God Is Light

A number of the early New Testament church leaders wrote letters that we now read as books of the Bible. In some of these letters, Peter, James, John and Paul used light as an expression of God’s nature.  

John said: “…God is light; in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5, NIV throughout).

James spoke of God as “…the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17).

Paul spoke of God as “…the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and lives in unapproachable light,…” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).

And Peter said this about believers: “… you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1Peter 2:9).

As you can see, the New Testament associates God with light.  Even in the Old Testament, we find light as the first gift God gave to the universe. “… God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” (Gen 1:3-4).

Physical light allows us to see with our eyes, but there is also spiritual light. In Colossians 1:12, Paul referred to the inheritance of the saints as being in “…the kingdom of light.”

And in verse 13 he continued, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).

As the head of that kingdom, Jesus said this about himself, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12).

People live in spiritual darkness when they do not understand that their very life, breath and movement, as Paul put it, are in Jesus Christ. They are blind to the source of their own life and being.

But there is no need for us to remain in spiritual darkness. The light of God is beaming everywhere through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. If we reject God or fail to see his love and goodness for us, it’s as if we’re walking around with our eyes shut or blinders over our eyes.  Let’s open our eyes!  Let’s tear off the blinders and live in God’s wonderful light.

I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of life.