Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

John 5:33-35

Light reveals.  Light illuminates.  Light is righteousness, and darkness is evil.

In all places, the true light that gives light to every man, Jesus Christ, is always a portrait of illumination, but also of righteousness.  It is the voice of Him who is above, who is true light, the Father of Lights.

John the Baptist shone as a light, because He spoke with an anointing from heaven, speaking to those trapped in their sin, and bringing a baptism of repentance.

His light shone and, for a season anyway, the people chose to rejoice in his light.

If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

Luke 11:36

Again, Jesus, speaking of the purity of soul, spoke of the light of heaven, the light of the anointing, the brilliance of the Kingdom when He talked about having no dark corners.  When the body is fully lit, the entire being is fully illuminated.

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

John 1:9

True life is true light, which is true righteousness.

As God is light, and in Him in is no darkness, therefore sin is darkness, it is covering, it is hiddenness, it is shadows.

All of darkness consists in shadows, in the hiding, in the shame and in the covering.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

John 3:19

Every covering, every need to make something look other than it is, for good or ill, is darkness.  It is covering.  God, of course, conceals things, but for a purpose, and it is to His glory.  He hides secrets, simply for the sake that they ought to be hid.  Yet, He does not hide to attempt to change the appearance of a thing, but for His purpose.

Yet, without true righteousness, a righteousness that matters, there is no true light.  There is no revelation, there is no illumination, there is no guidance for those in darkness, in crookedness, in wickedness.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 8:12

For the believer, with the in-grafted righteousness of Christ, while we are holy because of the Word that we received, even Jesus Himself, that righteousness is His light.  As we believe Him, and as we live Him, putting off the misdeeds of the flesh by the power of the Spirit within us, we are the light that He has put in us.

We are the light, because that light shines through us, in our actions, thoughts, and deeds.  That light becomes us, and shines through us by how we live.

The very life Christ lived, the very Spirit of Jesus, forces out every other pattern, every other mold, and every other thought, so that, to the world, we become Christ, we are little Christs, “Christians”, even as it was said of them then.  The life we live is not our own, but His.

This is eternal life.  This is Eternal Salvation, to live as He did in this world, the the power of His indomitable Spirit!

As we believe, and as we take Him in and make Him our all, it is not our righteousness, but His life is lived through us.

Those who sin, while they may simply yet be babes and carnal, do so and demonstrate that they are not living by the self-same Spirit, for those who live by the the Spirit do not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

And, while it is true at first belief, continued belief, right belief, always produces fruit, fruit that lasts.

And, this is the light.  Christ’s righteousness.  Those who live by Christ’s Spirit are righteous in deed, even as Christ walked, when fully walked out.  Those who submit themselves fully to Him see the fullness of He who indwells live through them, and the perfect life that He manifested is made real in our mortal bodies, to the degree that we realize Him.

It is not our life, but it is His, and the life that we live here is through faith in Him who loved us and gave Himself up for us (Galatians 2:20).  Those who demonstrate another life prove only that they are immature and do not yet live by Christ.  And, those who break the least command and teach others to do so forfeit the Grace they could have, and make themselves the least (Matthew 5:19).

The light of the Gospel is the Truth of the Gospel, it is Jesus Christ.  The righteousness of the Gospel is the person of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ.

Those who believe Him live by Him.  Those who are fully taught by Him are just like Him.  Those who live by Him, are like Him in word, in deed, in love, and in action.  Those who do not, are not.  And, those who make a practice not following are not His.

The grace of the Gospel is astounding, unfathomable, and unsearchable by the carnal mind.  Yet, the river of cleansing flows, and the waters of His Spirit wash continually.

As we hate this life, and turn ourselves fully over to Him, He is able to not only make us Holy by His blood, but to cleanse and to purify our souls unto all righteousness, that we might love purely from the heart (1 Peter 1:22), and love completely, even as He has loved (John 3:16), and demonstrate that we truly are Sons of God (Matthew 5:45).

Matthew 5:43-48

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.