Dispelling Darkness

Don’t you just hate curly questions? You know the ones to which I refer. They put you on the spot. They make you feel uneasy. Your brain scrambles with the constant egoistical message, “C’mon dude! You’re a smart man. You can answer this!” Yet all that flashes before your eyes is something akin to that wretched web error: “Http 404 page not available!” In an instant, I am once more back at school and standing in the corner.

As perplexing and humbling as the “curly” question is, sometimes it has a great benefit. If we will lay our egos aside for just a moment, we will realise that the curly question may be a blessing in disguise. If we are willing, the curly question becomes to us Alice’s rabbit hole or the Pevensie’s wardrobe – it becomes a portal to a journey of discovery!

One such curly question came to my attention via a visiting missionary. He related how he had once been asked by a tribesman, “Where does the darkness go when the light is turned on?” I can imagine the surprise the missionary felt. Here you are to teach people concerning the Bible and you end up with a question that would puzzle most physicists.

Yet, the question has merit. I have found myself pondering this question from time to time. The more I thought about it, the more I saw that it was a profound question; the answer to which had far reaching implications. It brought to me a perspective on obedient Christian living that was life affirming, but which also shook me to the core.

You see, as Christians we are familiar with the conceptual use of light and darkness as parallels of good and evil. What is not apparent to most is that the statement just made is indeed false. Yes, it is what most Christians perceive. However, that perception is an error.

What do I mean? Simply this. It is a mistake to view the Scriptural use of light and darkness as just an analogy for good or evil. When we diminish these concepts to a mere analogy, we rob these concepts of their veracity and potency. In Scripture, light and darkness are not simply concepts used for illustrative purposes. They are real, powerful, inherent forces.

In other words, the Biblical authors were not at a script writing session discussing, “Okay. God is good. Satan is bad. What can we use to illustrate this concept?” As the discussion continues they stumble upon a correlation between good and light. “Aha!” the lead writer exclaims, “from now on good will be conceptualised as light and evil as dark!”

The reality is that evil is darkness and darkness is evil. Just as good is light and light is good. In Scripture, both are seen equally as inherent forces. They are, in a sense, tangible, palpable, intrinsic entities to be reckoned with.

To bring this issue into sharp relief, we need to think here in terms of antithesis. The basic presupposition of every Christian is, or at least should be, God is! This forms the building block for every piece of theology. God is. All that opposes God is not God, from God, or a part of God. God is infinite; the not God, finite. God is eternal; the not God, temporal. God is immutable; the not God, changeable.

This antithetic relation is also seen when viewing light and darkness. John says: “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Note what John does not say. John does not describe God as light, similar to light, or like light. No, God is light. Consequently, darkness has no part in His essential nature.

James brings out this same dictum when he refers to, “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). Whist this text seems difficult, at first, its intent is extremely clear. God is understood in the plural (lights) as emanating a perfect light from multiple sources. The effect of this light emanating from multiple points is to eliminate every shadow.

Think here of a sports match under lights. Given the state of the light and the limited position of the light towers, it is not uncommon to see four or five distinct shadows following each player. Imagine now the same game, but with more towers, betters lights, and, in particular, light from above and below. Now, the perfect light eradicates every shadow. No matter where the player moves, shadows are an impossibility.

The perfection of this light and its intensity is also shown to us when God is described as He “who dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16). The truth of this is borne out by other Biblical texts.

Consider the events surrounding Moses encounter with Yahweh. Moses wanted to meet God face to face. In Exodus 33:18-23 we read the following exchange: “Then Moses said, “I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Here, Moses asks to see Yahweh’s “glory”. Yahweh says, “No!” Instead, Moses is granted permission to only see Yahweh’s “goodness”. Even now, with this limited grant, Yahweh still insists that he shall hide Moses in the Rock and cover him with His hand until He has passed by. Then Moses will be granted a look at Yahweh’s back. What was the result of this encounter upon Moses? He shone. Moses was, in essence, irradiated by the light of Yahweh’s presence.

