What is light and darkness?

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resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#1
Dec 19, 2009
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#1
[4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
[5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5 RSV

What is light? Is it the path that the Lord gives us to live? Is darkness then everything that is not on that path?

Or is light truth, and darkness lies?

Or both? Or neither?
 
loveschild

loveschild

Banned
#2
May 21, 2009
3,955
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Jesus is the light. The devil is the darkness. We must have the light inside of us to defeat the the darkness.
 
L

lighthousejohn

Guest
#3
#3
Jesus is the light of the world and we are to be more like Him. To put it simply, we are to be reflections of Christ. We are to bring His light into the darkness of this world. We are told not to "hide our light under a bushel" but to let it shine like a city on a hill. Light will always dispel darkness.
 
VW

VW

Banned
#4
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
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resurrection33 said:
[4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
[5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5 RSV

What is light? Is it the path that the Lord gives us to live? Is darkness then everything that is not on that path?

Or is light truth, and darkness lies?

Or both? Or neither?
Click to expand...
We all remember John 3:16, but very few of us have studied what Jesus says for the rest of the passage. In it, we find His definition of darkness. He said that the Light has come into the world, and men refused to come to the light because their deeds were evil. This is darkness. Merely refusing to come to the Light.
 
M

MaggieMye

Guest
#5
#5
LIGHT = REVELATION
Jesus is the LIGHT.
Darkness is the LACK of Light...the lack of revelation, the lack of understanding.
Where there is LIGHT...that exposes all...there is TRUTH; Jesus is Light and Truth.
JESUS/LIGHT EXPELLS darkness....whisks it away. LIGHT, which REVEALS all, expells or removes deception and reveals TRUTH.

Pretty simple, see?
Maggie
 
C

charisenexcelcis

Guest
#6
#6
Biblically, light is revelation and purity.
 
pickles

pickles

Senior Member
#7
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
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#7
I speak to what Jesus has shown me in word and heart.
I saw that even though I loved and followed Jesus, I still could never learn all that was needed, do all that was asked or know for certian that what I did was truelly free from sin of heart or action.
It was all to great for my simple mind and heart.
But the scriptures showed me that I need not fear, that Jesus is the light that frees us from the darkeness of our weaknesses and confusion.
By giving and trusting all that God Our Father created me to be to Jesus, I can have confidence that through the Holy Spirit all and every thing I do is made good in him, and my feet will always be placed exactly where Jesus wants them in my walk.
He is a lamp unto my feet, I do not need the light of the sun because the light is not seen with my eyes but with my being in Jesus and commiting all that I am to him.
This light does not depend on mind or knowladge because it is the knowladge and mind of Jesus that is given to me.
It is in our weakness that God Our Father is Glorified.
This does not mean we do not study the scriptures, as the scriptures are the food of the soul. Also everything that is given to us , is part of the Glory and power of God. All is to his perpose, so we can go forward in Jesus with confidence and the good fear of God Our Father.
Jesus is that light that gives sight to all that we were once blind to, and allows all of ourslves to be of that light.
In the love of Jesus Our Lord and Savior.
God bless, pickles
 
VW

VW

Banned
#8
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
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#8
Jesus is the light that has come into the world. He said this of Himself in more than one place. And this is the judgment; that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. Everyone who loves the light comes to the light that their deeds might be manifest as having been wrought in God.

Let Jesus be our light, O Father, in His name.
 
aspen

aspen

Banned
#9
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
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#9
resurrection33 said:
[4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
[5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5 RSV

What is light? Is it the path that the Lord gives us to live? Is darkness then everything that is not on that path?

Or is light truth, and darkness lies?

Or both? Or neither?
Click to expand...
Darkness is the absence of Light. God's very Being dispels darkness because there is no place where God isn't. Darkness outside creation does not exist.
 
VW

VW

Banned
#10
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
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aspen said:
Darkness is the absence of Light. God's very Being dispels darkness because there is no place where God isn't. Darkness outside creation does not exist.
Click to expand...

If Jesus is the light of the world, then before Jesus came, the world was darkness. Darkness is where there is no light. True. But it is also true that in the hearts of men who are not born of the Spirit, there is no light. And this absence of light in these hearts makes the world dark, because the ruler of this world is the originator of the lie, that we can be like God. The only light found in this world is the light of the love of God in the hearts of believers in Jesus Christ. And they love the light, and come to the light, because they want to have everything in them exposed to the light so there will be no darkness in them.

Maybe I am just too simple in the way I see things. But I will not raise myself up to thinking that I know what is good and evil, because that is the Light's purpose. I am fine with coming to the Light to see what things are.
 
aspen

aspen

Banned
#11
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
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#11
VW said:
If Jesus is the light of the world, then before Jesus came, the world was darkness. Darkness is where there is no light. True. But it is also true that in the hearts of men who are not born of the Spirit, there is no light. And this absence of light in these hearts makes the world dark, because the ruler of this world is the originator of the lie, that we can be like God. The only light found in this world is the light of the love of God in the hearts of believers in Jesus Christ. And they love the light, and come to the light, because they want to have everything in them exposed to the light so there will be no darkness in them.

