Tags: aufklarung, darkness, enlightenment, Father of lights, Gospel Light, James 1, Job 17, light, light of Christ
The Latin expression for “after darkness, light” became one of the chief mottoes of the Protestant Reformation. The Magisterial Reformers recognized the contrast and the battle between the ever-encroaching darkness of evil in this world and the bright and shining Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is one of the ironies of history that the so-called Aufklarung (German for “Age of Enlightenment”) substituted human reason for Divine revelation as the great hope of mankind. Such a substitution ultimately brought about more darkness than light.
The Bible patriarch Job grew tired of the explanations and platitudes of his friends, as they tried to tell him that increasing darkness was merely as sign that the sun was about to rise:
They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.
Thankfully, God has illuminated the darkness of this world with the revelation of Himself in His Word and in His Son, Jesus. He is the Father of lights and there is no “dark side” in Him.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Here are the links to a series of posts, high”lighting” what the Bible says about God’s light:
This Big Light of Mine
Light Can Be Offensive (*)
Light Shows the Truth
Light Shows the Way
Light Produces Life
Light Gives Safety
Light Wakes You Up
Light Is Attractive
Light Measures Time
Light Is Stronger than Darkness
Beware the Father of the Furtive
* most-read post in series
Tags: 2 Corinthians 4, darkness, Jesus the Light, John 12, light, Light of the World, spiritual darkness, spiritual light
When we find ourselves in darkness, and that darkness is scary, inconvenient, depressing, frustrating, or confusing, our minds turn immediately to a simple solution: Turn on the light.
The world in which we live, spiritually speaking, is often dark, disturbing, and dismaying. Therefore, it is crucial that we have a dependable source of light. Jesus says:
I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
It is difficult to make a room totally dark. Even with the lights all turned off and the windows covered, one little ray of light shining from under a door will soon begin to illuminate the darkness. A tiny spark will, if only briefly, totally defeat the darkest dungeon. The same is true with Christ. His light is stronger than all the powers of darkness.
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.
II Corinthians 4:6
Tags: Jeremiah 13, Jesus Christ, John 1, John 12, light, light in the Bible, Salvation, the light of the world
We live in a day and age of clocks. From our wristwatches to our cell phones to our bedside wake-up alarms to our on-screen television programming guides to our vehicle radios to the flashing signs in front of banks and churches, everywhere we go, we are reminded of the time. However, even without mechanical timepieces, we would still have a pretty good idea that the day is over when the light fades. We count weeks and months and years by how many times the sun has risen and set. Therefore, when it comes to spiritual reality, God has made light to behave in such a way as to remind us that our time and opportunities in this world are coming to an end.
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
In an attempt to defeat the darkness which ends each and every day of our lives we have come up with many ways to “light up the night.” However, batteries in a flashlight will run down eventually. The wax which feeds the wick of a candle will burn down in time. Even long-lasting light bulbs and tubes of fluorescent neon are not eternal. There is only one Light which shall shine forevermore.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Jesus, the Light of this world, has already finished the work of redemption, and He has made it available to unbelievers for a limited time only. Will you receive the Light which shall give you comfort, peace, beauty, and joy in the world to come? Or will you cling to the temporary false light of the here-and-now, which will one day burn out, leaving you in an eternal darkness from which there shall be no escape?
Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
Tags: countenance of God, face of God, light, light in the Bible, Psalm 4, Psalm 89, spotlights, true light
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
For the pious Jewish person in Old Testament times, one of the most common ways of describing the blessings of God was to speak of God’s countenance (His “face”) being turned toward, instead of away from, His people. God’s countenance was described as beautiful light, and the attractiveness of it was awe-inspiring.
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.
These days we still have an innate understanding of the attractiveness of light. The planner of a big event will often use a big spotlight to attract people at night. Satan, when he attempts to seduce Christians, does not always utilize the darkness of his evil. He often disguises himself as an “angel of light.” Therefore, while light is attractive, we must discern the true Light from the false. Just as bugs, which can’t resist flying into bright lights at night, seal their doom by doing so, people who desire a superficial worldly “light” are sometimes enticed to their own destruction.