We read of a similar type of event in the New Testament when Jesus confronts one Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Acts 9:3 states, “And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” When Paul relates this story to King Agrippa, he describes it in these words, “At midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me.”[1]

These accounts serve to show how intrinsically light is allied to the being of God. This connection is not just that of an analogy for the purpose of explanation or illustration. It is far more. It is in essence, ontological.

This fact is borne out by John. When he opens his gospel he begins with this ontological antithesis. Jesus, God’s Son, the very nature of God, [2] comes to the world and is light. The world, fallen and rebellious – the not God—is darkness. Jesus mission is to liberate His people who are lost or bound in darkness by drawing them into the light.[3] That light is God. Yet, it is also to draw men to Himself, for Jesus is God.[4]

This truth is also borne out when we look at some further statements of Jesus and events surrounding His life. Jesus is establishing a Kingdom. That Kingdom is life and light. It is so because the King of that Kingdom is nothing less than Life and Light: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”.

Consequently, when a parallel is draw, and the focus falls upon those barred from the Kingdom, we see them described as being cast into darkness. Indeed, all those who rebel against God are said to be in darkness.

• [The unfaithful Israelite] shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12).
• Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13).
• And cast out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30).
• For whom the black darkness has been reserved forever (Jude 13).[5]
• These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved (2 Peter 2:17).[6]
• And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day (Jude 6).

We must also take note of that peculiar event that took place as Jesus hung upon the cross dying. All the writers of the Synoptics tell us that the land was darkened from the sixth to the ninth hour.[7] Interestingly, the darkness did not descend when Jesus died, but as Jesus was dying. As the life drained from the Light of life, so darkness encroached. The symbol of God’s judgement came to the fore to show that His wrath was being poured out upon Jesus.

The potency of this statement is that darkness came at the precise time of noon. At the time when the sun should burn the brightest, it was snuffed out. What better cosmological testimony, to bear witness to the truth of Scripture, than to have the one created source of our light and life extinguish at the same time that Jesus, our eternal light and life, was being extinguished by God because He carried the sin of His people.

At this point many things could be said and need to be said about the wonder of Jesus’ death as life for His people. We need to understand His great substitutionary atonement. However, it is beyond the scope of this article to do so. For now, we need to focus upon the light and darkness. Jesus was light. God’s judgement, darkness. When Jesus fell under God’s just judgement, when Jesus was forsaken by God, the light failed and darkness enveloped the inhabitants.

When Jesus died, the light returned because the penalty had been paid. The debt owed had been repaid. God’s people had light and life once more. The true power of this fact had to wait until resurrection morn when Jesus arose from the dead. In essence, we still await its fullness in Jesus’ second coming. Yet, we have been given hints.[8] Note that when Jesus was transfigured His garments shone with exceeding brightness (Mark 9:3). On resurrection morn, the two Marys were confronted by an angel, whose “appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as snow” (Matthew 8:23).[9] Then, when Jesus ascended, He is once more accompanied by two men in “white clothing” (Acts 1:9).

In short, we are given glimpses leading up to Jesus’ death, at Jesus’ resurrection, and at His ascension, that light is the dominant order of the Kingdom. This is put beyond doubt when we read in Revelation 4:5: “And from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Note here the emphasis upon light in this text as it focuses upon God’s throne.[10] More importantly, we must note that the term for the “flashes of lightning” seen proceeding from the throne is the same term used to describe the Angels in Mathew 28:3 and Luke 24:4.

The brightness or radiance of God is therefore a tangible aspect that is reflected in those whom He possesses – His angels and His saints.

Okay. What, then, is the practical application for us?

Well, to answer this we need to return to the curly question? What happens to the darkness when light appears? The simple answer is that light dispels darkness. Light dissipates darkness.

