"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all." — 1 John 1:5
Have you ever tried walking in a pitch black room? Our city is the type that experiences power outages on a regular basis. When those outages happen in the morning, there's little trouble. But come evening, the first minute after a power failure is always the most difficult.
Walking in the dark is both dangerous and reckless. In the same way that darkness is a physical challenge, spiritual darkness is an even greater challenge to us. Spiritual darkness is marked by an absence of Jesus Christ. When Jesus is not present in our life, we become like people walking in a pitch black neighbourhood exposed to danger and uncertainty.
Saying that Jesus is light, therefore, is not just a fancy way to put labels on God but a truth that rings with so much substance and significance.
Here are the two ramifications of saying that Jesus is light:
1. Because Jesus Is Light, We Are Rescued From Sin
To be in Christ means being progressively sanctified of the darkness that is present within us. When we walk with Jesus who is light, sin and transgression starts becoming a thing of the past. 1 John 1:6 says that "if we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth."
It is because Jesus is light that we are rescued from the darkness that is our sinful nature. Because Jesus is light, He is the truth that leads us into the right way of living and furthermore empowers us to walk in that way. We don't force ourselves to live the right way to remain in the light, but as we remain in God's light we are consequently brought into the light of righteousness.
2. Because Jesus Is Light, We Have Direction
If walking in the dark is dangerous, driving in the dark is even more dangerous. Driving in darkness does not just expose us to getting into an accident. It also makes us susceptible to getting lost. Just as we need physical light to make sure we don't lose our way, spiritual light ensures that we don't spiritually lose our way.
Psalm 119:105 tells us, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
God's Word—made alive through Jesus who is the Word who became flesh—guides our way so that we have guidance in all areas of our life including careers, finances, relationships or ministries.