As Christians, our goal should be to desire that God look favorably upon us so that His glory, reflected through us, will attract people to Him.
Tags: darkness, Isaiah 60, light, light in the Bible, light of Christ, rise and shine, Romans 13, sleep
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
The human body can only operate in a state of wakefulness for so long before exhaustion sets in. Mental and physical fatigue are remedied by sleep. Sleep is our minds’ and bodies’ way of recovering and recharging. With the invention of the light bulb and all the artificial forms of light we have today, people acquired the ability to work and play during the night as well as the day, but night time is certainly the traditional time for sleeping. I’m one of those people who just doesn’t sleep as well unless my surroundings are absolutely dark.
Spiritually speaking, however, Christians should live in light and not in darkness. God wants His people to be alert and vigilant, not dull and inattentive. Furthermore, although physical sleep is necessary for good health, there is no place in the Christian life for spiritual sleep. The Lord wants His people to be active. Are you alert, attentive, and active, or are you dozing through life in a state of spiritual passivity? “Rise and shine!” says the Lord. It’s time for Christians to reflect God’s goodness, grace, and glory in a dark, desperate, dreary, depressed, and dying world.
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Tags: afraid of the dark, Biblical light, fear, fear of God, fear of the dark, fear of the Lord, knowing God, light, Psalm 27, safety
It is a pretty well-accepted truth that most children are afraid of the dark. What’s more, this fear is not always as baseless as we like to claim. Darkness can provide cover for many dangerous things. Light gives safety because it informs us of what sort of environment we are in, and what sorts of things or creatures are occupying that environment with us. Light tells us what our true condition is.
[A Psalm of David.] The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
People are afraid of the dark because we fear the unknown. Knowing God brings light and security when we trust Him. If you know and fear God, you need not fear anything else. If you do not know and fear God, you should fear everything else.
Tags: 2 Corinthians 5, Biblical light, Genesis 1, John 1, John 11, John 8, John 9, light, Light of the World
Living things need light. A plant will die if it is left in the dark. Human life as we know it on Earth requires sunlight.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
For Christians, Jesus is the Light which gives us life.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Jesus was present and active in the creation of man. The “divine spark” which God placed in Adam, giving life to the human race, came from His Divinity. Since the beginning He has associated light with life.
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.
Jesus’s deliberate use of “I AM,” God’s Self-revealed Old Testament Name, showed that He was in fact God incarnate, possessing not only the power to create original life, but the power to create the new life we receive when we trust Him as Savior.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
How bright is the world around you? Has your life grown dark? Only Jesus Christ has the power to illuminate spiritual darkness.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Our lost friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors are spiritually dead. But the Light of Jesus Christ is so bright and so powerful that it can bring them to life. Jesus’s Light produces life because He Himself is “the Life.”
Tags: Amazing Grace, Biblical light, Jesus the Way, John 14, John 8, light, Light of the World, Psalm 119, rearranging furniture
NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Imagine coming home from work late one night after the rest of your family has gone to bed. Unbeknownst to you, earlier in the day your spouse had decided to rearrange all the furniture. Not wanting to wake anyone in the house, you decide to trod the well-known path to your own bedroom without turning on any lights. You can probably predict the painful and possibly expensive results – and if you can’t, your shins and that shattered table lamp surely can.
Or imagine trying to find your way through a dense forest in the middle of a moonless night without a flashlight. The point is, in the dark, it is easy to wander off the right path, and get lost. A light or lantern will make it easy to follow the path.
The Bible helps us find the right way in a dark world. God’s Word not only alerts us to dangers coming at us, but it helps us to see the things around us more clearly. Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, is also the Way to Heaven. If we stay close to Jesus, trust His Word, and illuminate the darkness around us, we will avoid many dangers, toils, and snares.
