Scripture Reading: Isa. 9:1-5; Matt. 4:16-20; John 8:12; 12:36; Eph. 5:8-9
Ⅰ
The light in Genesis 1:3 is a type of Christ as the real light—John 1:4-5, 9:
A
Christ is the true light of the universe; He is the rising sun from on high, the bright morning star, and the Sun of righteousness—Luke 1:78; Rev. 22:16b; Mal. 4:2.
B
The physical light in Genesis 1:3 is a type of Christ as the spiritual light for the new creation—2 Cor. 4:6; 5:17:
１
Light is necessary for generating life; according to the revelation in the Bible, light is for life—John 8:12; 1:9, 12:
ａ
Where light is, there is life; this is a great principle in the Scriptures.
ｂ
Life comes from the shining of light; when light enters, life follows.
ｃ
As we receive stronger and more definite light, the life within us grows:
⑴
The first-day light is for generating life—Gen. 1:3-5.
⑵
The fourth-day lights are for the growth in life—vv. 14-19.
２
In Genesis light is for the old creation, but in the Gospel of John light is for the new creation—1:4-5, 9, 12; 8:12; 12:36:
ａ
The old creation was brought into existence through physical light.
ｂ
The new creation is brought into being through Christ as spiritual light.
ｃ
The God who commanded light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts— 2 Cor. 4:6:
⑴
His shining in the universe produced the old creation.
⑵
His shining in our hearts has made us a new creation.
Ⅱ
Christ is the great light for shining in darkness and for release from bondage—Isa. 9:1-5:
A
The prophecy in verse 2 was fulfilled in Matthew 4:16:
１
When Christ came to Galilee, the people sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in the region and shadow of death, light sprang up.
２
Christ's ministry did not begin with earthly power but with heavenly light:
ａ
This light is Christ Himself as the light of life, shining in the shadow of death— John 12:46; 8:12.
ｂ
Christ is the great light with the power to attract people and capture them—Matt. 4:17-22.
B
Christ saves us by shining on us; His shining upon us as the great light is our salvation— Acts 9:3; 22:6; 26:13.
C
Christ as the great light is the light of life—John 8:12; 1:4:
１
Christ is the unique light; apart from Him there is no light—12:46.
２
The reason so many Christians are in darkness is that they do not have Christ in an experiential way—Micah 7:8.
３
We can see light only in the light of Christ; if we want light, we must receive Christ and touch Christ—Psa. 36:9b; cf. Isa. 50:10-11.
D
God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light—1 Pet. 2:9:
１
Darkness is the expression and sphere of Satan in death; light is the expression and sphere of God in life.
２
God has called us, delivered us, out of Satan's death-realm of darkness into His life-realm of light—Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13.
E
By His shining as the great light, the Lord releases the imprisoned ones from bondage— Isa. 9:4.
F
Christ as the great light destroys our enemies and destroys their armor—v. 5; 2 Thes. 2:8.
G
The transfiguration, the shining, of the Lord Jesus on the mountaintop was His coming in His kingdom, the coming of the kingdom in power—Matt. 16:28—17:2:
１
The kingdom is the shining of the reality of the Lord Jesus—Mark 9:1-3.
２
The kingdom of God is the Lord Jesus shining over us—Luke 9:27-29.
３
Whenever Christ is shining over us and we are under this shining, we are in the kingdom—Col. 1:12-13.
Ⅲ
"You were once darkness but are now light in the Lord; walk as children of light"—Eph. 5:8:
A
We are not only children of light—we are light itself:
１
Darkness is the nature of Satan, the devil, in his evil works; light is the nature of God in His expression—1 John 3:8; 1:5-7.
２
We were darkness because we were one with the devil; now we are light because we are one with God in the Lord—Matt. 5:14; 1 John 1:5.
B
When we are in the light, we are outside the realm of right and wrong— 1 John 1:5, 7.
C
If we walk as children of light, we will bear the fruit of the light in goodness, righteousness, and truth—Eph. 5:9:
１
God the Father as goodness is the nature of the fruit of the light; therefore, goodness in verse 9 refers to God the Father—Matt. 19:17.
２
Righteousness refers to God the Son, for Christ came to accomplish God's purpose according to God's righteous procedure—Rom. 5:17-18, 21.
３
Truth, the expression of the fruit of the light, refers to God the Spirit, for He is the Spirit of reality—John 14:17; 16:13.
D
God's way of transforming us is through the enlightening from the two lamps within us— the Spirit of God and our human spirit (John 4:24; Luke 15:8; Prov. 20:27); the one who experiences the most transformation is the one who is absolutely open to the Lord—2 Cor. 3:18.