“This is the verdict:
LIGHT has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives by the TRUTH comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
John 3:19-21
LIGHT is associated with truth. We know that we are living in light when we have nothing to hide. We know that we are living in light when what we have done is done in the sight of God, fully aware of His presence.
DARKNESS is associated with evil. We know that we are living in darkness when the fear of being exposed exists. We know that we are living in darkness when we live by hiding away from the sight of God.
People living in darkness hate the light.
Jesus did not come to condemn sinners because sinners’ deeds done in darkness already condemn them for what it is: evil deeds can only be carried out in the context of defiance of God with refusal to acknowledge and respect God for who He is: His deity, His existence, His holiness and His supremacy.
We often read such teaching to judge others. But actually such teachings are good measures for self realization in identifying all residual of darkness that still lives within us:
- Is there any relationship, any conduct, any thought pattern, any word out of my mouth that I fear being exposed?
- Am I hiding from people about my true self, of who I really am, by avoiding intimate relationships and by keeping people at a distance?
- Do I tune God out of my awareness such that what I say and do and think is conducted completely without regard for who He is?
- Do what I really think differs from how I portray myself externally?
As long as we have any residual of darkness within us, we are victims of Satan’s manipulations because we have given him a foothold. The Evil one fully exploits our fear of being exposed and strips us from tasting any abundance, freedom, hope and joy. Instead, he pins us down to live a life like a walking-dead.
Subject our heart’s darkness in Jesus’ light by living in His presence: let Jesus deliver us from self-centerness, pride, jealousy, greed, lust, addiction, bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness…The only way out of darkness is to embrace the Light that can only be found in Jesus’ salvation a day at a time. Living a life style in the Light means to:
- Confess the helplessness of delivering ourselves out of darkness with our own will and strength. Such confession ends any denial and pride.
- Cry out to Jesus: tell Him that we can’t save ourselves and invite Him to deliver us from the helpless state of darkness.
- Proclaim His promise of deliverance in faith: start living in the light and tune in to the supernatural changes that are taking place. Start acting out His Word as reality regardless of how we feel. Our feelings and our experience will catch up with His Word because His Word must come to pass in time.
- Give testimonies: tell others and give God glory for such transformations.
- Stop isolating ourselves: build fellowship in Christ in order to make ourselves accountable to one another.
Darkness perpetuates and cannot help itself. Jesus is the Light and Light has authority over darkness. When Light shines upon darkness, darkness has to flee instantly without a fight.
Please also read: Let LIGHT take over DARKNESS
Do you have a transformational experience of how Jesus’ light make the darkness of our world flee? Please share in your comment!
