"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
Where would we be without light? From the sun, that lights and warms our planet, down to the smallest nightlight, that keeps you from breaking your neck on your way to the bathroom in the darkness, light is essential to us. Without light, it is impossible to see. With light we can find our way, we can get work done, we can care for our needs. Living on an island where blackouts were a regular part of life, we had to be prepared at all times lest the electricity should be lost, and we be left in the dark.
“God is light.”
God is the absolute source of all light. It’s not just that God shines a light on this sinful world, or that He turns the light on so that we can see the way of salvation (which He does). We must understand that as the source of light, light emanates from Him.
An example of this is Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2). As He spoke with Peter, James, and John, He “was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light,” (Matthew 17:2). On that mountain, Jesus allowed the radiance of His glory to shine from Him. The men caught a glimpse of Jesus’ inner being. A commentator says of this light, “The light, then, it would seem, shone not upon Him from without, but out of Him from within; He was all irradiated, was in one blaze of celestial glory.” Being the source of light then, we need to know that:
“In Him is no darkness at all.”
What a bold and revealing statement! As a boy growing up in the 1960’s, there was a commercial for Ivory soap that I can still remember. One comment in the ad went something like this, “Ivory soap is 99 44/100% pure!” I remember thinking, “that’s pretty close to pure.” But friend, close doesn’t count with God! The Word of God says “in Him is no darkness at all!” None! He is 100% light! He allows no hint of a shadow of darkness in Himself. He tolerates no sin in His presence. God is light!
May I ask you a personal question? “How much darkness do you allow into your heart?” How much sin is ok with you, and how much is too much? What does the percentage of sin to light in your life look like? 50%-50%, 60%-40%, 70%-30% or worse? Do you tolerate any darkness in your life? Do you think that is not an issue with God? Our Lord’s example is the one we need to strive for. In this life with the old-man still intact, we will not reach the “no sin” level. But we should be growing and changing and striving to live as “children of the light.”
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,” (Colossians 1:12).
“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness,” (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light,” (Ephesians 5:8).
This verse teaches me that My God is Light!
1. Jamison-Fausset-Brown Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.