, but the radiance of the gospel.
Renewing the Heart 