John 3:16-36
Friday, 09 December 2022
“The light has come into the world………” – John 3:19 [CEV]
Living in the 21st century, its hard to imagine a world without light. When the natural light of the day from the sun dims, the artificial lights are turned on in our streets and houses. When such light also fails, we make provision for some light, as most of us dread darkness. Yet most people living in the world, fail to realize that they have chosen to live in “darkness”- most of which are “hideouts” in justification for sinful ways of life and rejection of the truth they have heard or known. Our reading points to how God will judge people on how they have responded to the LIGHT that has come into the world!
Jesus declared, “I am the Light of the world” (John 8:12). He is the true light, who gives light to everyone (John 1:9). After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), the darkness of sin came into the world and the whole world now lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19). Those in darkness needed this: “…to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God...” (Acts 26;18) Jesus came as the Light of the world to point the way back to God!
John 3:16&17[NLT] says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” God’s love reached to man to save him from darkness and the dominion of the evil one so he would not eternally perish in his sin but receive eternal life through Christ. That’s the good news! Yet we find two categories of people in their response to God’s Light:
· People who loved darkness (Vs.19,20): Their deeds are evil. They hate to come to the light, lest their deeds are exposed. They have chosen to reject the way God has provided though it is plain to them!
· People who loved the light (Vs.21): They have accepted the truth and joined themselves to the Light. Their deeds are done in God and so they are clearly seen in the light. Jesus the light has shown them the way forward.
We would have been eternally separated from God because of our sin hadn’t God sent His Son as a ransom for sin. Death and darkness of hell would have been our portion if He did not come to our rescue. As John 1:4 says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Jesus’ life and words brought life to us so that we would be set free from the dominion of sin and eternal death. Col.2:13 [NLV]: “When you were dead in your sins, you were not set free from the sinful things of the world. But God forgave your sins and gave you new life through Christ.” This is God’s offer to those who come to the light!
Dear friend, where do you stand today in relation to the Light of the world? Are you still groping in the darkness of sin, unable to find a way to be set free from the shackles of your sinful life? Or are you the kind who refuses to come to the Light, thinking the dark hideout of sin will be a cover forever? As written in vs.18, there will one day be a Judgment when the deeds of darkness will be exposed in front of the light of Christ. Remember, on that day, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”(v.36)
Come to the Light- Jesus Christ and let His life be your light from today on!
Prayer: Open the eyes of my heart, Lord Jesus that I may see Your light and receive Your life! Amen.
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