Darkness is Light to God

Week 46

In Genesis we read that God spoke to the darkness and created light. “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the darkness he called night.”

Creating light was a pretty simple operation for God. It is today also. His light, his glory radiates from him and illuminates everything that is dark.

Man continues to try and hide his wickedness in the darkness. For some reason, we think that if we commit sin behind closed doors or at night when it is dark, no one will know. The Psalmist said, “If I say, ‘surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

God is able to help the saints by illuminating the way before us. He often shines his light on our pathways to keep us from falling or tripping. His spirit wants us to follow the path He has chosen for us and many times we stray from the path.

Keeping in touch with God through his word helps enable us to follow the path he has chosen for us. Psalm 119:105 reads “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” God is the provider of the light. He wants us to ask him for guidance when we make decisions, he wants to hold the lantern for us when we are confused about which way to turn. If he can create light, he can certainly illuminate our pathway.

Jesus Christ came into the world as one of us to show us the love and the light of God. He was able to dispel the darkness by paying the price for sin with his life. The gospel of John explains it best. “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” He explains that John the Baptist was coming to be a witness of the light coming into the world. “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” 

In chapter three he says, “Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

How amazing to think that living by the truth means living in the light. 

Living in truth keeps us separate from those who live in darkness. In 2 Corinthians we read, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?”

As believers it is also our job to expose the deeds of darkness. In Ephesians 5:8-11 we hear Paul tell us, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” In verse 13 he says, “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.”

Wow, what an awesome responsibility we have as followers of Christ. An example of this is one that many Christians share. Christians on the job are often shunned by co-workers when they walk into a situation where gossip is taking place or if someone is telling an off color joke. It is the light of Christ shining through us revealing the deeds of darkness that makes people uncomfortable. We are exposing the darkness, making it visible to God.

Scripture tells us, that as children of God, we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.

He has called us into his light. We are no longer living in darkness. We no longer enjoy the things we used to enjoy. Our sinful lives have been exposed to the darkness and we run to the light and a right relationship with God. 

When I first came into this relationship with God, there were many times that I longed for my old way of life. It was familiar to me, it was comfortable and I missed the old life. But as my relationship with God has grown, the old ways have become foreign to me. I can’t watch the same television shows I used to watch. I can’t listen to the same music and enjoy it. Some friendships have ended and some places where I used to spend time are no longer acceptable to me. 

This didn’t happen overnight for me, I’ve heard that it does for some people. But over a period of time the truth of Jesus and what he did for me has become the most important thing in my life.

As we share our love of Christ with those around us we are dispelling the darkness. Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:14-16

Sometimes this means that we have to go into the dark places to light them up. This is not something that God would expect a new convert to Christianity to do. If you have had a problem with drugs and alcohol and are a new believer, God would not expect you to immediately begin to minister to those who you used to associate with. He would probably help create distance from your old way of life until you were strong enough spiritually to share your faith. 

Many new believers have a problem distancing themselves from old friends and habitats. They want to share their new found faith with their friends who are continuing in the lifestyle they are trying to leave behind. This can cause the new believer to backslide. Their light is not strong enough to dispel the darkness around them. If you find yourself wanting to minister but have any doubts, listen to your heart and wait. If God wants you to share your faith, he will let you know when to do it and how to do it.

Living in the light of God will make us lovers of our brothers. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you; God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 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, purified us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7 “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” 1 John 2:9-11

Father,

We are your children, called out of darkness into your marvelous light and we are so grateful that you have guided us to this point in our lives. Some of us are new to this way of life and need to be separated from the old way of life. Others of us are ready to take our light into the dark places, exposing the deeds for what they are. 

We come to you as children who need a light to shine the way before us and we ask you to illuminate our pathway. We really want to serve you and we know that you are the one who has the truth. You are the only way to find the light. Thank you for being a God of light, thank you for being a God of glory. May we glorify you with our lives and may they shine in the darkness around us. Because of Christ. Amen.