Would you say that our world is a good place? Is it full of light, or is there more darkness?
A couple of weeks ago, an angry cab driver killed 12 people and injured 25 more in a shooting rampage. Australian soldiers were recently killed in Afghanistan in a war that’s been going for 9 years now – that’s more than half of some of your lives. And that's just the beginning.
It was God who at the very beginning said “Let there be light” as he created this incredible universe out of nothing; out of the darkness. God made a world that was good, and he made us to rule over it and to enjoy relationship with him. So if God is so good, and was able to speak light into the darkness at the beginning, then why not now? Why is there so much darkness today?
Two thousand years ago, the Bible says Jesus came as the light of the world. John 1 says, Jesus shone light into the darkness of this world, but the darkness didn’t understand it (John 1). Jesus said that through him light has come into the world, but that men love darkness instead of light. Why? Because their deeds were evil. If you’re honest with yourself, you might sometimes prefer darkness over light too. When it’s dark, we think we can get away with being selfish, and we get worried that if the light comes, we’ll be exposed.
So what happened to the light of the world? He was wrongly accused and put to death on a cross. And as he died, darkness came over the land for three hours in the middle of the day. It seemed like darkness had won. But three days later a woman named Mary got up early in the morning, while it was still dark, and went to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. The stone was rolled away, and instead of squinting to see inside the dark cave she had to squint because of the light. An angel whose clothes shone like lightning said to her: “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen!” (Matthew 28).
That changes everything. Darkness didn’t win. Light won. The light of the world conquered the powers of darkness. Yes our world is a dark place, people die and life can suck, but now we have a choice: are we with Jesus the light of the world, or are we still in darkness? And how do we know which side we are on?
1 John v6 says that 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, purifies us from all sin.
What does walking in the light mean?
Well it can’t mean always doing the right thing, because we just can't do it! In fact, the next verse says If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Instead, walking in the light means admitting that we have stuffed up and we need forgiveness, and then asking God for help to do the right thing.
So don't stay in the darkness, step in to the light today.