Tonight is going to be different because I strongly believe it is time for me to get back to writing. I've been hiding in the dark for a long time now and I don't like it. It made me feel sick that I've only placed the Light of Christ in the cupboard of my life this past year.
I haven't finished my series on Mary as the mother of God, but I will have to do that some other day. Tonight, I am compelled to write about the way the world deals with the Light of Christ that is in every redeemed believer.
The Bible tells us in John chapter 3 verses 19-21 the following:
"19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
When God sent His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, He brought LIGHT into this dark and fallen world. That light paves the way to the narrow path that leads to life everlasting. However, we know clearly that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 8:28) and this is why the world LOVED DARKNESS rather than light. The world's deeds are evil and the Light of Christ exposes just that.
One of the lingering questions I have from some of my Christian sisters is the question why a certain person in their life continues to hate them no matter what they do. It doesn't really matter if they show grace for every moment, or try to live peaceful lives, there are certain people in their lives that writhe at the idea of having them around! It's quite disturbing even in some of their marriages where the husband is a professing christian and remains just that--"professing."
It's never easy for a bible-believing, God-fearing woman to live with a man who isn't really saved, and continually finds fault in her. I've seen my female Christian friends brokenhearted for YEARS because of the fact that their husbands act more like an enemy than a spouse.
It's the way the world acts around believers. Just as Jesus Christ explained that the world WILL hate His followers, you see those who are of the world feel all the anger and turbulent emotions inside that are simply bitterness and hatred toward Christians. Why such hostility? Because, the Light of Christ could actually HURT them.
Have you ever noticed that when you stay inside a very dark room and your eyes have accommodated to the darkness long enough that when someone flicks a bright light ON it will make you quickly squint? It's because the brightness will hurt our eyes once we are too accustomed to the dark.
When direct or reflected light, like sunlight reflecting off of snow, gets to a certain intensity (4,000lumens or so), our eyes cannot absorb all of the light. We squint because the glare causes actual discomfort!
That's basically what happens in the spiritual realm when the Light of Christ shines brightly from the life of a believer. Those who belong to the darkness of this world, who are very accustomed to the ways of darkness and sin, will find the brightness of Christ offensive. They simply love darkness and will hate you for bringing the light of Christ with you!
Every sin is usually done in darkness... done in hiding, and the world loves it that way. John chapter 3 tells us that those who love sin REFUSE to come to the Light! They simply refuse to get themselves accustomed to brightness and they refuse to learn to LOVE the Light.
That, dear friends, simply amazes me, because by nature we are all sinners and love every dark nook and cranny of this world. We love sin and we hate the light and could NEVER naturally come to that Light by our own will. It is but the GRACE of God that one gets drawn to that Light of Christ.
I love how verse 21 of John chapter 3 said that those that "doeth truth cometh to the light." "DOETH" in this particular verse is ποιέω (poieō) which means to perform, to do, to act. And "TRUTH" is ἀλήθεια (alētheia) which means what is true in any matter of consideration. This same word matches that of the Truth spoken of by Jesus in John 17:17 when He prayed to the Father...
"Santify them through thy TRUTH: THY WORD IS TRUTH."When Jesus prayed this prayer for His disciples and the rest of the people who will come to Trust His Name for salvation, He was asking the Father to set apart a people using God's Word which He himself established as (the) Truth. It is that which is TRUE in ANY MATTER OF CONSIDERATION!
Those in darkness who will receive the Grace of God will eventually be set apart from the rest of the world of darkness. Only then can one person learn to love the Light of Christ Jesus. Only then will His light become MAGNIFICENT instead of appalling.
One thing that is clear to me, though, is the fact that God has made available the TOOL for anyone to find that Grace. That tool is God's WORD which is the ultimate source of Truth in this life.
Anyone in the dark who will open up God's Word and soak upon it WILL FIND THAT GRACE THAT WILL LEAD THEM FROM DARKNESS TO CHRIST'S LIGHT!
Anyone who does not love God's Word will find Christ's light in every believer disturbing. They will squint, they will squirm, they will complain because they do to want to be subjected to that brightness.
Got someone you know who loves the darkness and finds Christ's light in you offensive? Pray for them and share God's Word. It is only through that tool that a mind that loves darkness be cleansed and renewed to move toward the Light the shines on the narrow path that leads to eternal life.
Be encouraged, beloved! God bless your journey with strength and perseverance for His glory!
