INTO THE LIGHT
John 3:16-21
“Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”
Light has come into the world, but for people to be saved, they have to come into the light.
However, we are all sinful and being in this state causes us to hate being in the light. Not only are we ashamed of the sinful state of our core being, but we fear the pain that light brings as our deeds are exposed. The tragedy of man is that we have grown to love the darkness, both in and around us.
John does not tell us how people who loved darkness instead of light would ever choose to come into the light but in later chapters he would tell us of the Holy Spirit, sent by God, who would “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement” (John 16). He is the Spirit of Truth.
When a person responds and chooses to live by the truth, he then comes into the light and in doing so enters into this relationship with God, exposed, yet forgiven and loved.
God so loved the world that he was willing to sacrifice his Son to be the light of the world. The world was already completely dark, and loves darkness instead of light. God, in his mercy and compassion, gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
To believe in him is to come into the light, to let light expose you, to be guided by truth, and to be completely seen by God. Those who do so will not perish but have eternal life.
“But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”