More Than Just a Children’s Song Lessons from “This Little Light of Mine” Scripture Reading: Mt 5:14-16

Introduction  This is a favorite children’s song  The realm of sin is called darkness; the ralm of righteousness is called light  Jn 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”  Acts 26:17-18 “I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’’  Cf Jn 3:21, Jn 12:35-36, Col 1:13, and 1 Pet 2:9  The verses of this children’s song teach us a valuable lesson about our light

This little light of mine  The source of the light is:  From God  1 Jn 1:5 “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”  Revealed through Christ  Jn 12:46 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”  Proclaimed in the gospel  Ps 119:130 “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”  Reflected by Christians  Eph 5:8 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”

This little light of mine  The nature of light  Makes things manifest  Eph 5:13 “But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.”  It gives life  Jn 1:4 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

This little light of mine  The purpose of this light is  To reprove or make manifest one’s works  Jn 3:19-21 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”  To lead men out of darkness  Jn 8:12 “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  To give direction  Prov 6:23 “For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light;…”  To glorify God  Mt 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

I’m gonna let it shine  How are we to “let it shine”  Through our faith  1 Jn 5:4-5 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our [a] faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”a  By our good works  Eph 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”  By walking in the light ourselves  1 Jn 1:7 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”  By preaching the light of the gospel  2 Cor 4:3-4 “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

I’m gonna let it shine  We are to “Let it shine”  We are to be luminaries/reflectors  Phil 2:15-16 “that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”  We are to preach Christ, not ourselves  1 Cor 1:23-24 “but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

Hide it under a bushel, no  Bushels that may hide our light  Cares, riches, and pleasures  Mk 4:19 “and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”  Fear  Rom 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Shame  Mk 8:38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”  Neglect  Heb 2:3 “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,”  Indifference  Rev 3:15-16 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

Hide it under a bushel, no  Don’t put it under a vessel, bed, or in a cellar, but place it on a stand (Lk 8:16)  We are not to hide our light as a hermit or a monk  Mk 16:15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  We are in the world, not of the world  Jn 17:14-16 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

Won’t let Satan puff it out  The devil is always trying to blow our light out (1 Pet 5:8)  We must resist him  Jam 4:7 “ 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  Give him no advantage  2 Cor 2:11 “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”  Put on the armor of light  Rom 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”  Stand against him  Eph 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Won’t let Satan puff it out  How he may blow our light out  By taking the Word from our hearts  Lk 8:12 “Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”  By perverting the light  2 Cor 11:13-15 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”  By turning us back to darkness  Eph 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Conclusion  Let us all get our lamps burning bright  Let us not hide or cover them  Let us make known the gospel of Christ and expose the acts of men  Let us not let Satan snuff us out  Let us shine, shine, shine all the time