Embracing the Light

Photo image courtesy Yianni Mathioudakis for Unsplash

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

“Honey, I believe you have a little something on your face.” The observant woman made a motion that suggested I wipe away the errant smudge on the side of my cheek. I walked to the mirror by the window and took a closer look. “Oh, that’s an age spot,” I sighed. “It’s been there for years.”

For better or worse, we can always find honesty in an older woman and a well-lit mirror. We would do well to keep both in our lives.

The apostle Paul knew something about the honesty reflected as we draw closer to the light. His is one of the most transformational stories of sin and sanctification in all of scripture.

When we first meet Saul, as he was called then, he is guarding the cloaks of an enraged mob as they stone Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death. As Stephen fixes his eyes on heaven and asks that God not hold this sin against them, Saul stands by in self-righteous agreement with this persecution. Further, it fuels in him a zealous antagonism toward the early church, and in Acts 8, we are told Saul began going house-to-house breathing threats and murder, dragging Christians from their homes, and throwing them in prison.

This is our introduction to a beloved saint who would come to write a quarter of the New Testament.

In Paul’s letters to the early Church, written roughly over a 20 year span, we get a glimpse of how Paul viewed his own sin as he drew closer to the revealing light of God’s holiness. The lesson is one of humility and surprising hope.

With a new name after the blinding light of God’s conviction on the road to Damascus, Paul comes face-to-face with his past sins. Seeing clearly for the first time, he compares himself to the other apostles and declares himself “the least” of them. Yet he presses on. (1 Corinthians 15:9)

As Paul begins to preach the Gospel, his faith and knowledge grow. The closer it brings him to the Light, the greater his awareness of sin and his need for God’s grace and redemption. Despite the privilege of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles, deepening humility now compels him to call himself “the very least of all the saints.” Yet he presses on. (Ephesians 3:8)

Finally, after three missionary journeys, being stoned, shipwrecked, and having penned some of the most powerful words in Scripture, Paul writes his last letter from a prison cell. Standing closer now than ever before to the righteousness of Christ, he embraces that same revealing

Light. He compares himself to Christ alone, and with deepest humility, calls himself “the chief of sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Paul knew this to be true. That’s why he wrote it. But he didn’t stop there. From beginning to end, Paul continually embraced that well-lit mirror, trusted the complete atonement of the Cross…and pressed on.

This is good news for our age spots.

Question for Reflection:

When was the last time you drew close to the well-lit mirror of God’s holiness for the “soul” purpose of asking Him to reveal the strongholds of sin in your life? That’s a hard one, I know. But imagine the relief and refreshment that would come from pouring your heart out to the One who knows it better than you and allowing Him to pour into your spirit the freedom and forgiveness that only He can offer. Imagine allowing the forgiveness of Christ to break all bonds that keep you from the joy of pressing on.