Light of the World

By Mark Farquharson

The world is full of darkness, I am not talking about at night time when the sun is not shining. I am talking about spiritual darkness. When Christ came to the world, He explained that He was the light.

John 8:12 Again, then, Jesus speaks to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world. He who is following Me should under no circumstances be walking in darkness, but will be having the light of life." {CLV}

John 12:46 I have come into the world a Light, that everyone who is believing in Me should not be remaining in darkness." {CLV}

Jesus is the Light of the world. Those who follow him should under no circumstances be walking in darkness, but will be having the light of life." Those not following him, will stay in the darkness.

John 12:35-36 Jesus, then, said to them, "Still a little time the light is among you. Be walking while you have the light, lest the darkness may be overtaking you. And he who is walking in the darkness is not aware whither he is going." As you have the light, be believing in the light, that you may be becoming sons of light. These things Jesus speaks, and, coming away, He was hid from them." {CLV}

Jesus was informing the disciples that He was going to go away soon, but they still had the light a little time. Jesus warn them that the darkness could over take them. Believers have to walk in the light, lest the darkness over take them. They have to believe in the light, that is believe in Christ. The ones believing in the light will become sons of light. Those still walking in the darkness are not aware of whither they are going.

Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city located upon a mountain can not be hid. Neither are they burning a lamp and placing it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it is shining to all those in the house. Thus let shine your light in front of men, so that they may perceive your ideal acts and should glorify your Father Who is in the heavens. {CLV}

Believers are the light of the world, as is Christ. Believers should not hide away their light, but should let it shine in front of men. This is so that they can perceive your ideal acts and will be drawn to the Father and glorify him. When believers are called they have light, but the light of a number of believers goes out over time. They are lead away from the light and back into the darkness, their light goes out.

1John 2:9-11 He who is saying that he is in the light and is hating his brother is a liar and is in darkness hitherto. He who is loving his brother is remaining in the light, and there is no snare in him." Yet he who is hating his brother is in darkness and in darkness is walking, and is not aware whither he is going, for the darkness blinds his eyes." {CLV}

1John 1:5-7 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and are informing you, that God is light, and darkness in Him there is none." If we should be saying that we are having fellowship with Him and should be walking in darkness, we are lying and are not doing the truth." Yet if we should be walking in the light as He is in the light, we are having fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, is cleansing us from every sin." {CLV}

“God is the light, and darkness in Him there is none.” Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is in the light, many are in the darkness. Yet if we should be walking in the light as He is in the light, “the blood of Jesus, His Son, is cleansing us from every sin."

In Ephesians 5:6-17 there are warnings for believers.

Ephesians 5:6-10 Let no one be seducing you with empty words, for because of these things the indignation of God is coming on the sons of stubbornness." Do not, then, become joint partakers with them, for you were once darkness, yet now you are light in the Lord." As children of light be walking (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), testing what is well pleasing to the Lord. {CLV}

Believers are the light, but once they where in darkness. They should not be seduced with empty words. Believers are warn not to be come joint partakers in the coming indignation. That is believers could become joint partakers, if they where seduced by empty words.

Ephesians 5:11-13 And be not joint participants in the unfruitful acts of darkness, yet rather be exposing them also, for it is a shame even to speak of the hidden things occurring, done by them." Now all that which is being exposed, by the light is made manifest, for everything which is making manifest is light." {CLV}

Believers are not to be joint participants in the unfruitful acts of darkness, yet rather be exposing them. If they are participants then they would be going back to the darkness that they had come from.

Ephesians 5:14-16 Wherefore He is saying, 'Rouse! O drowsy one, and rise from among the dead, and Christ shall dawn upon you!'" Be observing accurately, then, brethren, how you are walking, not as unwise, but as wise, reclaiming the era, for the days are wicked."{CLV}

Rising here from among the dead is not talking about a physical resurrection here. Christ described those who did not believe as being dead, even thou they where physically alive. That is spiritually they where dead. Here the drowsy one is to awaken, from among those who are spiritually dead. That is a spiritual awakening, at which point Christ shall dawn upon you. The brethren are to be walking not as unwise, but as wise.

