As you are in the light

1 John 1:5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

My dad likes to take pictures of lighthouses. The one above is on Bodie Island in the Outer Banks. The purpose of a lighthouse is to guide the traveller and to keep him safe from any perils. However, in order for a lighthouse to work, the light must be present and the traveller must pay attention to the light. If the light is not there, the ship is sure to crash and death and destruction are likely to follow. The same is true for the traveller who ignores the light, for he does so at his own peril because the light is evident even in the darkest of nights.

The psalmist in Psalm 104 tells us about God: 2He wraps himself in light as with a garment. Light is an essential part of God's nature, in fact the apostle tells us that there is no darkness at all in God. In the Old testament during the Exodus, God appeared as a pillar of fire to guide the Israelites. It was always before them when it was dark so that they would always know which way to go. The light represented God and His nature, the Israelites were instructed to follow the light, and they would be safe if they did exactly that. This is a beautiful picture of salvation that we can compare to what the apostle is telling us in the verse today.

The heavens declare the glory of God

It is in fact from the heavens that we get the light by which we can see. This light allows us to discern the perfection of God that is revealed in creation. It is interesting to note that without the light, we would be lost and unable to discern anything. The apostle in his Gospel referred to Jesus as the "logos" which is often translated as the "word". This same word is often used for logic and Heraclitus established the term in Western philosophy as meaning both the source and fundamental order of the cosmos. It is only by Him that we can know anything. This light has been given to every man, as Paul tells us: Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. This is how God has revealed Himself to us, in the light by which all other things can be revealed.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

It is by the light of God that has been revealed to us in scripture that we can know the path on which to walk. It is through Jesus Christ, the word made flesh, that we can understand what it means to walk along the path that the light shines upon. His ordinances or divine commands have been laid out in scripture. They are the moral guidelines that we are to walk according to and that we are to follow. It is interesting to note that when something is brought into the light the imperfections are revealed. The same is true for us. When we examine ourselves according to God's Word, our imperfections come to light.

The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear?

This same light that reveals our imperfections leads us eventually to the cross. It is there that all the darkness of humanity has been crushed. It is there that the true light of God has been revealed in His Son Jesus Christ. It is only there in the true light of the cross that we can confess our sins and have them forgiven. For all has been laid bare at the cross. God's holy nature has been revealed in the wrath poured out on His Son. His intolerance for darkness has been confirmed once and for all.

My hope for you is that you recognize the light that is God. My hope is that you will investigate the claims of scripture so that you might see the paths in which you are to walk. But most of all, my hope is that you will allow yourself to be laid bare at the cross and that you will trust in the one in whom God has shown His approval by raising Him from the dead. My hope is that you will trust in Christ for the payment for your sins, for in God there is no darkness at all. I don't know about you, but I need someone else to provide me with light for I am covered in darkness.

Peace, Bruce