The Light of Life

The light of life has no end

"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." - 1 John 1:5

Light has captivated my attention in the Bible for two years now. With its frequent usage within its pages, it is no wonder that it does so. It seems to be that every 6 months or so this captivation spills over into Substack. I believe in these times knowing more about the Light is more important than ever

Photo by Sodbayar Photography on Unsplash

."For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life." Psalm 56:13

This particular verse sticks out to me as a prime example of what has been rattling around inside my heart and head. Specifically, the combination of two key themes "walking" and God being "the light of life." This is not the last time this theme reveals itself in Scripture. Jesus Christ seems to reference it during his ministry. In John's gospel, Jesus talks about light often.

"But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

and

"So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does know where he is going."

These two verses are found in 11:10 and 12:35 respectively. Jesus calls himself the light of the world. He is the one who gives light to the light of men. We are to walk in his light. To not have the light is to be in darkness. Jesus says in 8:12 of John "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" In Christ, is the promise of light.

Light gives us clarity. It allows us to see so that we may travel safely and accurately. Our world is filled with worldview claims of the correct way to travel through life. All of those ways, except for Christ, descend into darkness.

Light is something that we participate in. God calls us into the light so that we may share in his righteousness and then display that light to others. 1 Peter says it wonderfully "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Now that is an amazing calling! God calls us out of our depraved darkness into his luminous love. We do not just remain contentedly oblivious to the rest of the world though. Light cannot help but shine. Philippians 2:15 states "...that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." When we are called out of darkness, we still remain in the world, but we are to display the transformative power of God in Christ. Remember, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden, and a lamp is set in the middle of the room so that it gives light to the house, it is not placed under a basket.

God is light, his light exposes us to his righteousness and we are changed. We go from dead sinners to living saints. We are a part of his light. (Eph 5:8-9) This light shines in our hearts but we did not generate this light on our own. Those who are in darkness do not love the light. Prior to Christ, we fear exposure. We do not want our ways to be laid bare before God or anyone else. We naturally tend to turn inward and protect ourselves. We fear man rather than God. We love the darkness rather than the light. The darkness covers us and we believe it hides us. When we become a part of the light of Christ our hearts change. We want to show ourselves to the world. Matthew 5:16 states "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

John also records Jesus saying "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." Our works are to display God's glory for others, so that they may see the light of God. We want to draw them near the light. To have them question what is going on. We want them to share in the inheritance of light, which is God himself. God is light and life. To have one is to have the other. Jesus is the light of men and in him is life.

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If you enjoyed this essay, please check out the two previous essays that I wrote which cover the same theme of light. I am sure that this will be an ongoing topic for several years to come. Consider sharing with someone and subscribing!