Life in the light

“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5b) Just as oil and water do not mix, however hard we try to blend them, so it is true of light and darkness. Before Jesus embarked on his ministry, John the Baptist was sent as the precursor (advance party) to announce the coming of the Messiah. He was not the light but he came to testify of the light. It is said of him; “He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. The true light that gives light to everyman was coming into the world.” (John 1:7-9) Note the key words here, ‘true light’ to ‘everyman.’ It was not a false light that would lighten our darkness, but a true light, understand the real light, and its target audience was everyman - without exception.

That light came confirming that he was the light of the world. He also revealed he would not be around for long, the reason why those who were around him should seize the opportunity to learn from him. “You are going to have the light a little bit longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:35-36) You could not have had a better invitation from the One who said “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9b) Therefore to be sons and daughters of light we must walk with Jesus. How? Seek him. “Seek him while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

The world is governed by the prince of this world, Satan, who vainly attempted to offer his possessions to Jesus. “Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. “ ’All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ “ (Matthew 4:8-9) Our Lord openly rejected Satan’s offer. “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ “ (Matthew 4:10) Unable to have his way with our Saviour, it is recorded that ‘the devil left him.’ “What fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) None! So we cannot have one foot in each camp and still claim to have fellowship with Christ. A renowned Nigerian pastor never stops saying: ‘A Christian is not a sinner, and a sinner is not a Christian,’ in asking believers to renounce sin. Jesus had nothing to do with the devil. He declared in no uncertain terms “… for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, …” (John 14:30) Our Lord Jesus laid emphasis on the fact that he loved the Father and does “what my Father has commanded me.” (John 14:31)

From the foregoing, we are assured that we also can put up resistance to the deeds of darkness, if we are bent on doing his bidding and not fall for the devil’s lies. I have heard people argue in defence of their evil deeds on the pretext that they are human and therefore are weak. Well, the Bible teaches that when we are weak, Jesus will make us strong, if we believe it possible. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12: 9) Otherwise, it is best to presume that we have been blinded by the prince of this world and taken delight in the pleasures of sin, which sooner or later will destroy us.

When we look around us, we observe that a good many of the practices and ceremonies of secret cults, our numerous superstitions and traditions are wrapped in clouds of darkness. Most occur at night, in pitch darkness, in graveyards, caves or in thick bush. Living in darkness is going the way of the devil, meddling in his playground.The Bible declares: “Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:20) Indeed, light, like spot light, will expose every evil deed and everything shrouded in darkness.

The apostle Paul exhorts us to put away the deeds of darkness and embrace the light, in other words Jesus; because there is no shadow of darkness in him, he who “called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) A child of God has Jesus and his word as “a lamp to (his) feet and the light to (his) path.” (Psalm 119:103,105) We therefore must hold the deeds of darkness in horror.

Paul repeatedly hammers home the point to depart from our dark deeds and choose the light. He urges: “So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:12b) “You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

A local wollof proverb qualifies adults who delight in activities in the dark or in devious deeds as ‘maggi lendem’ - they know who they are even when no one sees them. It is time to quit that zone and choose the light. In the darkness you are bound to stumble; choose to walk in the light. “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one and other, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7)

“For with you (Jesus) is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9)