The Light of Life

The exact date of Jesus’s birth is not known, and occurred somewhere around 5 BC. It is believed that after the Roman emperor Aurelian made December 25 into a celebration of the “Invincible Sun” to mark the winter solstice (AD 274), the Church chose that date to celebrate Christ’s birthday to appropriate that festival time. Certainly the solstice would be an appropriate time to mark the arrival of the Light of the world into the darkest day of the year.

There are about 80 references to light in the New Testament. Many of those refer directly to Jesus.

“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… The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:4-5, 9).

“The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19).

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

“The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matt. 4:16).

God’s first act in creation was to speak light into existence: “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). When Jesus died on the cross, “the sun’s light failed” (Luke 22:45). Then of the new earth to come, we are told, “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” (Rev. 21:23).

Scripture also refers to our responsibility to live in the light:

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).

“But 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” (1 John 1:7).

“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” (Matt. 5:16).

One of the reasons we decorate with lights at Christmas is to remember the arrival of the Light of the world. Jesus came to expose our sin, redeem us from eternal death and darkness, and enable us to share His light with the world. Let there be light!

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

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© 2023 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Light in the Darkness

We’re living in dark times. The world is broken by sin, filled with suffering, conflict, and difficulty. Life is exhausting, particularly in a year of constant uncertainties. Everything requires extra mental energy because nothing is routine right now. It feels like we’ve all been going full tilt for about ten months straight.

Darkness is nothing new. It’s been part of the world since Genesis 3. But even in the judgment of the first sin, there was a promise of light to come through the Messiah: “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15). The many Messianic promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled when Jesus was born. The Apostle John wrote of Jesus, “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… The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:4-5, 9).

The light continues to shine in the darkness. The darkness will eventually be vanquished, but right now it seems all too prominent. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Everyone who knows Him has the light. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

Now we as the Body of Christ are reflectors of His light to the world. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:14). May we all walk in the light each day so that we “may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).

“The Lord is God, and He has made His light to shine upon us” (Psalm 118:27a).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Out of the Darkness

“He brought me out into a broad place; 

He rescued me, because He delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19 ESV).

I read this verse last night and saw it in a new light. Usually when I’ve read it I’ve thought to myself, “I hope that will be true one day.” The cares and pressures of today often leave me looking for a way out of what feels like a narrow valley. But as I looked at it from a bird’s eye view I thought about it a little differently.

Looking back over my life, and particularly the last few years, I can see many examples of ways that God has rescued me and brought me out into open spaces. He’s lightened heavy burdens; He’s brought freedom from some areas of sin and fear; He’s opened doors for honesty that I never imagined. He’s torn down many of the walls I had built to protect myself—walls that restricted me more than I realized. Today I am in a much broader place than I have been before.

In a very real way, God has rescued me from myself. But from an even higher perspective, He has also rescued me from the enemy—from sin and death. As Paul said, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). We have been rescued and made citizens of a new country full of light and open places. I was reminded of the scene from Pilgrim’s Progress when Christian journeys through the Valley of the Shadow of Death in pitch darkness:

“Now, morning being come, he looked back, not out of desire to return, but to see, by the light of day, what dangers he had gone through in the dark. So he saw more perfectly the ditch that was on the one hand, and the quag that was on the other; also how narrow the way which led betwixt them both. Also now he saw the hobgoblins, and satyrs, and dragons of the pit, but all afar off; for after break of day they came not night; yet they were shown to him according to that which is written, ‘He showeth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death” (Part 1 Chapter IV).

The valley is dark and full of dangers, but the road ahead is wide open and brightly lit.

But perhaps the best part of Psalm 18:19 is the ending, “because He delighted in me.” God rescues and delivers us not out of pity or obligation, but out of delight. That is almost incomprehensible to us if we’re honest. There’s not much within us to make us “delightful,” but God sees something we can’t. Jesus endured the cross “for the joy that was set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2), and that joy was in the salvation of the children of God.

So I’m reading Psalm 18 differently these days and seeing how God is continually at work rescuing us and bringing us out into open, safe places. Although God doesn’t always deliver us the way we want or expect, there are probably many “little” rescues that we aren’t even aware of. Other rescues happen so gradually that we don’t see them unless we are specifically looking. And then there is the eternal rescue that has been transacted and will be fully realized in eternity. That one makes it worth it all.

“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Pinpoints

Awhile back I was walking in my yard after dark and in the grass I saw a tiny little point of light. I turned on my flashlight and poked around and decided it was coming from a glowworm larvae that was about a quarter inch long. The glowing part was only a little dot on one end. It was quite amazing to think that something so small could catch my attention in the dark.

This world that we live in is getting darker all the time with legislation, politics, terrorism, persecution, etc. Things are getting progressively less comfortable for Christians. It’s not hard to bear the name of Christian when we’re in the majority or at least are respected. It’s easy to be a light in a light world. It’s not so easy when even the tiniest light draws hostile attention. Yet that is exactly what we are called to do: “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” (Matthew 5:16 ESV). Obviously the people who see us will not all give glory to God, but our actions should glorify God regardless of how others react. His approval should be all that matters.

Paul wrote, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). That comes in the midst of a whole chapter about persecution, affliction, and perseverance. The psalmist said, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes” (Psalm 119:71). Affliction is the fire that refines our faith. Many who once claimed to be Christian will no longer do so when it has negative consequences. Others who have been on the fringes may accept that God’s way is the only way and their light will shine that much brighter.

With some of the statements being made by prominent Christians in recent weeks, defending positions that are incompatible with Scripture, I mourn the fact that their lights have grown dim. They claim to represent Christ and His Word, but they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. They are no longer glorifying God as a light shining in the darkness because they are indistinguishable from the world and they are leading people away from the truth.

Scripture has a lot to say about the light, walking in the light, and the judgment that will come against those who walk in darkness. For example:

• “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
• “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their works were evil… But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (John 3:19, 21).

We who belong to God need to be careful to guard against error, deception, and compromise, so that our light will shine more brightly as the darkness around us grows.

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true, and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.