Mentoring Manna:  Darkness and Light

© 2003 Pastor Keith Hassell

MM00086

John 1:1-5 (NKJV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

            Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”[1]  Of His ministry it was said, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”[2]  The light of Jesus was not natural light, for man has the sun and the moon.  The light of Jesus is spiritual.  What is light?  Natural light is a form of electromagnetic radiation that acts upon the retina of the eye making sight possible.  Without natural light, man would be the same as blind.  Light brings illumination and understanding of what was once veiled to our eyes.

            Darkness, on the other hand, is the absence of light.  It places a person in the realm of ignorance because they cannot see.  A person who is born blind has little or no comprehension of the many realities surrounding him or her.  In the same way, sin has placed man under a great cloak of spiritual darkness. This darkness is an ignorance of God and His ways.  Because man cannot see them, he is inclined to live only by the limitations of his own ignorant reasoning.  Unable to see the way of God clearly, man gropes for answers in the dark. Our minds can run wild in the darkness. In darkness our minds can imagine all kinds of things that may seem at the time to be very real. However, when the light comes, our ignorance is “en-lightened” with the truth that the light reveals. 

Light is not truth.  Light reveals the truth. God is real and His word is true whether we believe it or not.  This was true before Jesus came.  Darkness can hide truth, but it cannot change truth. Indeed, Satan’s strategy is to hide the good news of salvation by keeping the hearts of men in darkness. The apostle Paul declared, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine upon them.”[3] But when the Spirit of God begins to convict us of our need for a Savior and we believe in Jesus Christ, the “light comes on” in our hearts. What was once hidden is now revealed.  What was once darkness has become light. It is no wonder why those who do not know Jesus cannot understand Him or His ways.  It is no wonder why those who believe in Him see things much differently than before. We experience firsthand what the beloved hymn, “Amazing Grace,” declares: “I once was blind but now I see!”

            Unfortunately, not all are willing to embrace the light.  Some are so convinced of the lies they embraced in darkness that they are unwilling to believe what the light reveals. Others prefer the darkness because it cloaks their sinful ways and motives. Rather than embrace the light, they run from the light, or worse, they seek to extinguish the light.  Jesus said, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”[4]  The light of Jesus shines upon us all. We cannot ignore Him. Either we can turn to Him and believe what His light reveals, or we turn away to continue our walk in darkness.

Application:  Jesus came as the light of the world.  He came so that you might believe and receive His light within your heart.  If you choose to believe, His light will dawn in your life.  If you refuse, you will live under the ignorance, deception, fear, and torment of darkness.  Receive the light of Christ in your heart today and SEE!

Prayer:  “Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be the light of the world.  I receive Jesus as the light in my life today.  I make Him my Savior and Lord.  Illuminate my heart to Your truth so that I may walk in Your paths.  I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

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[1] John 8:12 NKJV

[2] Matthew 4:16 NKJV

[3] 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV

[4] John 3:19-21 NKJV