Ephesians 4:17-32 KJV
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

As I lose my eye sight to walk the dogs at night is like being totally without light even though there is plenty of street lights around. It is walking not knowing where I am going but feeling only the tug of the leash. The dogs know where the door of the house is, but they are still learning to go on command. At the door of the house there is plenty of light welcoming me in. I perfer the light of the inside of my house then going outside at night. God's word is the light to mankind. The fact is the gentiles are walking in darkness. They no not where they going, they no not their destination is into the fiery pit without belief in Christ and God. The darkness came from the vanity of their minds, desiring the things of the world more then God and the creation of their own hands more then the works of God.

If you been in a coal mine you are familiar with a head lamp. Head lamps can be used in water, or caverns. In the coal fields they are used inside the mine/cave so one can no where they are going, and how to get out of danger. The headlamp giving protection inside the cavern, but only if explosion does not happen, then there is only a little bit of time to get out of harms way, either out of the mouth of the cavern, or down a fork in the cave. Explosion coming from methane deep within the mine, because that exactly what the coal is made of. It made from the carbon gases deep below the surface. It is a burnable source of energy when use properly. Carbon gas itself is dangerous, the lump/rock of coal not so dangerous unless you pull a lump out like you would a piece from the Jenga game and the wall collaspes. One needs the light of Christ when going into the mines in the cold fields. That one cave in, or mine explosion can take your life. Yet it is a work that gone on for decades. Improvement to the industry has made it safer. Yet to go in the mind without a lamp or Jesus is a big mistake. The lamp of others around you when your battery is low is essential to your own survival. That one day you have a bad battery pack, or rock hits the bulb and it breaks is enough to know that the light from others is very useful to you getting out of the mine.

As believers the light of others helps to encourage each other in faith. When the headlamp(being Christ is on) and the mark of the Holy Spirit is shining forth to others that they are a believer, it encourages one's own walk. All we need is Jesus to be our headlamp, our salvation to see through the world of darkness all around us. Someone suggested the other day to use my flashlight on my phone when walking. How many know newer models seem to have flashlights on them. I do not know how long that technology been on the cellphones, but it is a great little gadget to use when needing a little extra light. It better then using the screen. The point is without Christ we are in darkness. Without Christ we know not that we need Christ until God's light shines on us to see the light of Christ. It is better to be doing good things whether in the light or not in the light. Why like Cornelius in Acts 10, his works were before God and God sent him to fetch Peter to share his light with him.

The light of Christ in us should be shining brightly to others. However what is our life like. What are we doing. The light of God is shining bright because Christ is the light of our pathway. God's word first spoke was the light and then God sent Christ in the flesh to be the light to all mankind. To hear him, to see him and to be taught personally by the Son of God.

Are we walk in the vanity of our minds? After the desires of our heart. Man did not always thrive in the will of God, after all Adam and Eve believed someone other then God. Adam receive and accepted the forbidden fruit from Eve and Eve by being deceived herself ate the forbidden fruit, never considering disobedience to God. It pushed them out of God's habitation. Man forever is walking out of the habitation of God, in his grace he forgives, but we must know to turn from darkness that tempted us to step into it. Our salvation covering our unrighteousness, our lack of believing God's word. If Cain had been saved would his actions been covered? Not in the since his sin was still wrong. Cover with God's protection to turn away from sin and repent. However Cain was not covered by his sacrifice, instead he was doomed by his lack of repentance, his attitude of oh know what I did was wrong sacrism here. And no remorse, but how to save himself from being killed. Only to find himself marked and outcasted from God for eternity, though alive even in the pit of hell.

Gentiles for centuries found themselves outside the light of God because they choose idols, and other things not of God. Yet some would walk in the ways of people of faith by their good works and found mercy and grace of God. God shined his light on the gentiles so they could see his mercy and grace and follow after his word/law. When Christ came into the world, he came to redeem the gentiles from their sin. He came to shine bright, so they would know God and him were the light of the world. He came to testify to his own people the Jewish nation of who God was, and that he was not pleased with the attitude of lets keep peace despite the cost of our light shining forth to others for God.

The Jews were walking in the darkness of who Jesus was and is. Jews did not recognize Christ words as being God's word. They did not recognize their own hypocrisy of being supposely a light to outsiders. Gentiles received the light of Christ and the Jews did not. The disciples were caught in the middle of two religious groups, because by birth they were Jewish, and by faith they believed Christ was the Son of God and the light to the world. A light to teach about their faith in God. He was and is the word of God in the flesh. To worlds becoming opposite of their tradition of light and darkness.

Where are you today, are you walking in the light of God's word? Is Christ the light of your life and salvation of your soul, heart and mind? Are you filled by his Spirit. Is God the protector of your soul? May you no longer walk in the darkness and ignorance of your mind. but be renewed in your mind daily in the truth of God's word. < Dear Heavenly Father, open our eyes to see by the light of your word. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: ohn 8:12 KJV
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.

2 Corinthians 4:4-6 KJV
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.