Light in Our Darkness

 

Monday, February 22, 2021

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.  He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.  By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.  But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.  (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.  God saved you by his grace when you believed.  And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:1-10

This Scripture passage stops me like two trains heading in opposite directions, colliding, dead on the tracks.  There is something about the stark contrast of darkness interrupted by light which demands our attention and awe!

The light which is so bright is the same presence that knocked Saul to his knees, changed his direction from opposing God to serving God with every ounce of strength for the rest of his life, and made him a new man with a new name, Paul.[1]

This light is God’s grace, something of which none of us humans deserve.  Those created by the hand of God, are responsible, accountable to God for our actions in this life we’ve been given.  But all of us fail to pass that test.  In so-doing we cast darkness into God’s creation, a stain on what was formed in perfect goodness.  In modern terms, we trashed God’s good stuff. 

The prophet Isaiah put it this way:

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.  We have left God’s paths to follow our own.  Isaiah 53:6a

Nearly a thousand years later Paul, still fresh from his encounter with the Light, would echo what Isaiah lamented:

As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one.  Romans 3:10

Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles agree, our darkness is like a curtain drawn on our whole existence, refusing God’s light.  And the apostle John said we like it that way:

God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.  John 3:19b

Oddly, right in the middle of John’s shocking statement, is God’s grace…despite our darkness God still sent the Light, Jesus Christ.  And, as Isaiah, and all the other prophets, apostles, and followers of Jesus throughout the ages, have said:

…the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.  Isaiah 53:6b

This is light, not just in our darkness, it is light covering our darkness, chasing our darkness from  creation, consigning darkness to the abyss, and promising that our eternity will be in the light, never again to experience separation from the source, the very throne of God.  Those who have walked in great darkness will behold, and live in a greater light!

For You Today

Just like when lightning crashes across the sky, the love of God can light up your life.  He said so…with arms outstretched on a bloody cross.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com    Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

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[1] See Acts 9