1 John 1: 5-9 NKJV
There is a common fact of life that many people know, and yet many don't. This is the truth that one cannot know the extent of something unless they have experienced the opposite of what it is they are seeking. From light and darkness to bitter and sweet, we cannot truly see something without first experiencing its opposite. Can we not more fully appreciate kindness after being exposed to wickedness? Will we not much more appreciate warmth after being exposed to the cold? Growing up on the shores of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota I am pretty darn familiar with cold weather. So much so that to this day I consider any Oregon winter temperature above 40 degrees to be a heat wave! Of course, it wasn't until I moved to Oregon and it's moderate climates that I fullt appreciated just how cold my former home state was. I had seen the opposite of warmth. It is in 1 John 1 where we see this truth applied to our heavenly Father. Here the apostle John relates to us two extremes, light and darkness. For we know that our Lord is indeed light, and in Him is no darkness. However, John also mentions those who "Walk in darkness." Of those who walk in the darkness he claims to "Lie and do not practice the truth." If God is the light, then what is the darkness that John speaks of? Well, going by the law of opposites, if our Lord is the light, then Gods direct opposite would be satan.
"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
John 3: 18-21 NKJV
Here in John 3, Jesus explains the concept of light and darkness. Jesus associates those who do good as being in the light. Of course, the opposite of light is darkness, and this is reserved for those who practice evil. Again we see, God is light while satan, his opposite, is darkness. So, how can one appreciate the light without first experiencing the darkness? Of course, this is just the point where all who know Christ once were. Therefore, we can also assume that those who have not known Jesus have known that darkness. We know the light, for scripture tells us that God is the light. If Christ is in us, therefore, we know the light. Of course, we can say that the darkness came upon us at tthe fall. For until that point, all that Gods creation had known was the light that was God. This was all good, in fact I would have prefered that we perhaps never would have had that darkness introduced into our lives. However, as is usually the case, God had a prefect reason for all He did. As I've mentioned, how could one appreciate the light without first experiencing the darkness? Would we not have better appreciated our Lords love, grace and mercy without experiencing the darkness which came at the fall? If we had never known sin, how much less would Gods love seem to us? For if all we knew was our Lords love and fellowship, as Adam and Eve did, then would we fully appreciate that love which sent Jesus to the cross for us?
But God demonstates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 NKJV
We should know, that is due to Gods love for us that Jesus came and gave His life for us. We, who at one time had chosen the darkness over the light, were loved so dearly by our Lord that he went to great lengths to bring us once again into the light. Gods intention was never to keep us in the darkness of sin, but that we should know the light. Gods love overcame the darkness.
~Scott~
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