In other words, Jesus is the Life and Light of men. If light gives life because Jesus gives life, then darkness gives death. Jesus said the reason that men loved darkness is because their deeds were evil:
"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19, NKJV).
Notice that the natural men who do not know the Light are condemned because they love darkness rather than light.
Children of God must walk in the Light
"God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). Therefore, to engage fellowship with Him Christians must walk in the light and not in darkness.
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
In other words, in order for the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us from all sin so that we can have fellowship one another and with God, we have to walk in the light. It follows that a believer who does not walk in the light is not a true Christian and so he cannot have fellowship with other true Christians and with Jesus Christ! This believer is walking sin because he is not cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
What the Bible says about Light and Darkness?There are at least 3 passages of Scripture where we find the contrast between light and darkness, just and unjust, clean and filthy and righteous and unrighteous.
1. God said to Abram, "Look now toward heaven, and count the the stars if you are able to to number them. So shall your descendants be" (Genesis 15:5).
I believe God was showing Abram more than the numbers of his descendants. God also said Abram's descendants are the light of the stars shinning in the darkness of the sky. The stars get brighter as the night gets darker and darker. Christians are children of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:11) are going to shine out like the stars in their glory.
2. In the Song of Solomon, king Solomon gave a picture of Israel as God's betrothed bride:
"Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners" (Song of Solomon 6:10)?
I believe prophetically the above speaks of the true Church as the Bride of Christ. As human life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of a man and a woman, so spiritual life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of God for His people, and Christ for His Church.
Song of Solomon 6:10 depicts a very beautiful picture of the Bride of Christ. She is like the morning after a long dark night. She comes forth with the brilliant and the beauty of the rising sun. She is as fair as the moon. The unique function of the moon is to reflect the sun. Similarly, the unique function of the Church, as the betrothed bride, is to reflect the Sun of Righteousness, our Lord Jesus Christ (Malachi 4:2). The moon is not constant, it vexes and vanes; so is the Church. In the Book of Acts we see the early Church as a full moon, reflecting the whole nature and ministry of Jesus Christ. The Church had the ministries and gifts as those of Christ when He was in His humanity at the time of the twelve apostles. But, in history the moon began to vane, and it became smaller and smaller reflected less and less of Christ. And then the moon was no longer there (lost her function of refecting the light of the sun). I believer that was during the Dark Ages!Then the moon began to appear again and reflecting a little of Christ but has been vexing and vaning. I believe at the close of this age only the true Church will be as a full moon again with all the ministries and gifts restored and she will again reflect the Sun of Righteousness. This will be the time when Christ will come and take the true Church as the Bride for Himself! Do not be deceived by any so-called prophetic Bible teacher or pastor who tells you that the every believer in Universal Church is the Bride of Christ!
3. An angel said to John who was banished to the isle of Patmos concerning the Church of Jesus Christ towands the end of this age:
"Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still" (Rev. 22:10,11).
Notice that the Book of Revelation is written for God's people, the Church. John was commanded not to seal this prohecy because it will soon be fulfilled. The angel told John, a time will come when there will be a line of separation and departure of ways among God's people. Those who are righteous will become more righteous; those who are holy will become more holy; those who are walking in the light will be brighter and brighter; those who are unjust will be more unjust; those who are filthy will be more filthy and those who are walking in dark will get darker and darker. The difference between those who are in darkness and those who are in the light will become more distinct as a testimony for all to see before the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the close of this Age
I believe at the close of this age there will be just two groups of believers in the Church (universal). One group will be the bride and the other will be the harlot! Every believer has to make a personal decision which group he or she will be found in. The decision is now! If you are not the bride then you are the harlot. The line of separation is clear and there is no grey area and there is no such thing as neutrality or compromise in the Christian walk. Salvation is not a static condition. It is a way of life that is progressive. A "saved" person is either going up or going down. He is either getting brighter or getting darker. He is either becoming more righteous or becoming more wicked. He is either getting cleaner or getting more filthy. He is either getting stronger spiritually or getting weaker.
Here are some references from the Scripture:
"But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like the darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble" (Pro. 4:18,19)
"Yet the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger" (Job 17:9).
The Bride of Christ has the bridal attire. She has the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). She has the garments of praise and the crown of life and she receives many beautiful gifts (spiritual) from God. Jesus will give her "some hidden manna to eat and a white stone with a new name written on it" (Rev. 2:17). She loves her Lord and yields herself to Him. She loves the truth and obeys His commands. She overcomes persecution and remains faithful to her Lord until death.
This is how Isaiah pictured the true Church prepared as the Bride:
"Arise, shine; for your light has come! and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising" (Isaiah 60:1,2,3, emphasis added).
Notice that the day will come when the true Church has the glory of the Lord in the midst of deep darkness covering the rest of the people. The day will come when the Gentiles (unbelievers) and Gentile kings will come to the light of the true Church. They will not go to the harlot church!
Why? I believe only the true Church of Jesus Christ has the answers they seek after! They are likely to say to the harlot church, "You have no answers for us; you are just like us"!
No comments:
Post a Comment