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“Living in the Light”
John 1:1-13, 3:16-21, 8:12
Sermon Series: “Getting Acquainted With Jesus”
Introduction: Vance
Havner began one of his essays by writing, “Some time
ago a friend of mine took me to a restaurant where they
must have loved darkness rather than light. I stumbled
into the dimly-lit cavern, fumbled for a chair, and
mumbled that I needed a flashlight in order to read the
menu. When the food came I ate it by faith and not by
sight. Gradually, however, I began to make out objects a
little more clearly. My host said, ‘Funny isn’t it, how
we get used to the dark’?” There is a lot of truth in
that statement. If we are not very careful, we get used
to the darkness around us and accept darkness within us.
However, the Lord wants us to live in the light
instead of getting used to the darkness. Dr. Danny
Akin says that the Gospel of John “develops an elaborate
theology around the metaphor of light” so let’s examine
what John says about light and learn how to live in the
light. Here are some meanings of the metaphor of light:
1. The nature of God is light while the nature of
Satan is darkness (John 1:4, 1 John 1:5, Ephesians
6:12). God and Satan are completely opposite. God is
perfect and without blemish. Satan is totally evil.
2. Light carries the meaning of life while darkness
expresses death (John 1:3-4, John 10:10, Ephesians
2:1-10). This is true in both a physical and a
spiritual sense. God gives physical life through
creation and spiritual life through salvation. God wants
to make us alive while Satan wants to kill us.
3. Light and darkness are in a battle, but light will
ultimately be victorious (John 1:5, Ephesians 6:10-12).
Spiritual warfare is a reality. Life and darkness cannot
peacefully coexist. They will be in a battle with one
another until Jesus comes back. The word “comprehend”
means that the darkness will not overcome, eclipse, or
defeat the light. Jesus won the victory over Satan on
the cross and will consummate that victory when He
returns to the earth in glory.
4. Light is a picture of salvation while darkness is
a picture of spiritual blindness (John 1:6-13, 2
Corinthians 4:1-6). Satan wants to keep us blinded
and deceived. He does not want us to trust Christ. He
wants us in his darkness. However, God is working to
open the eyes of the spiritually blind to give them
salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you in
spiritual light or spiritual darkness? Have your eyes
been opened to Jesus Christ?
5. Light is a picture of holiness and purity while
darkness is a picture of sin and evil (John 3:17-20).
Many people reject the light and choose darkness because
they want to live for themselves, in the way they want
to live, and do not want a spotlight shining on their
sin. God calls us to be holy as He is holy. Are our
lives full of light or darkness?
6. Light is a picture of truth and revelation while
darkness is a picture of lies and deception (John 3:21).
Light expresses and reveals while darkness hides and
conceals. Satan is a liar who deceives us and we become
enslaved to sin when we listen to his lies. However,
Jesus sets us free when we know and do His truth (John
8:32). Are we hiding our sin in the dark or bringing it
to the light through confession and repentance?
Conclusion-Applications:
1. We have been transformed to light in the Lord and
are now to live like it. Ephesians 5:8 says, “For
you were once darkness, but now you are light in the
Lord. Walk as children of light” (see also 1 Peter
2:9-10).
2. We are to live as children of light by letting our
lights shine before men (see Matthew 5:13-16).
3. We are to live as children of light by walking in the
light as God is in the light (1 John 1:1-2:2).
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