However, more needs to be said. Imagine that you stand in the opening to a room. Before you is a thin veil to prevent leakage. The room is full of water. Suddenly, a large volume of air is pumped into the room. What would happen? You would get wet, very wet. You would be engulfed by one element as it was displaced by another. The same would happen if we reversed this process. This time you would feel a rush of wind.

Now for the challenge! Stand in a doorway in the dark. Flick the light switch and …! What did you feel? Any elements rush by? Did you feel the darkness running from the room? Did you find it hard to move around the rest of the house because there was now an extra room full of darkness spread out in the other rooms? Did you hear the darkness complaining as it moved passed your ear canals: “I wish they’d make up their minds. I was just getting comfortable and now I gotta shift!”

No, you felt nothing and you heard nothing. That is because the light dissipates the darkness by eliminating and overcoming it. We can think here of the space age ray guns. Unlike Captain James Tiberius Kirk, our ray guns are not set to stun, but to disintegrate. We are out to atomise and vaporise – even though these terms are in themselves inadequate descriptors.

When the light shines, darkness is overcome. It is dispelled. In the presence of light, darkness simply vanishes. It is destroyed and replaced.

This leads us to the “So what” of practical application.

Christian, strap yourself in! It is time for shock and awe!

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus gives His people a bit of a job description: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Wow! Shock and Awe. Jesus is not the light of the world. You are! Okay, Jesus is the light of the world, but so are you, His blood bought disciple. The consequence of being Christ’s disciple is that you are the light of the world. You are not as light. You are not like light. You are the light of the world. This light cannot be hid. It must shine. It must illumine. It must overcome the darkness. So says Jesus!

Just as Jesus is one with the Father, so we, as Jesus’ blood bought disciples, are partakers of the Godhead. We become as our God. We become lights. Our essential nature becomes one of light. We are, as it were, luminaries of and for Christ, the eternal Son of God.[11]

This constitutes the “Awe” part of “Shock and Awe”. What a great blessing it is that God has so completely saved us that we are left awestruck and pondering the statement of John: “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1). We are! We are the children of God through Jesus Christ! Mind blowing; yet beautiful and wondrous.

Now comes the “Shock”. How should we then live as God’s children? What does it mean to be the luminaries of God’s family? What burden or obligation does this place upon us?

Many modern Christians will simply not like what comes next, but it must be said. Many will agree that the world is dark. I have spoken to a number of Christians in recent times who are of the opinion that the “end is nigh”, based on the ungodliness of our time and culture. Yet, almost to a man, they have had no idea of their responsibility as light bearers.

The simple fact is that the world will always be the world.[12] It will always be a dark, smelly, putrid place, full of death and dying until Jesus makes all things new.[13] The ungodly will never be Godly apart from Christ. The point of this is that the Christians of our day tend to circle the wagons and then sit around the campfire moaning about the darkness in the world. Well, wake up people! Who are the lights? You are!!! If it is dark, shine!

If the word is dark it is because we are abandoning our God given task to “let our light shine.” It may be worth noting the imperative at this point. We could, and probably should, translate this text as “Shine your light before men!” It is not an option. We are light bearers by nature, by consequence of our newness of life in Christ. They only way that we can fail to shine is by deliberately choosing to veil that light – when place ourselves under a container.

Consequently, the pertinent question is, “Are we veiling the light of Jesus Christ?” The further question is, “Are we aiding the ‘deeds of darkness’[14] by failing in our task to provide an all pervasive and prevailing light to this world in Jesus name?”

How do we veil the light? Simple. We drift into sin. We begin to judge right and wrong by a measure of our own making rather than by God’s revealed Law-Word. We even abandon the idea of right and wrong by adopting a false view of God’s love. We enter upon practices that seem good to us, by our measure and our standard, but which are frowned upon by God.[15]

We slip in this direction because we have given up on reading God’s word. We no longer say with the Psalmist, “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Rather, we have become enamoured with pragmatism and the theory of “what works”. We have fallen in love with the concepts that the World has taught us. We are concerned to comply with the latest law of the civil magistrate in regard to our operation and worship, but we will not heed the dictates of Almighty God on these same subjects.

