We see very few illuminated Christians now. If every one of us was
illuminated by the Spirit of God, how we could light up the churches!
But to have a lantern without any light, that would be a nuisance.
Many Christians carry along lanterns and say, "I wouldn't give up my
religion for yours." They talk about religion. The religion that has
no fire is like painted fire. They are artificial Christians. Do you
belong to that class? You can tell. If you can't, your friends can.
There is a fable of an old lantern in a shed, which began to boast
because it had heard its master say he didn't know what he would ever
do without it. But the little candle within spoke up and said: "Yes,
you'd be a great comfort if it wasn't for me! You are nothing; I'm the
one that gives the light." We are nothing, but Christ is everything,
and what we want is to keep in communion with Him and let Christ dwell
in us richly and shine forth through us.
I have a match box with a phosphorescent front. It draws in the rays
of the sun during the day and then throws them out in the dead hours
of the night, so that I can always see it in the dark. Now, that is
what we ought to be, constantly drawing in the rays of the Sun of
Righteousness and then giving them out. Some one said to some young
converts, "It is all moonshine being converted." They replied, "Thank
you for the compliment. The moon borrows light from the sun, and so we
borrow ours from the Sun of Righteousness." That is what takes place
when we have this illumination.