Let There Be Light

Can you believe it?  Only 25 days until CHRISTMAS!!!  It's hard to imagine.  Time seems to go by so quickly.  Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent.  We notice this normally by the Hanging of the Greens.  Churches opt to decorate for this Sunday.  But, what does "Advent" mean?  Well, it means "coming".  It refers to the coming of Jesus.  That's what, or rather, who this whole blog is about.  Jesus.  Name above all names.  He brings joy to the whole world.  

Genesis 1:1 says "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  What is important about this verse is that Jesus was there in the beginning.  John 1:1-2 tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God."  Jesus was right there with God the Father when the world was created.  

But then, in Genesis 1:3, God says, "Let there be light..."  Without light the world would have remained dark.  What kind of world would that be?  Can you imagine living in a world of darkness.  If you think about it, our life is nothing but darkness until we receive Jesus in our life.  Without God, our life doesn't have purpose.  It's just dark and without meaning.  When we give ourselves to Christ, we find our purpose, to Glorify Him.  

Have you ever heard the Christmas song "Let There Be Light".  If you haven't, take a listen.  And, if you have, listen to it again.  This season, Let There Be Light in your life.  

Let There Be Light by Point of Grace

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The Light

John, the last living disciple, wrote this first epistle to a group of Christians who were facing false teachings.  We don't really know which group, but we do know that he was familiar with them.  Gnosticism was gaining ground.  What is Gnosticism, you ask?  Gnosticism is a complete contrast to what Christianity is.  It was the most dangerous heresy of the first century.  It taught that salvation is achieved through special knowledge.  It's a little too complicated for this discussion though.  This letter was really to give his readers the basics about faith in Christ.

1 John 1:1-2 states "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us".  John was telling his readers that he was a witness.  He saw Jesus with his own eyes, witnessed His miracles, saw him crucified and even witnessed his reappearance after the resurrection and touched him then.  He was an eyewitness!   

John goes on to describe Jesus as light.  1 John 1:5-7 says, "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.   If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.   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 cleanses us from all sin."

Jesus is light.  Light is Truth.  Therefore, Jesus is Truth.  This is the message of Christ that John heard.  He is a truth of hope and joy.  With Christ there is no darkness.  Darkness is full of threat and is dangerous.  This, again, doesn't mean Christians will not have problems or trials.  It does mean that Jesus is with us in whatever trials we face.  And in the end, if we have Jesus, we will live in eternity with him.  That is the hope and joy that we should carry around with us.

What about the darkness?  What does that mean "walking in darkness"?  I think it means being a person of hate, being controlled by the things of the world, living sinfully and never being remorseful for it, and being controlled by power or prestige.  Does this describe you?  You can change that.  You can become a person of love.  A person who is full of light.  John tells us that if we have the "blood of Jesus", we can be cleansed "from all sin."  We can walk in the light.  We can be the light for others.  

This reminds me of the hymn "Trust and Obey".  I know you've heard it.  It says this:

When we walk with the Lord   In the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way;   While we do His good will,   He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.
	Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus,   But to trust and obey

See that?  It says the His Word is Light.  And if we trust Him, he will abide with us and his glory will light our way.  He will be the light on the dark pathways of this dark world. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for this message today.  In a world full of darkness, you are the light.  Thank you for sending Jesus, your precious son, to cleanse us from our sins.  I pray that if anyone that is reading this doesn't know Jesus as their personal Savior, that they will ask you for forgiveness and ask you into their heart.  Shine your light on them today.  Father, I ask that you forgive me when I've not been the light that I was supposed to be.  Help me, Lord, to share the hope and joy that your love brings.  In Jesus name, Amen.