It takes faith to believe
in darkness.
I know these words may seem
foolish. Many would say that the darkness of the world is the one thing that we
don't need faith to believe in. It is all too obvious that we live in a
dark world! True enough--but without biblical faith it is impossible to grasp
just how dark this world is. While many may agree that the world is dominated
by darkness, they also believe that somewhere is a glimmer of light that man
can find by himself. They have an ongoing belief that as our eyes adjust to the
darkness we will be able to see a tiny crack of light spilling out from under a
doorway, and that will lead to a better life. Yes, things are dark, but there
is light and hope, if only we will have faith in the human spirit. Christmas is
one of those times people in the world think they see light spilling out from
hidden doorways. This is evidenced by comments like why can't the Christmas spirit last all year long? It takes faith
to believe that the darkness is total, that there is no hope apart from the
grace of God. Sadly, many come to ultimate despair when their search for light
ends in futility. They give up because they believe they have failed to find
light in darkness--they just didn't look in the right places. The reality is
that there is no light in a world without Christ.
The prophet Isaiah offers
these words about darkness and light:
The
people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on
those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
I
will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along
unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I
will turn the darkness into light before them
and
make the rough places smooth.
These
are the things I will do;
I
will not forsake them. Isa. 42:14
The darkness of the world
is total. The Bible likens it to blindness. People who are walking in darkness
will see a great light. But this light comes not from the human spirit or the
hidden spark of goodness in man, this light comes from God alone, through faith
alone. As Isaiah proclaims, it is God who will turn the darkness into light.
One of the ironies of the Christmas season is the countless displays of
Christmas lights. These lights range from a few lights wrapped around a miniature
tree to elaborate computer-controlled light shows that cover lawns and houses.
But for all the bright lights, the darkness still dominates. These lights only
serve to extend the darkness caused by sin and rebellion against God. That is
why it takes faith to believe in darkness. There is no good in man, none at
all. There is nothing we can do to rescue ourselves. Our blind eyes cannot see
the true light of Christ unless they are opened by faith. Only after our eyes
have been opened can we see that the supposed lights of this world are not
lights at all. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. There is none other.
Take time to remind your
children and yourself that life without Christ is deep, utter darkness. Praise
God that true light came to earth. John 1:4-5 says "In him was life, and
that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the
darkness has not understood it." In its utter darkness, the human heart
believes there is light where there is no light. May God grant us faith to live
by the light and turn from the false hope of darkness. May he grant that we
will show the true light of Christ to others.
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This serves as a reminder for me because I sometimes become frustrated with others when they are not "doing right". I know we all fall short (believe me, I know I do!), but there are those who have no remorse for sin. And the reality is that most of these folk are living in darkness and don't even realize it. The wicked walk in darkness, they don't know what makes them stumble. Instead of frustration, I need a dose of compassion for those who need to be rescued from their sin.