In the beginning, Satan tempted Eve with the promise that when she ate the fruit of the tree, her eyes would be opened to both good and evil. However, he failed to mention that she and her descendants would be plunged into deep and terrible darkness. This darkness would keep them blinded to the light and the glory of God. This darkness would keep them enslaved to their desires and move them further along their way on the path of destruction. This darkness would wield a power that is impossible for humans to overcome.
We are talking about the spiritual darkness of unbelief. Unlike physical darkness, those in spiritual darkness don’t realize they are in the dark. Instead of seeing spiritual darkness for the evil that it is, all too often it is embraced as good. The prophet Isaiah warned of this danger. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)
We now live in a world where the light of Christ is considered darkness. When we who shine the light face opposition because of that light, it can be discouraging. Yet, it just goes to show the depth of the darkness in which our world lies. Even Christ himself, the light of the world, faced cruel punishment at the hands of evil people. Still, the promise remains.
The darkness will never overcome the light!
When Jesus walked this earth, he faced spiritual darkness all around, and so will we for as long as we live. In the face of such evil, the Lord shared his life and in doing so he brought people out of the dark and into the light. We should not think that the life which Christ gives to us will eliminate the darkness. You can’t take away the darkness, but you can help bring people into the light.
Stop trying to snuff out the darkness and start shining the light!
To me, one of the most amazing things that Jesus said is found in the Sermon on the Mount. “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew. 5:14) When Christ shares his life with us, we light up the world! His life is our light, causing us to truly see, and to shine through us for others to see as well.
The Lord tells us to shine our light. What is this light? It is the life of Christ. It is the life which he offers to anyone who will receive it. This life, by the power of the Holy Spirit, does good works which give glory to God. However, the sad reality is that people are in the dark and can’t see to give glory to God! They are blinded to the truth. So we must help make the connection for them. We must tell people about our life in Jesus.
Jesus is why I do what I do!
The Lord said that his people would be his witnesses in the whole world. What do his people testify to? They testify to the fact that they received life through Christ. By sharing Jesus, they shine the light of Christ to a world that remains in the dark.
The light of the world has come. We have received his light. May it never be said of us that we kept his light in the dark. Out of love and gratitude to Christ, let us testify to his life in us and so shine his light so that others may see. SR
Nate Crandall is the lead pastor of the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Milton, WI, where he does life together with an awesome group of Christ-centered people. In his 26 years of pastoral ministry, he has served churches in Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Nate and his wife, Michelle, have three grown children and a son-in-law whom they love from a distance lately.
Like the article? Read the rest in this month’s Sabbath Recorder here.