Maybe I am just too simple in the way I see things. But I will not raise myself up to thinking that I know what is good and evil, because that is the Light's purpose. I am fine with coming to the Light to see what things are.
Click to expand...
I never said that there was not darkness in Creation.
 
aspen

aspen

Banned
#13
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
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#13
VW said:
If Jesus is the light of the world, then before Jesus came, the world was darkness. Darkness is where there is no light. True. But it is also true that in the hearts of men who are not born of the Spirit, there is no light. And this absence of light in these hearts makes the world dark, because the ruler of this world is the originator of the lie, that we can be like God. The only light found in this world is the light of the love of God in the hearts of believers in Jesus Christ. And they love the light, and come to the light, because they want to have everything in them exposed to the light so there will be no darkness in them.

Maybe I am just too simple in the way I see things. But I will not raise myself up to thinking that I know what is good and evil, because that is the Light's purpose. I am fine with coming to the Light to see what things are.
Click to expand...
Ok - I stand corrected.

If God was in the world before Jesus came to Earth then how could the world be in darkness?

I think we agree that God is light and the world contains darkness - which I am now thinking comes from our tendency to refuse God - therefore carving out a place where God is not, but I am really to tired to tell at this point.

I agree with you about not knowing the difference between good and evil - rather than giving us the ablitiy to know good from evil, eating from the tree took our ability to know good away from us - we were left with only the ability to know the lesser good from the worse.
 
VW

VW

Banned
#14
Dec 22, 2009
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aspen said:
Ok - I stand corrected.

If God was in the world before Jesus came to Earth then how could the world be in darkness?

I think we agree that God is light and the world contains darkness - which I am now thinking comes from our tendency to refuse God - therefore carving out a place where God is not, but I am really to tired to tell at this point.

I agree with you about not knowing the difference between good and evil - rather than giving us the ablitiy to know good from evil, eating from the tree took our ability to know good away from us - we were left with only the ability to know the lesser good from the worse.
Click to expand...

I am sorry that you are tired. I have just come home from work, been up around 20 hours, so I know what you mean.

Please understand that I do not wish to argue with you, only to show a different view on these things so important to us. If I appear to be argumentative, it is unintentional.
 
aspen

aspen

Banned
#15
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
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#15
VW said:
I am sorry that you are tired. I have just come home from work, been up around 20 hours, so I know what you mean.

Please understand that I do not wish to argue with you, only to show a different view on these things so important to us. If I appear to be argumentative, it is unintentional.
Click to expand...
I have another two hours of work to go. Thanks for clarifying your intentions - it is difficult to read people online.
 
L

lighthousejohn

Guest
#16
#16
VW said:
If Jesus is the light of the world, then before Jesus came, the world was darkness. Darkness is where there is no light. True. But it is also true that in the hearts of men who are not born of the Spirit, there is no light. And this absence of light in these hearts makes the world dark, because the ruler of this world is the originator of the lie, that we can be like God. The only light found in this world is the light of the love of God in the hearts of believers in Jesus Christ. And they love the light, and come to the light, because they want to have everything in them exposed to the light so there will be no darkness in them.

Maybe I am just too simple in the way I see things. But I will not raise myself up to thinking that I know what is good and evil, because that is the Light's purpose. I am fine with coming to the Light to see what things are.
Click to expand...
I agree with everything you said, especially about the darkness of mens hearts. I would however encourage you to read Hebrews 5:11-14 " 11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

This comes from training ourselves to be able to discern between good and evil but I would not encourage this unless you desire to be actively involved in spiritual warfare an a large scale. God will teach you if you desire but be sure first. It is not for the timid.
 
pickles

pickles

Senior Member
#17
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
63
#17
lighthousejohn said:
I agree with everything you said, especially about the darkness of mens hearts. I would however encourage you to read Hebrews 5:11-14 " 11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

This comes from training ourselves to be able to discern between good and evil but I would not encourage this unless you desire to be actively involved in spiritual warfare an a large scale. God will teach you if you desire but be sure first. It is not for the timid.
Click to expand...
Thankyou for posting this scripture again. I love reading it.
But we never have to fear or be timid if we are in Jesus, for he has already defeated evil.
God bless, pickles
 
VW

VW

Banned
#18
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
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#18
lighthousejohn said:
I agree with everything you said, especially about the darkness of mens hearts. I would however encourage you to read Hebrews 5:11-14 " 11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

This comes from training ourselves to be able to discern between good and evil but I would not encourage this unless you desire to be actively involved in spiritual warfare an a large scale. God will teach you if you desire but be sure first. It is not for the timid.
Click to expand...
What are you saying? Am I immature?

I have been involved in spiritual warfare. For people's souls. I do not struggle against governments. I don't believe that God has called us to do so. Some do believe this, and I hope for the best in their efforts.

How can God teach us if we are training ourselves?

In His peace,
 
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