A glimpse into God’s plan.
Darkness is the default state of everything
Genesis 1:1-2 (NASB95) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
The Bible opens with darkness being over everything. God created the heavens and the earth, and it was all covered in darkness. From this we can see that the default state of everything is darkness.
In the first two verses of the Bible we are also introduced to two persons of the Holy Trinity - God and the Holy Spirit.
Light redeems out of darkness
Genesis 1:3-5 (NASB95) And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
God’s next step was to introduce light into the darkness, and he did that with intention. And he called the light good.
God uses light to redeem his creation out of darkness. Everything that God creates is another act of redeeming the darkness of the universe into the light of His kingdom. It’s another sign of God’s intention and will.
Jesus is the light
John 1:1-9 (NASB95)In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
I believe that the light that God called forth in the third verse of Genesis 1 was Jesus.
John tells us that the Word, Jesus, was in the beginning and that in Him was the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
So, in the first three verses of the Bible we are introduced to the 3 persons of the Holy Trinity - and we also see their specific roles being defined.
God - the Father - is the creator and director of all things. The Holy Spirit covers everything that God created. And the Light - Jesus - is the redeemer of everything that God the Father created.
Jesus is the light that redeems
John 8:12 (NASB95) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Jesus is the redeeming light of the universe. His light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it. God’s redemptive plan for this darkened universe began when he said “Let there be light,” and it is fulfilled in Jesus who is the light.
It’s not that God created only evil and darkness and then stopped there. Instead you have to realize that He is still working on His creation. Creating the physical things were done in a matter of days. Ever since then He has been building and refining the spiritual things - particularly the spiritual parts of us - who He created in His image.
Righteousness is light
Proverbs 4:18-19 (NASB95) But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
Light and darkness are analogous in the Bible to good and evil.
And if we think about the world being covered in darkness and having light shone into it, doesn’t life sometimes feel the same - like it’s covered in evil with only the occasional goodness shone into it. And, if you think about it, life on earth has always been this way.
Even in our own hearts and minds. Doesn’t it just seem so much easier to be sinful than to be righteous. Like watching TV instead of reading the Bible, or checking social media instead of praying. It’s as if we’re immersed in temptation every day, and we have to intentionally cry out to Jesus - “please Lord, let there be light in me.”
It’s as if sin is our default state and comes easily, and we have to constantly fight for the light of righteousness.
If we get lazy, or complacent, or comfortable then our lights dim until they go out completely.
We must be willing not to just walk in the light, but to carry it, stoke it, and even fight for it.
And by fighting for it I mean fighting for it in our own hearts. Getting up and doing the thing we could easily put off or ignore. Giving up on comfort, becoming disciplined, moving forward with the purpose of shining God’s light in the world.
You are the light
Matthew 5:14-16 (NASB95) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus is the redeeming light, but through him we are also lights in the world. If we want to overcome the darkness in our own hearts we have to intentionally do the things that God wants us to do. When we do what God wants us to do we redeem a part of the darkness for God by spreading his light into yet another corner of the universe.
To let evil overcome us we have to do very little - in fact the less we do the more likely we are to be overcome by evil. But to be righteous takes intention, persistence, diligence, and courage. We have to fight for it. And it’s worth fighting for.
We are God’s creation, made in his image, and so we are also made to be lights in the world. Our work is to believe in Jesus, the source of light, and shine His light into the darkness of the world, redeeming it for the kingdom of God.
Being light takes energy, so we must put forth energy and intention to the work of shining light into the darkness. If we do not put forth energy, we do not shine any light.
What does it mean to shine God’s light through us into the world?
God does not call us to a life of ease, comfort, and pleasure. He calls us to a life of discipline, honor, and sacrificial love.
We are the light of the world, but being light does not come easy. It takes work and it can be a struggle.
Your attitude determines your brightness
Luke 11:34-36 (NASB95) Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”
We have concepts of the heart being a focal point of our emotions, and we say things like “He has a good heart.” We also have concepts of our stomach being a focal point of our intuition or courage, and we say things like “trust your gut,” or “he has guts.”
In the culture of the New Testament times, the eye was another one of those organs that had concepts associated with it, but these were concepts of the intellect or attitude. They viewed the eye as the gateway that knowledge entered through. And we still have some of these same concepts now when we say things like “that’s my point of view,” or “look at it from a different perspective,” or even “he looks at life through rose-colored glasses.”
When Jesus talks about the eye being healthy or bad, I think He’s really talking about your attitude. If you’re pessimistic and negative then your eye will be “bad” and the light in you will be darkness,” but if you are optimistic and positive the light in you will be bright.
So, if the light in you is darkness - or pessimism - will you ever be able to experience and share the love and hope that Jesus gives us? Instead, let your attitude, your perspective, be one grounded in the love, peace, joy, and hope of Jesus - and from that will spring all sorts of good. You will be a person that others want to be around instead of one they avoid, and that will give you all the opportunities you need to shine your light in the world.
God’s plan is to eliminate darkness
Revelation 21:23 (NASB95) And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.
Revelation 22:5 (NASB95) And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever.
God’s plan started with all darkness and no light, and ends with all light and no darkness. God created the heavens and the earth and they were cloaked in darkness, and since then God has been redeeming his creation out of darkness through light. Everything that God creates and sustains is intended to add to the redemptive light of his kingdom. We work for his glory, and every work that we do is a work of faithfully shining his light into the world.
So I think God has clearly revealed His plan for His creation to us in the Bible.
The first page of the Bible started with everything in complete darkness, and the last page of the Bible ends with everything in complete light, and everything in between is the story of God redeeming His creation out of darkness and into the light of His glory.
Go and be a lamp, shining the light of God’s glory into the darkness of the world around you. And trust in God that one day there will not be any more darkness at all.