GOD IS LIGHT

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5)

Devotion 11 of 22

ILLUMINATION

We cannot talk about "Light" without concentrating on ILLUMINATION, one of, if not the primary, aspect of light. In some religious circles, an inordinate emphasis on academic approaches to Scripture has succeeded in obscuring the availability of illumination. However, God's word speaks without complication on this matter. If light does not illuminate, it has no lasting beneficial effects. Such a thought (no lasting beneficial effects) is unthinkable when it comes to discussing Light Itself, which is "the Lord of glory" -- a phrase describing a God that is light!

Some will conclude I am opposed to "study" and "learning." Let such prattlers take note that I have expended much of myself in my labors. Yet my reliance is not on my labors, but on my God. Illumination does not exclude the necessity of study, prayer, personal discipline, and total involvement. Those involvements, however valuable and even necessary they may be, are not the source of enlightenment.

Heathen religion dominated by darkness

Heathen religions, whether found in crude or intellectually refined forms, have this in common: they are dominated by spiritual darkness. The tribal peoples that dance themselves into a frenzy, inflicting pain upon their bodies and sacrificing their own offspring, do so because their god is shrouded with mystery. They are groping to find a way to appease an angry and unknowable deity. The more refined and philosophical religions have their routines, designed to produce favor in the eyes of an "unknown god." Their disciplines are rigid, yielding no joy or satisfaction, because they are offered to a god that dwells in darkness, which is no god at all!

The bane of mysterious religion

Mysterious religion, however, is not confined to the heathen cultures of the world. It has found its way into the professed Christian community as well. It is not fashionable to speak of this condition, and these words very well may be interpreted as unsuitable and sectarian. However, we are dealing with an area of abundant revelation, and thus do not draw back from speaking these things.

By "mysterious religion," I mean a system of theological thought that shuts one up to a fundamental ignorance of God. It is one that has no message of illumination, only procedures or experiences that cannot be explained. Permit me to name a few of them. The notion of a "prayer altar" where people "pray through" in agony, has been fostered by the acceptance of an "unknown God." Others, coming to God in a similar way, but not through a prayer altar, are trying to "do enough" to make them acceptable to God. They too are suffering from a flawed view of the Lord.

Another theological persuasion that is growing in our country concerns the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Such things as being "slain in the Spirit," being edified by utterances not understood by the one expressing them, and being directed independently of understanding, have more in common with heathendom than with the "faith once delivered to the saints." If that seems offensive, remember, "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Such experiences, claiming to be from God, contradict the very nature of Him with Whom we have to do. Apart from this, there is no clear text of Scripture that teaches the acceptability or preeminence of such experiences. They have produced more questions than answers, thus showing they are NOT without shadows--God, however, IS "without shadow!"

Scripture refers to the new birth as the time when believers were "illuminated" (Heb 10:32). It also identifies it as an occasion when they were "enlightened" (Heb 6:4). The new birth itself is described as the time when "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined 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). Illumination, enlightenment, and the light of the knowledge of the glory of God all are related to knowledge and understanding. It is wisdom that comes "from above" (James 3:17), and is to be eagerly sought by those who love the Lord. How appropriate for the God who IS light to so graciously grant wisdom to His people!

PRAYER POINT: Father, I well remember when I dwelt in darkness, and was ignorant of You. In Jesus' name, I joyously confess that my knowledge of You, whatever measure it may be, has come from You.

-- Tomorrow: THE END IS NOT YET --