Jesus Enlightened the World

What Did Jesus Do?

Jesus Enlightened the World

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world,
and people loved the darkness rather than the light because
their works were evil.
John 3.19

Jesus came to rescue those who “dwelt in a land of deep darkness” (Isaiah 9.2), and to liberate those held captive by lies (see John 8.32). The contrast could not be sharper—light vs. darkness, truth vs. lies—black and white. The judgment will separate the lovers of light from the lovers of darkness (John 3.19-21). All who come to the light will be saved, all who remain in the dark will be condemned. There will be no gray area.

To inhabit a gray area is to either step from the light towards the darkness, or to come only part way towards the light from the darkness. Gray areas are all about indistinct shadows and fuzzy borders. In the judgment all shadow will be banished forever, and the demarcation between salvation and condemnation will stark and eternal.

One cannot be partly saved or mostly saved. One either comes into the light where one's works can be clearly seen, or one hides in shadow or remains in utter darkness, the better to conceal one's sins. Except there is no concealing sin, all will be exposed (see Mark 4.22; Luke 8.17).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3hkmFu1JCM

Thus, there is no room for ambivalence, no gray area, about Jesus. We either do wickedness, and hate the light, or we do what is true and come into the light (John 3.20-21). A lot of people are sadly mistaken in not taking Jesus seriously, believing that they can somehow maintain some kind of neutrality on the matter of who Jesus is. Either we believe he is who he claimed to be, whom the Scriptures testify about, and whom the Holy Spirit reveals, or we do not. Believers come into the light and abide in the light, while non-believers embrace the darkness. It could not be more black and white.

The author of the fourth Gospel later penned these words:

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 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.
1John 1.5, 7

So, where do we dwell? In darkness? Or in the light? Jesus enlightened the world. If he doesn't light up our life, make no mistake, there is only condemnation and darkness. If our surroundings are looking rather gray it's time to start to walk in the light, it's time to come to Jesus.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4