Light Without Darkness
John 15:1-11
I John 1:5-2:6
I can remember years ago exploring a cave in Kentucky and how our guide led us through some beautiful and winding subterranean passageways. Eventually we came to an open cathedral-like area deep inside the cave where everyone gathered together. Then he said that he was going to turn off all the lights. He asked us to remain still for the period of time while the lights were off and that we should hold one another’s hands. Then suddenly the lights went off and several people gasped. And after several seconds he said, “I’m the only one who knows how to get you back to the entrance of the cave. If I left you here, you might never find your way out. Just feel how thick the darkness is!”
Well, I waited for my eyes to adjust. They may have adjusted, but I still couldn’t see anything, not even a glimmer no matter how hard I tried. There was nothing – just pitch blackness. The guide was right – we would be hopelessly groping through the cave if he didn’t turn the lights back on. After about 30 seconds, which seemed like forever, and some cries from children, the lights came on, and suddenly I understood more than ever before just how valuable light really is. The utter horror of complete darkness will change how you value the importance of light. And this unnerving experience also brought to my heart just how important God’s spiritual light is in my life. He is, “Light Without Darkness” Let us pray…
In the Book of Genesis, darkness depicts a world without God. Before God created anything, there was no light in the world. God created ex nihilo – which means “out of nothing.” “Darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” Our world is completely dark without God and His creative force. But after God spoke, there was light and all of creation was illuminated. And what was the first thing that God created on the first day? “Then God said, “Let there be light – and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.” It is interesting to me that even from the beginning, God separated light from darkness.
In fact evil, like darkness, is the absence of God’s divine light. Ask a physicist if darkness is anything in and of itself, and he or she will tell you that darkness is nothing. It is only the absence of light. Therefore evil is the result of the rejection or the absence of God. Yet let us never confuse the battle of good and evil with the hypothesis that God has a dual nature. That is essentially a Star Wars theology. God does not have both a righteous side and a dark side. God is not some force that can be tapped for either good or evil. Evil was not even created by God. Like darkness, it is profoundly the absence of God’s divine will. (Click on title above to see the rest of the message)