Men Loved the Darkness
Credit: Chris Liu-Beers, unsplash.com
Forces of light & darkness are converging on the world & clashing like never before. Can’t we all just get along? 😉 Why the tension?
Then I read this passage today (via Lance Wallnau, who is kind of the man!):
“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” ~John 3:19
Wow, this Scripture explains so much… but what is ‘the Light’ the world dislikes so much? Jesus Himself gave us the answer:
Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~John 8:12
The #1 reason our world despises Jesus – using His name to curse rather than to bless others (God’s intended use) – is because people don’t want to be exposed by His light. By definition, dark and light can’t coexist. One drives out the other. And those pursuing darkness don’t want it to dissipate; they want to continue down their highway to hell, not realizing that’s where they’re headed.
This helps us understand why some people vehemently oppose us, His followers. We bring His light into the world, and some people don’t want that kind of illumination. Our hope for them is this:
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.~Isaiah 9
It can and has happened before. People can ‘see the light’ and embrace it. But how can they SEE Him who isn’t walking this earth anymore?
We must LIVE IT. We just must be willing to guide them to the truth, not simply with our words but also our LIVES. This is how we bring God’s light into the world and expose the deeds of darkness.
Credit: Morgan Sessions, unsplash.com