Ephesians 5:17-21 Therefore do not become imprudent, but understand what the will of the Lord is." And be not drunk with wine, in which is profligacy, but be filled full with spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing music in your hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to our God and Father, being subject to one another in the fear of Christ." {CLV}

They are warned here not to become imprudent. Thus believes can become imprudent, their light can go out and they can go back into the darkness. Believers should understand what the will of the Lord is. They should not be drunk with wine, in which is profligacy, that is showing low morals and being wasteful. Believers should “be filled full with spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing music in your hearts to the Lord.” As a believer you should Always be giving thanks for all to our God and Father.

The Chosen Sheep

However there is a select group, that have been chosen by God, who are predestine, who will not be going back to the darkness, they will not be lost.

John 10:26-30 But you are not believing, seeing that you are not of My sheep, according as I said to you. "My sheep are hearing My voice, and I know them, and they are following Me. And I am giving them life eonian, and they should by no means be perishing for the eon, and no one shall be snatching them out of My hand. My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to be snatching them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father, We are one." {CLV}

Those who are not of His sheep are not believing and are not following him. Christ’s sheep are hearing His voice, He knows them, and they are following him. He is giving His sheep life eonian, that is life in the next eon, while the rest of mankind will be experiencing the second death. Christ will not lose anyone that God has given him, and He is the Ideal {Good} Sheppard who finds every lost sheep.

However those who are called, but not chosen will become imprudent, they will be walking as the unwise, they will lose their light and go back to darkness.

However the fact that the chosen will not be lost, is not an excuse to put you light under the bed, and go party with your unwise friends. If you think it is, then you may indeed be one of the unwise ones yourself. That being the case you will end up in the Lake of Fire, and while it will not be forever, it is not a holiday camp.

John 3:18-21 He who is believing in Him is not being judged; yet he who is not believing has been judged already, for he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God." Now this is the judging: that the light has come into the world, and men love the darkness rather than the light, for their acts were wicked." For everyone who is committing bad things is hating the light and is not coming to the light, lest his acts may be exposed." Now he who is doing the truth is coming to the light that his acts may be made manifest, for they have been wrought in God." {CLV}

Most of the people in the world love the darkness, not the light. “He who is doing the truth is coming to the light that his acts may be made manifest, for they have been wrought in God.”

Nations Walking by the Light of the Kingdom:

Hold on, is it not “eternal life” in John 10:26-30 above, what is this about only one eon? “eternal” is a mistranslation, I am not saying the chosen only get to live for one eon. The chosen will be immortal, which means they will live forever. However this mistranslation hides the truth, that believers get life for an additional eon, that the rest of mankind will miss out on. There is a much better kingdom coming, in which all the chosen will be reigning with Christ, on a new earth. They will be reigning over the nations who will be experiencing the Lake Of Fire. The second death, the Lake of Fire, is not the burning of hell, but is actually a very real spiritual fire, that burns up all the spiritual impurities in a person. Then the person can gain immortally and join the chosen.

Revelation 21:23-24 And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon, that they should be appearing in it, for the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lambkin." And the nations shall be walking by means of its light, and the kings of the earth are carrying their glory into it." {CLV}

The nations will one day walk by the light of the city, which is the new Jerusalem. This city is the kingdom, which the nations will be walking by the light of.

All of these items, millennium, plan of the eons, kingdom and judgement are cover in other articles.

The End of Darkness:

1John 2:8 Again, a new precept am I writing to you, which is true in Him and in you, for the darkness is passing by, and the true light already is appearing." {CLV}

The darkness is passing, the spiritual darkness will pass, it will not go on forever. People who teach about a never ending hell, have the darkness going on forever, but the darkness is passing by. One day in the future it will have passed by, it will have gone, for good, never to return.

John 1:5-9 And the light is appearing in the darkness, and the darkness grasped it not." There came to be a man, commissioned by God. His name was John." This one came for a testimony, that he should be testifying concerning the light, that all should be believing through it." Not he was the light, but he came that he should be testifying concerning the light. " It was the true light - which is enlightening every man - coming into the world. {CLV}

Christ come to the world, He appeared in the darkness. All should be believing through the light. Christ which is the true light, will one day enlightening every man. The chosen are enlighten first, but everyone, will be enlightened one day. This will happen in the future, in the next eon, as the nations are enlightened by the kingdom, drawing all inside.

Illustrations: Shine Your Light

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