Why is this? Sadly, it is because we have lost the object of our love, Jesus Christ. We have allowed the rank individualism of our age to fill our senses with the heady aromas of autonomy and thereby lead us from Christ. Man fell precisely because he thought of glory for self before glory for God. Unfortunately, we are tainted still with that trait. Even as Christians, we are tempted to follow the dictates and desires of self rather than the dictates of God.

This penchant has resulted in us desiring our own glory and happiness above that of our Christ. Therefore, we adopt practices in worship that make us feel good and we then feign and project our acceptance with God. We rearrange our family to fit what is most appealing to me and my needs, and then invoke the name of the latest guru to justify our action. We capitulate to the demands of the world for tolerance and equality and comfort ourselves in the knowledge that God has told us to love everyone.

When the wheels fall off and we are faced with a crisis, what is our reaction? ‘Oh, the devil made me do it!’ ‘The world has encroached. They are insidious.’ ‘Oh, the church did not help my family.’ Yes, we are back in the Garden. Having believed the lie all over again, we resort to the same inane finger-pointing as did Adam and Eve.

It is time for us to “Man up!” It is time to accept that we have sinned against the One Holy God of heaven and His blessed Son, Jesus. It is time to confess before God that we have been disobedient and that we have hid the light of Christ through unfaithfulness. It is time to reject the error and tear down the false idols we have erected. It is time, in true humility, to genuinely repent of these sins and turn away from all that does not glorify God. It is time to turn back to God’s word and earnestly implore Him to teach us, through the Holy Spirit, of His standards, precepts, and law. It is time for us to accept God’s word as our only standard, to accept it willingly because it is God’s word, and to echo Christ’s words – My food is to do the will of Him who sent me (John 4:34).

If we are concerned about the darkness then we must shine. That is our task. That is our nature as God’s children. If our light is hindered it is because we have forgotten our first love and have begun to crawl under a basket. I implore your brethren, by the mercies of God, repent and shine.

There is a modern chorus that contains the words, “Shine Jesus Shine”. Many sing it with gusto. However, does it make an impact? The song needs more emphasis upon the fact that we are Christ’s light bearers. Yet, in fairness, it does contain the lines, “As we gaze on Your kingly brightness. So our faces display Your likeness. Ever changing from glory to glory, Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story.”

The point is that we should not just be asking Jesus to shine. We should not just be asking Jesus to “Shine on me”. We should be asking Jesus to shine with the full radiance of His brightness through us. This is the weakness of this chorus. It is individualistic and “me” centred. “Jesus, shine on me!” No. no. Jesus, please shine through me! Jesus, please shine through your people! Jesus, make us into the luminaries of your nature! Jesus, use us to dispel the darkness! These should be our prayers and pleas before the throne of grace.

Brethren, we are the light of the world. Our God-given power is that we can eradicate darkness through our Christ-like lives. It is ours, not to curse the darkness, but to eradicate it. It is ours to disintegrate both its power and presence.

Again, my friends, please think about this one fact. If we are surrounded by darkness, it is we, the children of God, who are at fault because our light is not present so as to overcome the darkness. We are failing in our task to illuminate this world for and with Christ.

Where does the darkness go when the light comes? I do not care where it goes. I am happy that the Christ-light dispels darkness. I am happy that righteous lives dispel darkness. I am happy that Jesus righteousness replaces the works of the Evil one. I am happy when darkness is gone because it means that God’s people are obeying their God and living in the brightness of his countenance.

Brethren, why do we let the darkness pervade our land and our lives? Do we love Jesus so little that we will not surrender all to him for His glory and the glory of our Father? Do we love Him, who gave His all, so little that we will not give up certain pleasures for His honour? Is not Jesus, the very essence of Wisdom, worth our being wise in the making of ethical decisions that will glorify His name?

May we all ask ourselves the sobering question, “Am I letting my light shine before men so that my Father in heaven is glorified by the watching world?”