21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
Ruled by God’s will, for God’s glory and for one’s own good, those who repeatedly and habitually live by the Truth will walk in the light of His presence. Holding fast to their integrity, even though sometimes falling short, aiming at honesty while still inflicted with infirmities, the character of the righteous shines like the stars in the universe as they hold out the Word of life.
“My chains fell off, my heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.” Charles Wesley
"God doesn't reveal Himself to the curious or the careless, but to those who are ready and willing to obey." Warren Wiersbe
“A man’s heart is right when he wills what God wills.” Thomas Aquinas
Revealed Truth is the Word of God. Jesus tells us that Truth is communicated in the Holy Scriptures and that by them we may become sanctified:
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 (NIV)
As Jesus is called the Word in Scripture, He also calls Himself the Truth. John tells us:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 (NIV)
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV)
As believers live in the light where God dwells, they have mutual fellowship between themselves and God and Jesus’ blood purifies from all sin.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7 (NIV)
As we live by the Truth and walk in the light through the power of the Spirit we will point others to Jesus. It takes the power of God to consistently flesh out the life of Christ in our jars of clay. Sanctification – the process of being conformed to the image of Jesus – is only made possible through our obedience to the Spirit’s leading and power in our lives.
“Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sincere and supreme love for Him.” Nathanael Emmons
“Christ became what we are that He might make us what He is.” Athanasius of Alexandria
We must not quench or grieve the Spirit through our poor choices and lack of obedience to God’s revealed will:
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Eph 4:29-32 (NIV)
Regarding the work of the precious Holy Spirit in the believer’s life, Jesus gives the following promise to all of His disciples:
12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. John 16:12-14 (NIV)
“Don’t slack off seeking, striving, and praying for the very same things that we exhort unconverted people to strive for, and a degree of which you have had in conversion. Thus pray that your eyes may be opened, that you may receive sight, that you may know your self and be brought to God’s feet, and that you may see the glory of God and Christ, may be raised from the dead, and have the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart. Those that have most of these things still need to pray for them; for there so much blindness and hardness and pride and death remaining that they still need to have that work of God upon them, further to enlighten and enliven them. This will be a further bringing out of darkness into God’s marvelous light, and a kind of new conversion...” Jonathan Edwards, Advice to Young Converts.