Articles
God Is Light - 1 John 1:5
God Is Light - 1 John 1:5
Some time ago I read a little book called "A World Lit By Fire" that explained how different the world was before we had light bulbs and electricity. It was a dark world indeed. Such a world is totally foreign to us born in the 20th century. Such darkness may have been the very basis of the light / darkness contrast that is so prevalent in the bible.
Darkness is the power of Satan and the ways of the world. The world lies in darkness. "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil" (John 3:19).
God is light and in Him is no darkness. (1 John 1:5). God's word is a light unto our path (Psalm 119:111) and His words give light and impart understanding (Psalm 119:130).
Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5). He is the "light that shines in the darkness" and is "the true light, which gives light to everyone…" (John 1:5, 9).
Paul claimed that he was sent with the gospel message "to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me" (Acts 26:18). When we obeyed the gospel we were translated out of the power of darkness and into the kingdom of God's son (Col. 1:13). We are now children of light (Eph. 5:8; 1Thess. 5:5). We are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1Pet. 2:9). We are then to walk IN the light (1John 1:7). We are to let our light shine so that God may be glorified (Matt. 5:14-16).
This little light of mine – I'm going to let it shine… let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hugh DeLong
