And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:3
When John tells me in the New Testament that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), it makes sense that God’s creative work should begin with light for God’s presence dispels darkness.
One dictionary suggests that “light is a natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible,” but that is not all that natural light does. Light impacts the human mind, affecting one’s perceptions, emotions, and overall well-being. In cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), sometimes referred to as winter depression, low-light conditions of winter are found to contribute to feelings of despair, sleepiness during the day and for longer than usual, irritability, craving for simple carbs, loss of interest in normal everyday activities. And, what brings profound relief? Light exposure. Undoubtedly, light is powerful and vital.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:4
Moses, the author of the Genesis account, does not record that God acknowledged darkness other than to quickly discriminate between it and the goodness of light. Light is desirable, and things that are equally desirable are explained in reference to light by the inspired men, from whose writings the Scriptures were compiled.
Listen to Solomon: “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Proverbs 4:18).
Offering further clarity in Isaiah 26:7, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “The way of the just is uprightness…” A comparison of the passages leads to the conclusion that uprightness is like the shining light and has the same Source. Uprightness is a state of continual growth, through connection with God. A path, not a station. A way, not a parking lot.
Identifying the Real Deal
In this postmodern era, God is still in the business of discriminating between light and darkness, so He sets a standard for how to identify the real deal:
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Isaiah 8:20
When Isaiah says the ‘law,’ he is not just referring to the Ten Commandments recorded in Exodus, and again, in Deuteronomy. The word used in the original language is ‘Torah’, which – in Hebrew understanding – refers to the first five books of the Bible written by Moses. The Torah is the foundation for all doctrinal truth and includes the record of origins, the entrance of sin and its effects, instructions on dress, health, and worship, as well as family and community life. The ‘testimony’, refers to prophetic writings available at the time of writing.
Everything to be accepted as doctrinal truth in succeeding generations must agree in Spirit and principle with that foundation.
The plumbline has not shifted. Light Power has one Source.
If we are to use God’s Standard of measurement, we must acquaint ourselves with the content. Are we immersing ourselves in the law and the testimony? Or are we living a churchgoing life based on a foundation of rubbish?
Listen to Jesus: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Shall not walk in darkness, He says. We walk in darkness when we are informed by material that lies off to the side of the path of the just and ignores the Biblical foundation.
The Path to Growth
In 1 Peter 1:25 through 1 Peter 2:3, we read this: “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
That ye may grow. At some point in a child’s natural development, as nutrients are provided, teeth grow in, bones get stronger, muscles are strengthened with constant use, there is a change in eating habits and continued growth to maturity, with the capacity to nurture others. For most parents, the absence of developmental markers would be a cause for concern, and rightly so. Growth and development are critical to life.
As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual.
If we are not growing by consuming the pure milk of the Word, God cannot add to His church those who need nurturing because babies cannot nurture babies. Light power must be evident among Christ-followers seven days per week. It is not a churchgoing condition.
If we want what God wants – that is, a vibrant community of faith, populated by members who live the Gospel (not just preach it) – we must be growth-focused. In light of that, prayerful Bible study cannot be the sole duty of a few church leaders who do the suckling and assimilation themselves and are given a platform to impart a few weekly sound bytes of predigested matter to congregants unfamiliar with the Berean way (Acts 17:11). We must position ourselves for growth as babes nestle in and position themselves to be nourished, with an even greater degree of enthusiasm.
The path of growth is not a smooth one. There is a constant ‘learn-grow-shed’ cycle that unsettles the old man and provokes the saint to grow ever closer to Christ. Old skin cracks, as the new man persists and breaks free, laying aside every weight and besetting sin. As scales fall from the eyes, and vision clears, the determination to obey will disrupt old ways of being and associating as the path leads away from the counsel of the ungodly, the way of sinners, and the ubiquitous seats of the scornful.
This path is not a popular one.
Where Unity Resides
Isn’t it always the truth that the Creator God’s way is never the popular one? Yet, we cannot hope to please Him by pursuing another course. It’s a faith issue. Only on the path He directs is Biblical unity possible, as we shed unforgiveness – along with the tendency to soothe ourselves by recounting and rehearsing old hurts – to press together and run with patience the race set before us.
Unity will not be attained on any other, more convenient, path.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship (unity) one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 John 1: 5-7
If we walk in the light, John says, but… Where is that light?
It is engaged in illuminating the path of the just; and, therefore, it is the path every believer must travel.
The ‘Check-in’ we all Need
Am I suffering from spiritual S.A.D.? What is my spiritual condition in this season? Is there sunshine or winter in my soul?
- Low-light conditions – Are my regular conversations rooted in faith, hope, and enthusiasm for service?
- Sleepiness during the day – Am I actively working for God ‘while it is day’? Is the service and honour of God my main priority?
- Irritability – To what stimulus am I responding? What is it that moves me? God’s glory, or my own?
- Craving for simple carbs – Is my spiritual taste maturing?
- Loss of pleasure/interest in normal activities for the believer – Do I have a growing enthusiasm for Bible study, prayer and fasting, as well as witnessing for Christ?
All power is in Christ (Matthew 28:18), and He wants to pour out His Spirit upon His people… but not in the groggy, mediocre, disunited conditions that prevail. Fireproof destiny demands a fireproof mindset.
God demands more. “Come up higher” is His constant appeal and, today, we must answer the call.
Our God is Faithful.
Featured Image: eko pramono from Pixabay
RUTHLYN M WRITES 