Christians Should Be Phosphorous

Read Time: 7 Minutes

Christians should be phosphorous? Yes, you read that correctly. This is a play on words from a booklet that we received over thirty years ago called “Christians Should be Prosperous.” I know from the Word that Jesus Christ is the light of the world and it is Christ in us so I thought I'd look up the word light in the Word of God. I laughed when I saw that the Greek word for light in the New testament is phos the root of phosphorous.

From Dictionary.com

• Phosphor is any of a number of substances that exhibit luminescence when struck by light of certain wavelengths, as by ultraviolet.
• The origin of phosphorous 1625–35; Latin Phōsphorus, Greek Phōsphóros the morning star, literally, the light-bringing one, equivalent to phôs: light + -phoros: bringing.

The light-bringing one, that is appropriate. God's Word says:

Matthew 5
:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;
    and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
    and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

John 8
:12 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.

I Peter 2
:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;
    that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
    into his marvellous light:
:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:
    which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Until Jesus Christ came and gave his life for us man had a veil over his eyes. Spiritually he was in darkness. After Adam transgressed the commandment of God man lost his connection with God. The Devil had told Eve that she would be as gods knowing good and evil. He was right, man had only known the goodness of God until he succumbed to the evil one. That act separated man from God and put enmity or contention and strife between us and God and plunged us into darkness. But now all that has changed. With the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that veil has been taken away and the light of Christ fills our mortal bodies.

What is the source of that light?

I John 1
:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you,
    that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

God is the source of all light. Without God there would be no light. He defined light and created it, speaking it into existence.

John 1
:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light,
    that all men through him might believe.
:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
    even to them that believe on his name:
:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
        (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
    full of grace and truth.

God defines the life that God gives as the light of men. He sent John the Baptist to bear witness or testify concerning the coming of Jesus Christ, the light and life from God that enlightens men. That gave us the power and authority to become sons of God.

How can we get that light, the light of life from God?

John 8
:12 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.

Now that Jesus Christ was sacrificed for us how can we follow him?

Romans 10
:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
    and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
    thou shalt be saved.
:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
    and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Being saved makes one whole, at that moment you receive the gift from God which is holy spirit. God is Holy Spirit and the gift that He gives is holy spirit. That life from God is the light that is in you. For an explanation of the gift from God click the link.

Even though we have the light and life from God, holy spirit, within us we still have a choice to walk in the light or not.

Ephesians 5
:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words:
    for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:
    for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
:14 Wherefore he saith,
    Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

We can still be deceived. We can still walk in darkness not looking to the author and finisher of our faith. When you are in a dark room you cannot see every thing. I have a small brown dog and I had gotten up to let her out before the sun came up. After I let her in I was headed back to bed but she had stopped in my path. I couldn't see her but felt her little furry body as I walked along; I didn't step on her but did give her an unintentional soft kick. I couldn't see her, there was not enough light to tell her from the brown floor. If there is not enough truth, enough light from God's Word in your life, you will be in darkness and get tricked by the adversary.

When we are not looking toward God and His son Jesus Christ we walk in darkness. When we do not let the light of God's Word illuminate our path we cannot see attacks of the adversary coming; we can be deceived.

God enlightens us, makes known the hope of his calling and exceeding greatness of His power, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

Ephesians 1 [with emphasis added]
:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
    may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
         [photizo enlighten, bring to light, phos is the root word]
    that ye may know what is the hope of his calling ,
    and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
    according [the standard follows] to the working of his mighty power,
:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,
    and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
    and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
:22 And hath put all things under his feet,
    and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Christians should be phosphorous. We should walk in the light as he is the light. We will then manifest that light. Oh, and you can not do it alone; God makes it all happen. You can walk in the light, be enlightened, only when you look to the light which is God, His Word, and His son.

We can be exceeding thankful for God's grace and mercy.

Colossians 1
:12 Giving thanks unto the Father,
    which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
    and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Here is Colossians 1:12-14 from the Aramaic Peshitta translation.

You should give thanks to God the Father,
    who has made us worthy for a portion of the inheritance of the holy [ones] in light.
And has delivered us from the authority of darkness
    and has transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son
in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins.

God made us worthy to have a portion of the inheritance of the saints in light. We have been delivered from the authority of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of his beloved son. It is through Christ and nothing else that we have redemption and forgiveness of sins.

Jesus Christ brought spiritual light into the world. It is now Christ in us, the gift of holy spirit, the comforter, and we are light bringers as well.

Live long and phosphor.