Josh and I are going through Philippians together and last night covered Philippians 2. Philippians is a generally good book, but what stood out to me last night was verse 15:
"that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."
The reference to lights of the world reminded me not only of the oft-quoted verse in Matthew 5, but also of Daniel 12:3:
"And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever."
Daniel is talking about the end of time, a prophecy of the resurrection of believers into the eternal presence of God. In His presence, those saints will reflect the radiance of His glory. Paul, on the other hand, is talking about the here and now. In the midst of corruption and perversity, those saints who are blameless and innocent shine as lights.
A taste of heaven on earth? I think so. The refreshment of a saint living purely despite the surroundings can only be explained by the eternality dwelling within them. The light of the world is not simply a "testimony" to unbelievers. It is a glimpse of the transcendent, a taste of the divine. It is the immortal, God-fulfilled soul peeking out behind a mortal mask.
We often think of being the light of the world as being a draw to unbelievers, something that pulls them in. We fail to recognize that just as often, to the degenerate human untouched by the Holy Spirit, the reflection of God's glory is repulsive. But like Ezekiel, we must continue shining in the midst of a corrupt and perverse generation, not based on the results or the number of souls we can draw in, but because in so doing we will be offering the sacrifice of our faith to the Eternal God.
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