Advent Devotion – A Light Shines in the Darkness – Day 16

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5

Running to the Light

Did you know that the color white is the result of removing all color? If you start with a blank piece of paper and add a little bit of color… and then a bit more… and then just a bit more—eventually, you’ll end up with a muddy mess. Trying to make a blank piece of paper lighter simply isn’t possible. Anything we do will result in more darkness on the page, not less.

And that’s a little bit like God. Today’s reading says, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” John used the light/darkness metaphor that was common to most religions at the time. His point was that God is light: absolutely pure and holy. There is no darkness—no falsehood or sin—in him. Again, this was a metaphor used by almost every religion of John’s time.

But what set Christianity apart from every other religion is this: the holy God did something to make us holy (Hebrews 2:11). We started our lives in the darkness of sin, and now God calls us out of this darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). God rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into Jesus’ kingdom. His death forgave us and brought us into the light of God’s kingdom!

There is an absolute distinction between this light and the darkness of the sinful world we live in. God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. As much as we strive to live in the light of God’s presence, we often find ourselves drawn back to the darkness that surrounds us—and any movement towards that darkness continues to dim the light.

Therefore, God has called us to stay away from any and every evil. Paul tells us that there must not even be a hint of evil among us (Ephesians 5:3). As we live our lives, we need to remember that any attempt to add our own light to the light of God’s glory only results in darkness. We want to stay away from any and every evil. Even a “little” gossip diminishes the light. An “innocent” lustful thought brings darkness into our hearts. A longstanding grudge inches us away from the light. In God, there is no darkness. He wants there to be no darkness in us either. The sharp distinction between light and dark applies to us.

Thankfully, even as we continually “dance with darkness” on this side of heaven, God’s light continually shines brightly. Jesus won forgiveness for us, and God has called us into his marvelous light. By God’s grace and through his work in our lives, we recommit ourselves to living in his light—and give thanks that he brings us out of darkness even when we struggle to do so on our own.

Prayer: Creator God, in you is life and light—all good things. Help us meditate on what is pure, true, excellent, and praiseworthy. Give us discernment and courage to crowd out anything that brings us closer to darkness. Keep us in the narrow way and bring us home to you. We pray in the name of our Savior. Amen.

Written by Angela Kom