“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all” (1 John 1:5).
Have you ever been in a condition of pitch black; where you could not see your hand in front of your face? It is definitely an unsettling feeling. The absence of light is pitch black or complete darkness. Likewise, because God is light, the absence of God is darkness.
One of the characteristics of light is it reveals. When you shine a light on an object in the darkness, it reveals the object’s position and traits. Jesus is the light of the world. In Jesus we see the revelation of God the Father. “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God,…” (Hebrews 1:3a).
Another characteristic of light is it directs. When you shine a flashlight ahead of you in the darkness, you discover the best path to take in an environment of many pitfalls. Jesus not only reveals the character of God to us. He also, through his lifestyle and teaching, gives us direction.
His life reveals us the way we are to life in world that lives in line with a darkened understanding. Paul describes this. “With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:17-19).
The absence of light is darkness. Jesus informs us that just as He was the light of the world when He walked on earth so now His followers are His light in a dark world. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-16).
In a world of increasing darkness and an increasing pressure to follow its way, we must let the light of Christ shine through us; not to blind people but to reveal the true character of Jesus and His life. It is His life in and through us that brings conviction of sin and the revelation of the need of a Savior. If the light dims so does the conviction of sin. Let the light of Jesus shine through you today!