“…AND DARKNESS covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness,” (Genesis 1:2-4).
Two things that are common and familiar to all human beings are light and darkness. It can be seen from the scriptural verse above that God is the creator of the two, but He considers light as a good thing than darkness. Indeed, light is good. The reality of man’s relationship with light and darkness features prominently in both physical and spiritual discussions.
In the beginning, God regarded light as a good thing, which must remind humanity about the need to embrace the light for their dwelling on earth. The importance God attaches to light can be seen in how He provided it to the congregation of Israel while being rescued from slavery in Egypt through Moses. God is Light and clothed in light. Therefore, He gives His light to people who genuinely come to Him.
“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to GIVE THEM LIGHT, that they might travel by day and night. The pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people” (Exodus 13: 21- 22).
This article, however, mainly focuses on man’s dealings with light in the spiritual realm, drawing lessons from the Bible. Yes, there is a special light for all people who believe in Jesus. People who genuinely receive this light in their lives are blessed. I mean, this supernatural light has the power to translate a person from the kingdom of darkness of the devil into the glorious kingdom of light of God.
By it, the children of God see their way clearly so as not to fall into eternal destruction. You may not see it on people, but it is there in their hearts, giving them peace. This is why the Bible says: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people dwelling in darkness have seen a GREAT LIGHT, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them A LIGHT HAS DAWNED” (Matthew 4: 15- 16).
This light which enlightens the hearts and eyes of people is embodied in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was, and is and is to come. He is the light the people of Galilee saw about two millennia ago. He was with the people of Israel during their exodus right from day one, providing them with heat and visibility at night.
During His earthly ministry, one day, after He had forgiven the sins of a woman, who was caught in the act of adultery, and instructed her to sin no more, Jesus Christ declared publicly, “I am THE LIGHT of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8: 12, emphasis mine). In John 9: 5, the Lord Jesus stated again: “While I am in the world, I AM THE LIGHT of the world,” (emphasis mine).
One of the reasons Jesus Christ made such public confessions was for people to believe in Him for the eternal salvation of their souls. The Lord loves the world, and would like people to believe in Him for their everlasting comfort and peace in a world which is yet to come. It is dangerous to walk in darkness. Darkness symbolises sin, destruction and death. Satan is synonymous with darkness. And God wants us to flee from all of these and come to Him for righteousness, knowledge, understanding and ultimately salvation.
The Saviour of the world says, “…Walk while you have the light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light…I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should remain in darkness” (John 12: 35-36, 46).
However, many people choose darkness and reject the light, culminating in their judgment. Jesus Christ expressed His displeasure over this attitude, saying, “God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light…” (John 3:18-21).
There is no doubt that Jesus Christ is the Supreme Light of the world. Christ provides a spiritual light that saves men from sin and eternal death. When Saul encountered the light of Jesus Christ as recorded in Acts chapter 9, he changed from being an injurious and persecuting Pharisee of Christians to a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was saved. That is the power of the light of Christ Jesus.
We also know that Christ Jesus is the Word of God as recorded in John 1: 1-2 and in Revelation 19:13. And if Christ and the Word of God are one, then, the Word of God itself is light. This is why when a sinner receives the Word of God in his heart, he sees how filthy he is before God, and thus humbles himself, and pleads the mercy of God for forgiveness and pardon of his sins.
In most cases, people weep over their misery and helplessness without Christ. And after they are forgiven, they learn to live their lives by the Word of God in order not slip into darkness again. The Psalmist knew this so he wrote of the Lord: “Your WORD IS A LAMP to my feet and a LIGHT TO MY PATH. This means he lives by the Word of God, respecting the oracles of God to guide him in his decisions and actions. Without doubt, we all need this light in order to live a life that pleases our Maker.
Indeed, light is good. Therefore, choose the light and live by it. When people connect to this Great Light, they are turned into light themselves. The Lord Jesus made this clear when He told His disciples, “YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden…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” (Matthew 5: 14- 16).
May God’s Light shine in your minds and hearts.