Salvation Brings Light To People Who Are In The Dark
Repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation.
22. Isaiah 9:2-3 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
23. Acts 26:16-18 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future. And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among Gods people, who are set apart by faith in me.
24. Colossians 1:12-15 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation.
Walk In The Light Of Jesus
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life .
In this generation, many call themselves the light, but they are counterfeits and cause many people to fall away from God. The light of Jesus Christ doesnt excuse our sins, but instead His sacrifice brings us to a place of repentance with a desire to change the course. Jesus will always lead us in the right direction for Gods purpose.
To Live In The Light Believers Must Continually Discern What Pleases God
and find out what pleases the Lord.
Not only must believers produce the fruit of light, but they also must continually find out what pleases the Lord. Find out can also be translated to test, discern, and approve.5 It was used of testing a metal to see if it was genuine.6
William MacDonald says this about finding out what pleases the Lord:
Those who walk in the light not only produce the type of fruit listed in the preceding verse, but also find out what is acceptable to the Lord. They put every thought, word, and action to the test. What does the Lord think about this? How does it appear in His presence? Every area of life comes under the searchlightconversation, standard of living, clothes, books, business, pleasures, entertainments, furniture, friendships, vacations, cars, and sports.7
Certainly, finding out what pleases the Lord also applies to knowing Gods will in specific circumstances.
InterpretationQuestion: How can believers test and discern if something is pleasing to God or if it is his specific will for our lives?
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Darkness In The Fourth Gospel
“In John’s writings, walking in darkness does not mean committing acts of sin but rather, rejecting God’s message of eternal life through Christ”Those who define darkness as sin also define light as good and righteous. However, in the Gospel of John light is never defined as righteous. Light is defined as life, as seen in John 1:4, In Him was life and the life was the light of men. Those who have faith through Him will have eternal life. This life is a gift Jesus brought from God into a dying world.In John, darkness is present in the absence of light the absence of eternal life, and darkness referring to death, spiritually. Those who walk in darkness do not have eternal life because they are unknown to God. The only way to receive “life” is to be known of the light through God and his promises.
Believers Expose Darkness By Not Even Talking About Things That Happen In The Dark
Believers must wisely not discuss many of the details of events that happen in the darkness. By discussing these, they give life to them and contaminate others with filth.
John MacArthur sheds light on Pauls comment:
Some things are so vile that they should be discussed in as little detail as possible, because even describing them is morally and spiritually dangerous.
Some diseases, chemicals, and nuclear byproducts are so extremely deadly that even the most highly trained and bestprotected technicians and scientists who work with them are in constant danger. No sensible person would work around such things carelessly or haphazardly.
In the same way, some things are so spiritually disgraceful and dangerous that they should be sealed off not only from direct contact but even from conversation. They should be exposed only to the extent necessary to be rid of them.
Some books and articles written by Christians on various moral issues are so explicit that they almost do as much to spread as to cure the problem. We can give Gods diagnosis and solution for sins without portraying every sordid detail.10
ApplicationQuestions: What makes exposing the darkness in a company, a church, or a relationship difficult? How can we do this wisely? Share a time when God called you to expose darkness. How did it turn out?
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The Bible Has A Lot To Say About Darkness In The World
3. John 1:4-5 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
4. John 3:19-20 And the judgment is based on this fact: Gods light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.
5. 1 John 1:5 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.
6. Matthew 6:22-23 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
7. Isaiah 5:20 How horrible it will be for those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn what is bitter into something sweet and what is sweet into something bitter.
How Can We Be A Light To The World Today
Now more than ever, we are called to be lights to a world struggling against physical and spiritual forces like never before. Especially as we currently deal with issues involving our health, identities, finances, and government, our presence as lights for God is so important.
Some believe that grandiose acts are what it means to be lights for Him. But at times it is little acts of faith that most show others of Gods love and provision for all of us.
Some ways we can be lights to the world today include encouraging others during their trials and hardships through phone calls, text messages, or face-to-face interaction. Other ways could be using your skills and talents for the community or in ministry, such as singing in the choir, working with children, helping the elderly, and maybe even taking the pulpit to preach a sermon. Being a light means allowing others to come into contact with that light through service and connection, offering the opportunity to share with them how you have the joy of Jesus to help you through the trials and heartache.
As you shine your light for others to see, you will also see that it becomes less and less about getting recognition for what you have done and more about how you can direct that praise back to God. For if it wasnt for Him, you wouldnt be in a place where you could shine your light and serve others in love to Him. Because of who He is, you have become the Christ follower that you are.
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Archaeological And Historical Research
Biblical archaeology is the archaeology that relates to and sheds light upon the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Greek Scriptures . It is used to help determine the lifestyle and practices of people living in biblical times. There are a wide range of interpretations in the field of biblical archaeology. One broad division includes biblical maximalism which generally takes the view that most of the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible is based on history although it is presented through the religious viewpoint of its time. It is considered to be the opposite of biblical minimalism which considers the Bible to be a purely post-exilic composition. Even among those scholars who adhere to biblical minimalism, the Bible is a historical document containing first-hand information on the Hellenistic and Roman eras, and there is universal scholarly consensus that the events of the 6th century BCE Babylonian captivity have a basis in history.
