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 12 of 22

SPLENDOR IN WHICH ALL ELSE IS REVEALED

Because God is light itself, nothing can be truly comprehended apart from Him. He is the Fountain from which all true knowledge and understanding springs. When men seek to obtain knowledge from other sources, it is particularly reprehensible to God. That is why He upbraided the people of Israel for seeking knowledge apart from Himself. "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, THAT TAKE COUNSEL, BUT NOT OF ME. That walk to go down into Egypt, and HAVE NOT ASKED AT MY MOUTH; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!" (Isa 30:1-2).

Again, He sharply rebuked them for seeking knowledge from the world of darkness. "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: SHOULD NOT A PEOPLE SEEK UNTO THEIR GOD? for the living to the dead?" (Isa 30:1). God referred to this type of quest as "the spirit of Egypt." Although Egypt was not in a covenant with God, He turned them over to a cruel and fierce opponent, because they consulted with the dark world of familiar spirits. "And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts" (Isa 19:3-4).

King Saul lost his kingdom and was actually slain by God for not keeping His word, and because he consulted with one who had a familiar spirit. "So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also FOR ASKING COUNSEL OF ONE THAT HAD A FAMILIAR SPIRIT, to inquire of it; and inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse" (1 Chron 10:13-14). This would parallel the current penchant for psychics, horoscopes, and similar approaches to obtaining knowledge.

It is not an innocent gesture when those wearing the name of Jesus rely upon the statisticians, psychologists, pollsters, and researchers with their infamous studies. Those who seek spiritual understanding from the linguist, historian, and behavioral scientist have committed the same transgression as Israel and Egypt. They have sought understanding independently of God Almighty. I understand it is not fashionable to say this.

There is a text of Scripture that helps to set everything in perspective on this matter. "For with Thee is the fountain of life: IN THY LIGHT WE SHALL SEE LIGHT" (Psa 36:9).

The "light" that we see within the illuminating influence of His light is subordinate light--lesser light. At this point, we rise above the limitations of nature. Ordinarily, for example, the greater light of the sun obscures the lesser lights of the stars and moon. Too, a giant floodlight drowns out the lesser light of a flashlight. However, this is not the sense of this text. The subordinate light that we behold in God's light involves legitimate and necessary areas of knowledge.

A proper understanding of God illuminates all other areas of legitimate knowledge. Particularly in Christ, the mind is sanctified. Thus it is enabled to comprehend, or know, all things. This is involved in the marvelous expression of First John 2:20. "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things." This speaks more of potential than of an instant understanding of key facts and realities. It means our minds are brought to their highest and most productive capacity when they are in concert with the Living God. There is no need for any believer to be ignorant in any area of critical knowledge. In the context of First John, this particularly has to do with discerning true and false teachers (2:19).

The condition of "knowing all things" is realized through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We are told that He "searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (1 Cor 2:10). As the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God" (2 Cor 4:6) is shed upon life and all of its varied relationships and areas of knowledge, it brings the type of understanding that is indispensable to refusing the evil and cleaving to the good.

If it is true that we "see light" while under the influence of God's "light," then no person who is alienated from God can provide lasting and beneficial knowledge on any critical theme. For example, Sigmund Freud, himself a corrupt and defiled man, cannot provide a proper understanding of man, who is God's premier creation--made in His own likeness. Again, a godless geologist cannot be trusted to give us a proper analysis of the origin and purpose of the world.

As you can see, this is an exceedingly practical area of thought. In this regard, the greatest domain of profitability in the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. You can be confident that when you are reconciled to God and in fellowship with His Son, you will be brought to comprehend the greatness and benefits of that salvation. The Scriptures themselves, which thus bring to us everything we know about salvation, will become a rich and discernible resource to us. In God's light, we see light!

PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You for being the Source of all truth knowledge. In Jesus' name, grant me grace to honor You by seeking understanding from You, then acting by faith upon it.

-- Tomorrow: THE LORD JESUS --