Let in the Light

Heard the story coming out of Kansas about the so-called "BTK" (stands for Bind, Torture, Kill) serial killer? Dennis Rader; a 59 year old married man, father, Scout leader, and church council president, had a hidden side of horrific evil. He stands accused of at least 10 gruesome murders since 1974. The contrast between the 'two' persons that existed in the same body confounds us. One of Rader's best friends, a fellow Scout leader, appeared on a TV talk show last night close to tears for the entire interview, admitting that he never would have believed the accusations apart from the irrefutable evidence. He said, "There are two Dennis's and I only knew one; a friend I will never see again." Rader's pastor talked in similar terms about the man with whom he sat in church meetings, a man who was dedicated to the community in so many ways, a man who, to all appearances, was far removed from the world of thrill killers!

Even as we shake our heads in amazement, we must acknowledge that we all deal with two natures! Rader's sinful nature found a particularly horrible expression, to be sure, but the scary fact is that everyone of us still deals with a sinful nature. In the book of Romans we read: "For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? " - 7:22-24 NIV There we find a glimpse of the reason why Christians still can be cruel, selfish, materialistic - a saint and a sinner in the same body!

• So what's the answer? How is the sinful nature diminished and the spiritual person strengthened?

We let the Light shine into every corner of our lives! A famous quote from Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis says, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant!" He referred to the corruption that goes on when government operates behind a cloak of secrecy, without accountability. His observation has an application to each of our lives. In those areas we hide from others, that we keep carefully wrapped in secrecy - sin has an opportunity to flourish! So-called 'little' lies we tell to spare ourselves shame, become a breeding ground for increasing deception - of others and even ourselves. Compromises that seem to be insignificant, that are excused as just 'going along to get along' open us to temptations for greater sins over time.

John says, (1 John 1:6-10, NIV) "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. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

The Christian is called to integrity, transparency of heart, so that the Light of Christ can disinfect his soul! A believer who is serious about holiness must not continue to muck about in secrecy, mistakenly thinking that he is preserving his 'dignity' with deception and pretense. He must confess, own up to who he is and what he has done, and find the forgiveness of God. The additional benefit is that there is a cleansing of character. Holiness is found in community, not because we can create our own perfection, but because as we open up to one another, the Light of Christ shines onto the infection of sin and destroys it even as we minister loving grace to each other!

Are you living with secret sin today, carefully tucked away from public view? It's time to let the Light shine in. Sometimes it is enough to confess our 'darkness' to God alone. There are parts of us that are transformed by owning our sinfulness before the Lord and sincerely asking for His forgiveness, His strength to overcome. Then, too, many of the dark places are simply too engrained for us to deal with alone. In those struggles we need an ally, sometimes several allies. As difficult as it may be to do, find a trusted counselor and open up your heart. Find someone who knows grace and who knows how to lead you to the One who is Grace Incarnate. Together, pull open the door that has been shutting out the Light.

We may never know what demons tormented Dennis Rader in the dark corners of his mind. I would take an educated guess that somewhere in the far distant past something happened to him or in him that he never admitted to himself or anyone else. In that place of darkness, sin found a place to grow a monster that committed terrible crimes.

Give no place to darkness.
In Sunday School as a child we happily sang-
"So let the Son shine in, face Him with a grin,
smilers never lose, and frowners never win,
so let the Son shine in, open up your heart and
let the Son shine in!"

That's great wisdom!