Once Darkness, Now Light
Are you afraid of the dark? Many children refuse to go to bed without a night-light in their bedroom. Many adults hesitate to walk down a poorly lit street. We cannot see very well in the dark, and we fear the unknown. Perhaps we will trip over an unseen object, or maybe some criminal is lurking in the dark. We are also “in the dark” if we lack understanding. An example is a child with learning problems feels uncomfortable when all others understand except himself. The darkness destroys our self-confidence.
As bad as the darkness may be and as much as we dislike it, there is a much worse darkness that affects us. It is the spiritual darkness of which Paul speaks in our scripture reading: “For you were once in darkness.” Darkness is a very fitting description of our natural spiritual condition. We enter this world lacking spiritual sight because of our inherited sin. We are lost in our spiritual ignorance and are wandering aimlessly in religious and moral darkness.
If we were to tell the story of our life in photographs, this would be the “before” picture. Thank God there is an “after” picture! The Lord has brought us out of our spiritual darkness into the light of the Gospel. For when we walk into a room late at night, we slowly grope about in search of a light switch. Once the light is on, we can see where we are going as the light of the Gospel was turned on.
By the grace of God, we now see the light. As a light switched to the “on” position brings illumination to the eye, so the light of the Gospel brings illumination to the heart. The Gospel shows us a Savior who went to the cross accompanied by our sins. The Holy Spirit has brought us to faith in Jesus and enlightened us to see the spiritual blessings the Savior brings. How good it is to see the light!
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: When were you last “in the dark” spiritually? What brought you “out of the dark”? If children are afraid of physical darkness, is there something missing that they need to know about their Lord?
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: Thank God for sending the Holy Spirit for us to lead us out of darkness into the light. Ask for grace to avoid being blinded through some temptation and ever lost in spiritual darkness again.