Tags: Biblical light, deception, Gospel Light, Jesus the Light, John 3, lessons on light, light, Light of the World, Psalm 43, satanic strategy, send the light, truth and light
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
The are many dangers in trying to find our way in the dark. One of these is the probability of deception. It is difficult to be deceived when things are open and visible, but in times of darkness there is a strong possibility that things are not – in reality – what we are led to believe. Perhaps the greatest deception takes place in our own hearts when we choose to walk in darkness rather than in the light of God’s Truth.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Darkness hides the way things really are. A light shined into a dark space will show what is truly inside. Jesus Himself is the Truth, and He always tells us the truth about ourselves. Ask Him to fully illuminate your heart and mind today, so that you will not be deceived.
Tags: 2 Corinthians 4, black, darkness, evangelism, eyes, Genesis 1, Gospel Light, Hosea 6, Isaiah 14, Jesus the Light, John 1, John 3, Judges 17, light, Light of the Gospel, Light of the World, Lucifer, Matthew 5, witnessing
When a person is sound asleep and someone suddenly shines a bright light right into his face, the sleepy person is going to have a tendency to get angry. In a similar way, the Light of the Gospel can be very offensive to a lost person.
My wife is a big fan of bright lights first thing in the morning. If she could have her way, she would spring out of bed and immediately turn on all the brightest lights in the house. That probably speaks well of her spiritual condition, because, as Christians, we should be lovers of light more than darkness. I have to admit that I like to wake up a little more slowly. If I get my way, I’ll get up, take a shower, and get dressed – all in the dark (which probably explains why my tie seldom matches my shirt and I’m wearing mismatched socks.)
We live in “dark days,” spiritually speaking. 21st Century America is very similar to the time period described in the Book of Judges. People are mainly doing “what is right in their own eyes” instead of what God has commanded. It seems like the people whose eyes are most adjusted to darkness are some of the the most influential in our society. This does not bode well for our future. When small men cast long shadows, it’s a sure sign that the sun is setting.
Light has a tendency to make things brighter and more clear. We use words like “luminous;” “luster;” “illuminate;” and “illustrate.” When things are clear – when they are seen in their “true light” – we can be prepared and alert. Can you imagine a security guard charged with protecting someone’s life and property, understanding the importance of staying awake, and yet deciding to turn the lights out during his watch?
People who desire to commit acts of shame or evil often seek out areas of darkness. Most nightclubs or barrooms are dark. Most major cities have a “bad side” of town where the streets are dark.
The “color” black (which is really the absence of light) is the color of mourning and sadness.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
God said the light was good. He didn’t say that about the darkness. And in the very beginning He divided them – He separated them. As Christians, we have the “Light of the World” shining within us. We shouldn’t try to turn this Light down in order to fit in with the world, nor in order to allow the world to keep sleeping, nor out of fear that we might offend the darkness with Light. We need to shine brightly into the darkest parts of the world.
We sing, “Send the light, the blessed Gospel light; Let it shine from shore to shore! Send the light, the blessed Gospel light; Let it shine forevermore!” Many Christians agree that we should send the Light, but few want to help pay the light bill. There is a financial cost, as well as a comfort cost, in sending forth the Light. There is also the cost of ridicule and embarrassment when we shine our Savior’s light.
Light can be very offensive. There’s a right way to be offensive and a wrong way to be offensive. I must remember that the Light does not ultimately come from me. It is the Light of God – hopefully reflected – but only reflected – off me. Satan got in trouble over this issue back when he was still an angel.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
The name “Lucifer” meant “light-bearer” or “bright one.” He was not a light “source,” and neither are we – but we should be mirrors, and light “amplifiers.”
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
Christ Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament type of sacrificial offerings, but He wasn’t a “burnt offering,” because He produced His Own light.
Biological eyes are dependent on light in order to work properly. Even eyes that work well are useless in the dark. In Scripture lost people are compared to blind people – they are spiritually blind. It is not so much because their “spiritual eyes” don’t work. It is more because they are choosing to remain away from the Light. A lost person hates the true Light. He wants to remain in the dark. But God has given Christians the responsibility – and the awesome privilege – of shining His Light into the dark, and showing lost people the way out of the dark and into the light of His glory.