God is Light!

In the next few weeks, we are going to look at who God is. God is One God made up of three Persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In their book “Sozo Saved/Healed/Delivered,” Dawna De Silva and Teresa Liebscher remind us that we need to have a personal and intimate relationship with each Person of the Godhead because each Person of the Godhead provides specific needs, i.e., protection and identity from the Father, communication, and companionship from Jesus, and comfort and instruction from Holy Spirit.¹ How we steward our relationship with the Godhead determines how powerfully we will live the Christian life. We are going to start with Father God this week; God is light.

In the very beginning, God spoke light into existence during creation, and He separated the light from the darkness (Genesis 1: 3 – 5). He is called the Father of lights (James 1:17). There is no darkness in Him at all (1 John 1:5). We are to walk in the light as He is in the light so that we can have fellowship with Him. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth (1 John 1:6 – 7).

What does it mean that God is light? We can see from these Scriptures as well as others that truth and light are comparable when we look at God. He is true  (1 John 5:20; 2 Samuel 7:28), and His Light reveals the truth. God’s Word is truth and brings light (Psalm 119:105, 130, 160; John 17:17), and He reveals deep and hidden things (Daniel 2:22). God is the source of all that is good and true.

For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. Psalm 36:9 (NKJV)

Jesus is the living Word of God, and His life was the Light of men, but because men walked in darkness, without the truth, they did not comprehend it  (John 1:1-5). Spiritually blind people are living in darkness. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going (Proverbs 4:19; John 11:10)!

“He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 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 and does not come to 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.” John 3:18 – 21 (NKJV)

God is light (Psalm 104:2), and Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Jesus came to the earth to represent the Father and to show us who He is. When Jesus said, “I Am the Light of the world” (John 8:12), it was rooted in His relationship with His Father. In the same verse, Jesus said that whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

Apart from Jesus, we live in darkness. We can’t see who we are or understand the world. When we walk in the true Light, we will not walk in spiritual darkness but, in truth, receiving eternal life through Him, and have the assurance of salvation.

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 on them. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NKJV)

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NKJV)

The sinful path is the dark path. We are to stay away and not to walk in darkness. God’s Word brings light to show us where and how to walk (Psalm 119:105; 130).

From those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked. Proverbs 2:13 – 14 (NKJV)

He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 John 2:10, 11 (NKJV)

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them for it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:” Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:11 – 14 (NKJV)

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV)

How do we walk in the Light? As true followers of the Light, we repent of our sin to stay close to Him (1 John 1:5-7). It is the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son that cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7 – 9). Jesus died once and for all to pay the penalty for our sin. He was the sinless Son of God.

When we receive Him as Savior, we repent and ask Him to forgive our sins. Our sinful nature has died (Romans 6:6), our spirit is reborn, and we inherit a new nature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

However, our soul and body are not regenerated. We still struggle with sin in the flesh and need to repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness daily. We are to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed, abides in him, and he has been born of God (1 John 3:9).

Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever. 1 Peter 1:23 (NKJV)

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. Ephesians 5:8 – 10 (NKJV)

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:15 – 21 (NKJV)

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Or what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV)

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13:12 – 14 (NKJV)

The apostle Paul tells us to stay away from those called brothers and sisters in the Lord who are sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner – not even to eat with such a person (1 Corinthians 5:11). Bad company corrupts good habits; 1 Corinthians 15:33). We are in the world but not of the world, and are not to love the things of the world (John 17:14-16; 1 John 5:19; 1 John 2:15-17; Philippians 3:20).

When Jesus walked in this world of darkness, there was a perfect contrast between Him and all who were around Him. His life and ministry revealed the light of His presence. He didn’t have to put on the armor of light because He is light. He is both light and life (John 8:12; 11:25; 14:6).

His light illuminates, guides, and shows us the way. It keeps us on the right path and reveals dangers. Jesus was the light of the world while He was in it (John 9:5). Now we are the light of the world. We are not supposed to hide our light under a basket but put it on a lampstand. It is to be set on a hill so that everyone can see it and come to the light  (Mathew 5:14-15).

Arise, shine, for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1-2 (NKJV)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death; upon them, a light has shined. Isaiah 9:2 (NKJV)

We are not to hide the light but to walk in it so that others can see it and come to it (Acts 26:16-18). It is God’s light that exposes. Whatever we have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight (Luke 12:3). We are called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13).

The church is supposed to reflect the light of the Gospel. However, there is spiritual darkness and ignorance in the church today where people are ruled by legalism and religious doctrines and traditions. Many don’t believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or that healing is for today, and limit the power of God. Spiritual ignorance is not knowing and understanding how the kingdom of God operates and how to work with His angels. Spiritual darkness and ignorance keep us in the natural, physical realm rather than operating in the supernatural!

Even though we can see that the world is getting darker, as believers, it is our job to dispel darkness and to be the light Jesus called us to be to this world!

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

References

¹ De Silva, Dawna, and Liebscher, Teresa. (2016). Sozo Saved/Healed/Delivered. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: Destiny Image® Publishers, Inc.