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[kweli]

Hello everybody

Please help with these verses:

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Matthew 6:1
Take heed that ye do not your almsgiving before men, to be seen by them; otherwise ye have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven.

John 7:4
For no man doeth anything in secret if he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.

There may be others but these got my attention. And it's all Jesus speaking here. I do know about the flaw of showing off, so maybe I dont understand shining your light before men and doing things so that the world can see. What am I missing? I hope it's not the Spirit of GOD 

Psalm 115:1

[hillsbororiver]

Hi kweli,

These verses are not about standing on a soapbox and proclaiming your own righteousness and salvation, they are about living a godly life, by displaying His "divine nature."

 2 Peter 1

 3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

 5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

 8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

 10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

 11For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

If we show patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity as we journey through each minute of every day, if we treat others and esteem them better than ourselves we will certainly be a shining light in this dark world. It is not about words or quoting scriptures it is all about a humble obedience, Christ living within us.

Peace,

Joe
   

[kweli]

Hello Joe

There is exactly where I get lost in it. How can I be charitable and let the world see, and still not do my alms before men?

The reason I ask all this is, my brother asked me for the quadrillionth time this past Sunday to join their 'ministry' of helping the needy and "giving them the Lord". I have seen what they do out there and it is very noble, almost Scriptural (they make huge presentations for people once in a while in a public place and show them what they have done so far in order to gain their $upport). My brother says that is how we are a shining light. And it got me thinking...how am I shining a light if I'm always in the background, seeking to avoid showing off? I mean, how do I show anybody any good that may be in my deeds if GOD rewards that which is done in secret? I dont know if you know what I mean but it's almost as is I'm "sticking to verses that support my belief", as my brother put it.

I really need help.

[hillsbororiver]

Hi kweli,

First off John 7:4 is not Christ speaking.

Read it again;

 John 7

 1After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

 2Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.

 3His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

 4For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

 5For neither did his brethren believe in him.

Do you see here that John 7:4 is being spoken by the "brethren" that did not believe in Him?

Continuing....

 6Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

 7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

 8Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.

 9When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

 10But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

Peace,

Joe

[Craig]

Kweli,

Though good works have their place, how should we exhibit them?  I think of the preachers and churches that advertise their good works like this.

Lets say a person is in the dark and cold.  In the distance they see 2 lights one very bright and the other dimmer.  As most all would do, they go the the bright light to find warmth.  When they get there they find 1000 fluorescent light bulbs blinding them, but no warmth.  They stay awhile but still being cold they look for warmth elsewhere, they look for that other light but because of the bright light they are blinded, for a season.  Eventually their vision returns and they find the other, less bright light. They get to the light and find the warming glow of a fire.

That should be us, we should be the fire not the fluorescent bulbs.

Craig

[Kat]

Hi Kweli,

What do you think God has more respect for;

A preacher calls the sick up on stage and pronounces them 'healed.'   And people everywhere praise him for the mighty work he is doing for the Lord, letting his light shine before men.

A common nurse in a hospital takes care of the sick all day with gentleness, she listens to their many complains with compassion and does what she can to easy their suffering.  Well it's her job she gets paid to do it, so she rarely hears a thanks for the tender care she gives her patients.

You see it's not a matter of getting praise from people for a job well done.  But it is doing what you know in your heart is helping other people.  And that might be something like having compassion on the cashier that short changed you or passing on that piece of pie your wife made that you love so much, because there was not enough to go around.  Our light shines whenever we put other people first.  People might not always recognize this act of selflessness, letting your light shine, but God does.

Mat 6:1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
v. 2  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
v. 3  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
v. 4  that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Vangie]

Thank you guys for some great stuff here.  I hope Kweli's getting as much from this as I am!

Love in Christ,
Vangie

[musicman]

It's a very difficult thing to keep quiet about the good things one does.  I remind my-self of this whenever I go out of my way to help someone.  I've learned to just keep things between me and God, if I can.

[WhoAmI]

This is a topic I feel strongly about. You have to remember that many in the churches want to see your actions or they count you out as doing nothing. They also will pat you on the back all the more if your in their group. They set the parameters and the way you do things. They also give out the approval and acceptance. Don't be fooled.


Mr 12:43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;
Mr 12:44 "for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

Jeff

[Dave in Tenn]

Hi Kweli.

Sometimes it helps to look at extreme examples and reduce from there what fits our usually lesser situations.

Look at the account of Stephen in Acts chapters 6 and 7.  His was no shrinking violet.  He was chosen publicly (Acts 5:5 ..."So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit..."),
ministered publicly, tried publicly, preached the Gospel publicly at his trial, and executed publicly.  

But look at his heart at the last, knowing that this was his heart all along.

Acts 7:59  As they continued to stone Stephen, he kept praying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" 60  Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, don't hold this sin against them!" When he had said this, he died.

He was in rightful relationship with the Lord by acknowledging Jesus as his Lord and master of his destiny.  And he was loving his enemies, being in right relationship with them as well.  

Maybe this doesn't help you decide what to do about going with your brother.  Assuming they aren't preaching a false gospel, maybe there's no harm in going.  What is the worst that can happen to you?  Maybe you see what spirit is in you and you're either humbled to repentance or able to Glorify God.  And maybe you help a few people.  

The only thing I can add is that the Apostles asked the 'congregation' to choose Stephen (and some others) so they (the Apostles) could devote themselves to the more important work of prayer and the ministry of the Word.  So maybe this isn't something to make a habit of, but needful for a time.  

You know, when you stop and think about it, it's really not OUR light that is shining anyway.

   

[hillsbororiver]

John 7:4
For no man doeth anything in secret if he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.

There may be others but these got my attention. And it's all Jesus speaking here. I do know about the flaw of showing off, so maybe I dont understand shining your light before men and doing things so that the world can see. What am I missing?

Hi kweli,

Before this point gets lost John 7:4 is not Christ speaking, they are the words of unbelievers. Please read all of John Chapter 7 and not just one verse someone tells you are the words of our Lord.

Peace,

Joe

P.S. Everyone has made some excellent points that should be very helpful but it is always good to verify the scriptures being quoted. 

[kweli]

Thanks to all for the enlightenment.

Craig, you threw me off a bit but I'm now with you.

Vangie, I'm chewing on a large potion of this meat.  I get attacked with 'practicality in our faith' so much that sometimes I have to reflect on some things.

Yes you are right Joe, I just rushed into it without taking a step back to read the entire chapter (at the very least). That being said, the two Matthew verses sounded contradictory for me, that is until I looked at them from a less carnal point of view. I have no light. So it is not my light (Thanks Dave in Tenn). I've also read the 'Sermon on the Mount' many times but thanks to the quote by Kat ('before men, to be seen by them" as opposed to be before GOD to be seen by HIM) mixed with Jeff's (my "whole livelihood"), I now see that it is ultimately about Jesus. I'm just a vessel, and GOD is the MASTER. HE determines when and how someone else sees the shining light, to HIS glory. So in going out there to do anything, it must be to give glory to HIM. (This is me trying to work this into my spirit).

Thanks again to all for all

All Glory to GOD
Psalm 115: 1