What Does It Mean The Light Shines In The Darkness And The Darkness Did Not Comprehend It
Many understand the light shines in darkness, as the light of reason, which God gives to everyone, and which might have led them to the knowledge of God by his Providence in the visible world. However the darkness did not comprehend it, since people, blinded by their passions, could not grasp the light of reason.
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What Does It Mean To Let Your Light Shine
The light, referenced at the beginning of Matthew 5:16, is the inner glow we briefly discussed in the introduction. It is that positive change within you that contentment that inner peacefulness that you just cant contain with subtlety or oblivion.
The light is your understanding that God is your Father, Jesus is your Savior, and your path is being led forward by the loving involvement of the Holy Spirit. It is the awareness that what you were before knowing Jesus personally, and accepting His sacrifice, is nothing like what you are now. You treat yourself and others better, as you understand more and more that God loves you and will provide for all your needs.
This understanding becomes evident to us as the light inside you, as the light of thankfulness that Jesus saved you and that you have hope in God to face whatever the day may bring. Issues that seemed like mountains to scale become more like conquerable foothills when you know God is your guide. So, when you let your light shine, it is this blatant awareness of who the Trinity is to you that becomes evident in your words, actions, and thoughts.
Development Of The Christian Canons
Development of the Old Testament canonDevelopment of the New Testament canonSt. Jerome in his StudyJeromeLatinVulgate
The Old Testament canon entered into Christian use in the Greek Septuagint translations and original books, and their differing lists of texts. In addition to the Septuagint, Christianity subsequently added various writings that would become the New Testament. Somewhat different lists of accepted works continued to develop in antiquity. In the 4th century a series of synods produced a list of texts equal to the 39, 46, 51, or 54-book canon of the Old Testament and to the 27-book canon of the New Testament that would be subsequently used to today, most notably the Synod of Hippo in 393 CE. Also c. 400, Jerome produced a definitive Latin edition of the Bible , the canon of which, at the insistence of the Pope, was in accord with the earlier Synods. With the benefit of hindsight, it can be said that this process effectively set the New Testament canon, although there are examples of other canonical lists in use after this time.
The New Testament writers assumed the inspiration of the Old Testament, probably earliest stated in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God”.
Some denominations have additional canonical holy scriptures beyond the Bible, including the standard works of the Latter Day Saints movement and Divine Principle in the Unification Church.
Ethiopian Orthodox canon
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Bible Verses About Opening The Third Eye
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! | Matthew 6:22-23
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. | Genesis 32:30
For more details about the third eye and trance states check out some of the related articles.
Christian Quotes About Light
To secure ones freedom the Christian must experience Gods light which is Gods truth. Watchman Nee
If you want to give a light to others, you have to glow yourself.
Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.
Be the light that helps others see.
Though the light shines on things unclean, yet it is not thereby defiled. Augustine
Christ is the true light of the world it is through him alone that true wisdom is imparted to the mind. Jonathan Edwards
To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust him in the darkthat is faith. Charles Spurgeon
With Christ, darkness cannot succeed. Darkness will not gain victory over the light of Christ. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Sin turns ugly and is subject to defeat only when seen in the light of Christs beauty. Sam Storms
In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who dont. Blaise Pascal
We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we wont need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses dont fire cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine. Dwight L. Moody
The way, like the cross, is spiritual: that is an inward submission of the soul to the will of God, as it is manifested by the light of Christ in the consciences of men, though it be contrary to their own inclinations. William Penn
Glory in Christ and you can bask in His light forever. Woodrow Kroll
It is the Gospel that can translate you from darkness into light.
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We Are To Walk As Children Of Light In This Dark World
Note two things:
A. To walk as children of light, we must be children of light .
Paul does not say that we used to be in the darkness, whereas now we are in the light, although this is true . Rather, he says that we used to be darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. Being children of light implies that this profound change comes from Gods power in the new birth. It is an act of His creative power. Just as He at the first created light out of the darkness, so now He has changed us from being darkness itself into being light in the Lord.
Most of us have had the experience of visiting a cave where the guide turned off all of the lights for a few seconds . You cant even see your hand in front of your face. For a few awful seconds, you realize what it would be like to be totally blind.
Paul says that we formerly were darkness. We were spiritually blind. We not only didnt see Gods glory and truth, we didnt have the ability or desire to see such things. We didnt sense our need for the Savior, because we thought we were good enough to go to heaven and we didnt understand the absolute holiness and justice of God. So we lived entirely for ourselves and our own pleasure, avoiding the thought of death and eternity.
B. Being children of light, we must walk as such in the midst of this dark world .
. If we walk as children of light, we will be good.
. If we walk as children of light, we will be righteous.
. If we walk as children of light, we will be people of truth.
Walk In The Light To Keep From Stumbling
For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life .
When we walk in the light of Jesus Christ, we dont stumble in sinful choices. We are compelled by the light to recognize and resist the temptations of the flesh. Our decisions to walk away or to walk towards sins will have an effect on the brightness of the light in our lives.
Theres a presence of God in those who walk in the light.
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Walk In The Light To Have Right Relationships With Others
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin .
Constant conflict, backbiting, and strife cant survive in the light. Only those who consistently walk in the light of Christ can enjoy fruitful and loving relationships. The fellowship and love that we have for the people of God is revealed as the light shines from within. We no longer stay committed to an unforgiving nor unloving attitude because the light wont tolerate it.