14. READ: 1 PETER 2:9-12
b. What should we all declare?
Answer: We should all declare the praises of Him Who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light, (verse 9).
When Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, Paul later described Christ's appearance as "a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions" (Acts 26:13). In that light (or BEING the light), Jesus declared that He would send Saul/Paul to the Jews and Gentiles, the purpose being that by the preaching/teaching of Christ's Word, Saul/Paul was "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me" (Acts 26:17-18). Paul declared that he was not disobedient to the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that he went "First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds" (Acts 26:20).
The Greek word for "declare" (translated "show forth" in the KJV) means "to publish, to celebrate." We are formed FOR God that we may PROCLAIM HIS PRAISE, (Isaiah 43:20-21). On the day of Pentecost, people from all over the world who had gathered in Jerusalem were privileged to hear the apostles "DECLARING the wonders of God in our own tongues!" (Acts 2:11). What else can God's children do but publish abroad, celebrate openly, declare with boldness, show forth in our teaching and lives the wondrous Good News that we have been called out of darkness and into His wonderful light?!?
Psalm 18:28: "You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."
Psalm 96:1-2: "Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise His Name; proclaim His salvation day after day."
Psalm 112:4: "Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man."
Isaiah 5:20: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."
Isaiah 9:2: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
Isaiah 42:16: [God said,] "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."
Daniel 2:19b-22: "Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: 'Praise be to the Name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.'"
Micah 7:8-9: "Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Because I have sinned against Him, I will bear the Lord's wrath, until He pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see His righteousness."
Matthew 4:16: "the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." [Said of Jesus, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 9:2.)
Matthew 5:14-16: [Jesus said,] "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
John 1:1-14: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through Him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His Own, but His Own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of grace and Truth."
John 3:19-21: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 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."
John 8:12: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"
John 12:35-36: "Then Jesus told them, 'You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.'"
John 12:44-46: "Then Jesus cried out, 'When a man believes in Me, he does not believe in Me only, but in the One Who sent Me. When he looks at Me, he sees the One Who sent Me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.'"
2 Corinthians 4:1-6: "Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the Word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the Truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, Who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."
Ephesians 5:8-17: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and Truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's Will is."
1 Thessalonians 5:5: "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness."
1 John 1:5-7: "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the Truth. 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."