And this is the message we have heard from Him and are informing you, that God is light, and darkness in Him there is none. If we should be saying that we are having fellowship with Him and should be walking in darkness, we are lying and are not doing the truth. Yet if we should be walking in the light as He is in the light, we are having fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, is cleansing us from every sin.
1 John 1: 5-7, Concordant New Testament
I had an acquaintance mention this week that she has noticed that she feels a lot of low energy and depressed moods during our cold and rainy Oregon winters. It seems only logical to me. I mean, the sun brings light, warmth and energy. Who dreams of sitting on the beach in the rain? So, it is totally understandable that people would feel the negative effects of rain and brooding clouds. We rarely associate darkness with anything good. Think about it, most of the horror movies you see are dominated by scenes at night. Comedian Bill Cosby used to say that after dark was when the monsters came out. Even now, as an adult, I get uneasy in the night. When we look at the news, the majority of the crime occurs at night. See where I'm going here? There may still be a good portion of the population who, for one reason or another, is afraid of the darkness. Look at Satan, what is he often referred to as? The prince of darkness! So, we can associate the darkness with monsters, crime AND Satan himself. Well, since the darkness cannot be avoided too well, what are we to do? What are we to do when the dark clouds come and cover our life? Simple, turn on the light. I'm not talking about a light switch here, but the one true light of the world. We're told that God is light {1 John 5:5}. We're also told that Jesus is the light of the world {John 1:4-5, John 8:12}. It is common knowledge that light drives out darkness, and that in light there can be no darkness at all. As believers, this is our answer to the darkness of the world around us. In Christ, darkness will never flourish.
In the beginning was the word, and the word was towards God, and God was the word. This was in the beginning toward God. All came into being through it, and apart from it not even one thing came into being which has come into being. In it was life, and the light was the life of men. And the light is appearing in the darkness, and the darkness grasped it not.
John 1: 1-5, Concordant New Testament
There are many passages in scripture which speak to us about those who walk in the light {John 8:12, John 12:35}. Therefore, if we are walking in Christ Jesus, we are indeed walking in the light. If we are walking in the light, the darkness of the world cannot flourish in us. Now, let me make something clear here before I'm skewered once again by a few detractors. We can walk in the light, and fully realize that we are walking in the light, and still have dark clouds around us. The difference being that we KNOW that we have the light of the world within us. There will still be rainy seasons. The darkness will continue to come before the dawn, but as believers we carry with us the light of the world. What is depressing about the light of Jesus within us? Nothing! On the contrary, the light of Christ should be uplifting to us. Knowing in our hearts that we now walk in the indwelling Jesus {Galatians 2:20}. As believers, we are walking in the light. And we know that there is no darkness in the Father {1 John 1:5}.
Again, then, Jesus speaks to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who is following Me should under no circumstances be walking in darkness, but will be having the light of life."
John 8: 12, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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