The "Light" Equation

Leading a Bible Study, this week, in the congregation where I was minister more than 50 years ago, and using an illustration from my teaching career that involved a reference to quantum physics (!), has possibly influenced the topic for this week's blog post!

Light, which can be in either wave, or particle, form is the most constant, clearly observable, and all-pervasive material experience in our universe. It also appears regularly, in the Biblical text, which is rich with metaphors and similes! 

In John's first letter, he makes the simple, but profound, statement that "God is light" (1:5). In his account of the Gospel record, John also makes a number pof references to light. God's life is the light of men (John 1:4).

God's light is not conquered by darkness (John 1:5).

God's light attracts men who love truth (John 3:21).

Jesus is the "light of the world" (John 8:12).

 

John's emphasis in his epistle is focused on the application of the "light" in our lives. Since God is light (see also I Timothy 6:16), we can never be a participant in the life of God apart from the light of God (I John 1:6). If we claim fellowship with God, we must "walk in the light, as He is in the light" (I John 1:7). Since God is the "true light" (I John 2:8), we are not part of His family if we despise those He loves (I John 2:9).

 

It is equally obvious that since Almighty God is "holy" (Psalm 99:9) and "righteous" (Daniel 9:14), the light that we are to "shine" (Matthew 5:16) must be a "like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day". (Proverbs 4:18).

 

Our breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14) should blind the ungodly with the brilliance of our lifestyle of holiness — so much so that even if we are spoken against by those who hate God, they will be forced to glorify God because of our good works (I Peter 2:12).

 

Because the God of our salvation is "the light of the world" (John 9:5) and we have been made "the children of light" (Ephesians 5:8), that we "may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (I Peter 2:9).

The return of - not the Jedi, but "yours truly"!

Well, after a very lengthy absence - four months to be precise! - I have again gained access to my Google accounts - including this one. I confess to not even having been aware that this was a Google site and, when I lost access to my gmail account, thought that I could, at the very least, keep up with posts here. How wrong can one be?! I have actually been able to access since Dec.15th, but "inherited" more than 3,400 emails that awaited my attention and, of course, as quickly as I deleted those that were out of date, others were coming in!

So, here I am, on Ne'erday (New Year's Day for those unfamiliar with the Scottish expression!), with the first of what I trust will continue to be my weekly posts for 2022.

In Luke 5:4, we read these words of the Lord Jesus to Simon Peter: "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." A carpenter telling a fisherman where to catch fish! The background to the advice is that Peter, and his friends had been fishing all night, and caught nothing (v.5). Indeed, when Jesus had arrived at the spot on the shore of the lake of Gennesaret, they were washing their nets, and it was Peter's boat that Jesus had used as a "pulpit" to teach the crowd of people who were wanting to hear the Word of God. Peter, however, responded: "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." The result was miraculous! "And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, " (vs.6-7).

Why did these fishermen have to go out to the deeper water? Because when you want what you don't have - in this case, fish! - you've got to risk going where you haven't yet been! Some may have heard of, or even read, the book by John Ortberg - "If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat". This also involves dear Simon Peter and, again, he has to be obedient, even if all of his previous experience tells him that what he is about to do is a waste of time!

This is, of course, for many businesses a time to take stock. In such businesses, the directors wish to find out how their business has fared – has it progressed; has it done better than it did last year; can they report an increase in profits to the shareholders?

I suggest that it is a good time for us, too, to take stock spiritually.  We should ask ourselves if there has been any improvement, any progress, in our spiritual lives; if we are walking any closer to the Lord now than we were a year ago? That, of course, has to do with our sanctification. And sanctification may be simply defined as “becoming more like Jesus – day by day”, something that happens only by the working of God the Holy Spirit within us.

If a business is failing, or if there has not been satisfactory progress, then new policies, or a new manager, will be required. If there has been no progress in your spiritual life, or in mine, then the same solution will apply.

For the true disciple of Jesus, the new policies will often centre around our attitude to, and out time spent in, prayer and Bible Study. It is even possible that there are some who would refer to themselves as “Christians” for whom the need is greater submission to the true ‘Manager’ – the Lord Jesus. For the unbeliever, I would claim that that is the only solution. 

A new year! What will it bring? That is something that I am unable to say - indeed, that no-one is able to say with absolute certainty! However, as I quoted at the end of our annual newsletter, sent out just before Christmas, “I don't know what the future may hold, but I know Who holds the future.” (Ralph Abernethy, Martin Luther King's chief aide and closest associate.). For those who are disciples of the Lord Jesus, the Christ, that is our great strength and encouragement. 

I wish each and all, a happy, healthy, and hope-filled year. 

Resolutions!

Only twice in my lifetime have I managed to keep a New Year Resolution for more than a few weeks. On one of those occasions, I managed to keep my garage tidy for a little more than four months.  The second resolution was made many years ago - and I am still keeping it!  I resolved never to make any more New Year Resolutions!

Having said that, there are certain things that, for the disciple of Jesus, should surely be daily resolutions.  These resolutions ought to be easier to keep, because we have the promised help of God the Holy Spirit to assist us.  So what kind of resolutions might be in order?

Perhaps the first would be to spend more time, alone, with the Lord.  It's what we used to call our "Quiet Time", although nowadays, I talk more about my "Private Devotions".  Whatever the name given, it involves taking time to draw aside from the busy-ness of modern life, and spend it in reading God's written Word, the Bible; and in coming before Him in prayer.  How long should one spend?  That is between the believer and the Lord.  However, I know that I spend a lot longer nowadays than I did when I was younger.  Some, of course, would claim that they simply don't have the time to pray.  I would respond with the story of the man who said that he prayed for two hours every morning - unless he knew that he was going to have a particularly busy day.  In that case, he prayed for three hours!  Of course, spiritual exercises are like physical exercises.  If I have never run any appreciable distance before, I don't start by running a marathon!  I run as far as I can - but I keep increasing the distance.

The second resolution would be to develop a passion for holiness.  This is a word (there's a whole chapter on it in my book: Great Words of the Christian Faith - see post on Sept 20th) that basically means "separate".  In other words, as a disciple of Jesus, I am expected to be different!  My over-riding concern will be to please Him.  I'll ask Him about going to certain places; watching certain programmes/films; consuming certain items.  I won't always get it right.  As a sinful human being (albeit one who has been saved by the grace of God) I will fall.  But if I allow Him to, He will keep working in me, and on me, as He makes me more like Himself.  It's a process called sanctification (and there's a full chapter, in the book, on that, as well!).  Not every believer is called to be an evangelist.  However, whether we like it, or not, each of us is a witness!  The only question is - "Am I a good witness; or a bad one?!"

Just one more possible resolution - and that would be to be more faithful in my giving.  If I have handed my life over to the Lord; if I have accepted His Lordship in my life; if I am seeking to live in submission to Him; then that includes my finances.  The Biblical pattern is, as far as I can make out, of a tithe (10%) plus a love-gift (that is between me and the Lord).  As with the time spent in prayer and Bible reading (that will progress to Bible study!) there are those who will claim that this is impossible.  However, I think it was Billy Graham who once made the point that 90% (or less!) with God's blessing goes further than 100% without it.  I can certainly testify to the truth of that from my own experience!

Just three resolutions!  However, if everyone who claims to be a disciple of Jesus were to make, and keep, them, what a difference it would make in their own lives - and in the lives of so many others.

A blesséd, peaceful, and God-honouring New Year to each and all.