July 13th, 2022
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. - Proverbs 4:18
One of the great themes of the Bible is the division of light and darkness. In the first few verses of Genesis God said, “Let there be light,” and immediately separated that light from the darkness. That was on the first day, before He created the sun, moon, and stars, so what was that light? John 1:4-5 says,
In [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There is a light that shines in God that is entirely different from the natural light of the heavenly bodies. After Moses had been in the glory of God on Mount Sinai, his face shone so brightly he had to put a veil over his face (Ex. 34:29-33). Stephen, the first martyr, saw into heaven and his face shone with the glory of God (Acts 6:15). Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and was literally blinded for three days because of the brightness of that light, which he said shone brighter than the sun (Acts 9:3-9). John saw the resurrected Christ and wrote that His face was like the sun shining in full strength (Rev. 1:16). After Jesus returns and establishes His kingdom, we won’t even need the sun for light. Revelation 21:23 says of that day,
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk.”
That is an amazing thought, but one of the beautiful realities of the gospel is that we can walk in that light, even now. 1 John 1:3-5 says,
“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 cleanses us from all sin.”
Even though the world is not yet fully bathed in the light of God, we can walk fully in that light. Psalms 89:15 says,
“Blessed are the people…who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face.”
Even now, as His children, we can walk in the light of His face, and that light cleanses and illuminates everything it touches. Light, in the natural, is what brings warmth and life to the world and allows us to see. This is a parallel to a spiritual reality, because without God, man walks in spiritual darkness. 1 John 2:11 says,
“But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
We cannot see in the dark, naturally, or spiritually, and it’s there that every sin, sickness, and fear dwells. Sadly, there are those that actually prefer that darkness. Throughout the Bible we see time and time again that there are those that hate the truth. Stephen’s face shown with the glory of God as He preached a message from heaven, but it made the religious people so angry they “ground their teeth” and killed him (Acts 7:54-55). The greatest example of this is obviously the crucifixion of Jesus, who was the brightest light that ever stepped onto the earth. John 3:19 tell us,
“This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
The message of the Gospel, at its core, is a call to come into the light. The light may be uncomfortable at first, because it always expose. However, God’s light never exposes to condemn but to forgive and heal the repentant heart. There is no safer place than in the light of God’s face! Ephesians 5:8-11 says,
“At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them In the darkness, we are blind and without hope. However, we have been called out of darkness and into his marvelous light. “
As a child of God, we have been called out of darkness and bathed in the light of heaven. It’s not a light that came from the world and it’s not a light the world can put out. 2 Corinthians 4:6 tells us,
‘“God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’
The One who spoke all of creation into existence has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in Jesus’ face. His light isn’t a tiny nightlight to hold close to our hearts because we’re afraid of the darkness. So many believers fear the darkness and shield their light as though it’s a candle that may be blown out by the slightest breeze. However, the only way we can be afraid of the darkness is if we fundamentally misunderstand the power of the light that’s in us. Darkness doesn’t exist in and of itself but is simply the absence of light. When the sun comes up, shadows recede without hesitation. Light expels darkness without any effort and that’s what it’s like when the truth of Jesus shines in the heart of a child of God. The light in you isn’t meant to be a flickering candle, but a floodlight. Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah, roaring with authority over all the power of the enemy, even death itself. His face shines brighter than the noonday sun and He’s in you. You are bathed in the same light that shines from the throne of God, in the face of Jesus, and there is absolutely no darkness that won’t be illuminated by the brightness of that light!
One of the great themes of the Bible is the division of light and darkness. In the first few verses of Genesis God said, “Let there be light,” and immediately separated that light from the darkness. That was on the first day, before He created the sun, moon, and stars, so what was that light? John 1:4-5 says,
In [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There is a light that shines in God that is entirely different from the natural light of the heavenly bodies. After Moses had been in the glory of God on Mount Sinai, his face shone so brightly he had to put a veil over his face (Ex. 34:29-33). Stephen, the first martyr, saw into heaven and his face shone with the glory of God (Acts 6:15). Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and was literally blinded for three days because of the brightness of that light, which he said shone brighter than the sun (Acts 9:3-9). John saw the resurrected Christ and wrote that His face was like the sun shining in full strength (Rev. 1:16). After Jesus returns and establishes His kingdom, we won’t even need the sun for light. Revelation 21:23 says of that day,
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk.”
That is an amazing thought, but one of the beautiful realities of the gospel is that we can walk in that light, even now. 1 John 1:3-5 says,
“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 cleanses us from all sin.”
Even though the world is not yet fully bathed in the light of God, we can walk fully in that light. Psalms 89:15 says,
“Blessed are the people…who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face.”
Even now, as His children, we can walk in the light of His face, and that light cleanses and illuminates everything it touches. Light, in the natural, is what brings warmth and life to the world and allows us to see. This is a parallel to a spiritual reality, because without God, man walks in spiritual darkness. 1 John 2:11 says,
“But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
We cannot see in the dark, naturally, or spiritually, and it’s there that every sin, sickness, and fear dwells. Sadly, there are those that actually prefer that darkness. Throughout the Bible we see time and time again that there are those that hate the truth. Stephen’s face shown with the glory of God as He preached a message from heaven, but it made the religious people so angry they “ground their teeth” and killed him (Acts 7:54-55). The greatest example of this is obviously the crucifixion of Jesus, who was the brightest light that ever stepped onto the earth. John 3:19 tell us,
“This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
The message of the Gospel, at its core, is a call to come into the light. The light may be uncomfortable at first, because it always expose. However, God’s light never exposes to condemn but to forgive and heal the repentant heart. There is no safer place than in the light of God’s face! Ephesians 5:8-11 says,
“At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them In the darkness, we are blind and without hope. However, we have been called out of darkness and into his marvelous light. “
As a child of God, we have been called out of darkness and bathed in the light of heaven. It’s not a light that came from the world and it’s not a light the world can put out. 2 Corinthians 4:6 tells us,
‘“God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’
The One who spoke all of creation into existence has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in Jesus’ face. His light isn’t a tiny nightlight to hold close to our hearts because we’re afraid of the darkness. So many believers fear the darkness and shield their light as though it’s a candle that may be blown out by the slightest breeze. However, the only way we can be afraid of the darkness is if we fundamentally misunderstand the power of the light that’s in us. Darkness doesn’t exist in and of itself but is simply the absence of light. When the sun comes up, shadows recede without hesitation. Light expels darkness without any effort and that’s what it’s like when the truth of Jesus shines in the heart of a child of God. The light in you isn’t meant to be a flickering candle, but a floodlight. Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah, roaring with authority over all the power of the enemy, even death itself. His face shines brighter than the noonday sun and He’s in you. You are bathed in the same light that shines from the throne of God, in the face of Jesus, and there is absolutely no darkness that won’t be illuminated by the brightness of that light!
No Comments