Step Into The LIght
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Our identity is rooted in the fact that God has chosen us to be one of his own. We were once living in darkness, slaves to sin, oppressed by the spiritual forces of chaos and destruction, but God called us to be a chosen people. God adopted us into his family, so our identity is no longer orphan. We are children of the king.
Throughout the Bible, we read about God’s chosen nation, the Israelites. They were God’s possession, his love, his people. Offspring of the promise, God was faithful to them through betrayal, sinful acts, and even the worship of other gods. We see the testimony of a God who loved and fathered a wayward people, sending his messengers the prophets to lead them.
When the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, everything changed. The spirit of adoption was released to us. Now we move from being faithful followers of a religion to full members of the family of God. Our identity flows from our heritage of heaven and our coming inheritance of glory. When we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior and receive his promised Holy Spirit, we are no longer living in darkness. We are thrust into the light!
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 (ESV), “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” I have found that followers of Jesus tend to shine their light when they are living in freedom and they tend to hide their light when they are stuck in sin, deception, fear, or doubt. If shining our light was an automatic response and a non-issue for the born-again believer, then I doubt Jesus would have said this, and I doubt the New Testament writers would have included it in their accounts.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. When we recognize we are stuck in darkness, we can turn and call out to God. He always responds with mercy, triumphing over judgment, but he always calls us into freedom. He does not just say, “That’s okay! You’re fine!” When we call to him for help, he says, “Step out of darkness into the light!”
He restores us and calls us once again to live in the identity of holiness and adoption and shine our light.
Today I am asking the Holy Spirit to point out areas of sin, deception, and brokenness that he wants to restore so we can shine our light. I encourage you to seek the Lord, share with godly mentors or friends, and reach out to us if you want someone to pray with you.
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Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
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Our first devotional book is available on our online store! Abiding Daily: Volume One is a devotional book including 120 prompts from the Daily Invitation. This book is designed to help believers connect with God through the word and discover more of what it means to abide in Christ. Click here to learn more.
