John 12:46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness
God is light and Jesus is the express image of His light. With faith the size of a mustard seed, the smallest of seed, He will come in and help us even with our unbelief. What is required of us to carry out His will in our lives and the lives of others? Micah 6:8
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. The New King James Version
God’s hand in our lives is only restricted by us. He only goes where He is invited but He is always near to those who call on Him. Sin separates us from God but in our turning away from sin He is ever ready to shed His light in our lives. In God alone we have peace and without Him the world walks in darkness. Truth and justice are far from the thoughts of mankind and without God in our lives we are without protection. In Christ alone, the Word of God made flesh, is our hope.
Romans 1:28-32 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
If we shut God out of our life He will leave us to our own deceptions.
Titus 2:11-13For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
The grace of God appeared to all men in the salvation Gift in Jesus. We are to live our lives in sober expectation of His glorious return.
Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We need the whole armor of God to be able to stand in the evil that is always trying to destroy our faith in God and salvation in Jesus the Christ who is our only hope. The Shield of Faith is our strongest weapon. Carla
Genesis 1:1 starts with the moment of creation and moves forward to the creation of humanity. John 1:1 starts with creation and contemplates eternity past. The fact that the Word was with God suggests a face-to-face relationship. In the ancient world, it was important that persons of equal station be on the same level, or face-to-face, when sitting across from one another. Thus the word with indicates a personal relationship, but also implies equal status.
The Word, Jesus Christ Himself, is an active Person in communication with the Father. Moreover, the Word was God. The word order in Greek shows that the Word was “God,” not “a god.” This is a straightforward declaration of Christ’s deity, since John uses Word to refer to Jesus. The Word was of the very quality of God, while still retaining His personal distinction from the Father. Neither the Person of Christ, nor His Sonship, came into being at a point in time. Rather, the Father and the Son have always been in loving fellowship with one another. God the Father created the world through God the Son (Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). All creation was made through Him. Thus He is the Creator God.
Note that life is not said to have been created; life existed in Christ. Humans are dependent on God for life. Our existence, spiritually and physically, depends on God’s sustaining power. In contrast, the Son has life in Himself from all eternity.
The life, Jesus Christ, is also the light of men. This image conveys the concept of revelation. As the light, Jesus Christ reveals both sin and God to humans ( Psalm 36:9). Later in this Gospel, Christ declares Himself to be both the life and the light (8:12).
Death and darkness flee when the life and light enter. The dead are raised and the blind receive their sight, both physically and spiritually. Christ entered this dark world to give it spiritual light (Isaiah 9:2). The word translated comprehend can mean (1) to take hold of; (2) to overpower; or (3) to understand. Therefore, this verse may mean that darkness did not positively take hold of or understand the light, or that darkness did not negatively overcome the light. Both statements are true. Humans did not appropriate or understand the light, nor did they overtake or overpower it.
Although Satan and his forces resist the light, they cannot thwart its power. In short, Jesus is life and light; those who accept Him are “sons of light”. As the creation of light was the beginning of the original creation so when believers receive the light, they become part of the new creation (2 Corinthians 4:3–6). The NKJV Study Bible
John uses Genesis 1:1–5 to establish the “Word” as a preexistent agent of creation present with Yahweh from the beginning. This exegetical technique resembles a method of Jewish exegesis called midrash. A midrashic interpretation typically begins with a text from the Pentateuch and explains it through allusions to a text from the Prophets or the Writings. John begins with a quotation that invokes the context of Genesis 1:1–5 with its imagery of creation by divine word and opposition between light and darkness. His interpretation centers on the Word as Creator and bearer of divine light. Genesis 1:1 and Proverbs 8:22 both use the Hebrew word reshith (usually translated “beginning”), and the larger context of both passages is God’s creation of the universe. In making this connection, John states that Jesus existed prior to the first acts of creation. God’s Son isn’t an act of creation, but the means of it. It is all the more dramatic, therefore, that the one through whom all of creation came to be has become part of the creation.
John makes Jesus the very power and essence of God. The Word was with God testifies to the distinction between God the Father and Jesus while emphasizing the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son. The Word was God shares the same character, quality, and essence of God. John’s phrasing preserves the distinction between God the Father and God the Son while emphasizing their unity in all other regards. The Word is the source of life, both physical through the creation of all things and spiritual.
For John, Jesus’ ability to grant life to those who walked in “darkness” or “death” is the key issue at stake. Jesus has the ability and authority to do so because He was there in the beginning when God’s creative works took place. John uses the words “life” or “eternal life” as technical terms much like the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) use “kingdom of heaven” or “kingdom of God”. “Life” denotes salvation, the state of reconciliation, and access to the presence of God. John alludes to the initial act of creation involving light (Genesis 1:3) and invokes the association of light with divine glory (Isaiah 60:19). Light is often used in the Old Testament as a metaphor for salvation and spiritual awakening. Faithlife Study Bible
1 John 1:1–2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
John 3:19 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.
Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.
Rich is not about what we possess. Or own. We’ve turned wealth into a way to objectify stuff and relationships, predicated on having, possessing and preening.
Rich is about the real connections that expand our life and give us value.
Rich is about the connections that promote the value of love, empathy and compassion and encourage us to struggle against what is artificial, mechanical and cold. Sabbath Moments
…thousands of years after God created light, He sent Light into the world in the form of His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from ultimate darkness. Just as Psalm 119:105 says "[God's] word is a lamp to my feet," John 1:1 tells us Jesus is "the Word" Himself!
With this in mind, let's remember we are in a daily battle as darkness is trying with all its might to overcome Christ's light. Satan will even go so far as to disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Thankfully, if we can recognize Satan when he tries to show up as counterfeit light in our lives, then we can call him out on it and reach for the true light of Jesus.
So how do we tell the difference? If something looks like light, how can we know if it really is?
To tell if something is truly light, we hold it up to the Light of God's Word. First5
No comments:
Post a Comment