Light And Darkness

This was originally part of several Book Studies.  However, the various notes became large enough that I decided to combine them into a separate Doctrinal Study.

Romans 13:11-14 says: And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.  Notice that, right from the start, we see day  and night  and light  and darkness  all used symbolically to tell us a spiritual truth.  Therefore, we need to understand the spiritual symbolism of all of these words and how that symbolism is used in order to understand the spiritual message.

Lots of commentators have lots of opinions about these verses which include trying to explain how these verses are directed at the Jewish nation and their serving God in truth.  Such opinions completely ignore the context.  However, in order to get the true meaning of symbolism, you must understand how the symbol fits within the context where it is found.  When Satan tempted Jesus,  he perverted the meaning of what he quoted by taking it out of context.  Likewise, the true meaning of spiritual symbols is always perverted by people taking the symbol out of context before declaring the meaning of the symbol.

The chapter in Romans has been talking about how we have to go beyond keeping the law in our personal relationship with God in order to accomplish the requirement to go beyond keeping the law.  Go back and look at what has been covered in the detail note of the earlier sentences within this chapter.  Then consider that our chapter concludes with But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.  Earlier in Romans Paul explained how the way the Jews kept the Law was fleshly religion.  What's more, the religious Jews are not going to personally put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.  All of the context surrounding these sentences tell us that these sentences are talking to saved people who are supposed to have a personal relationship with God that goes beyond fleshly religion.

The note for Romans 13:11 explains how it is a variation on Jeremiah 8:20 (The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.)  Please see the note in Romans for the explanation of Paul's basis for the rest of his sentences in this chapter.

We get our first hint about the meaning of the phrase: The night is far spent, the day is at hand  from Luke 21:37 which says And in the day time he (Jesus) was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.  Jesus is our example of how to live in the flesh using the power of the Holy Spirit.  During the day time he was teaching in the temple.  Thus, since the day is at hand,  we are to get ready to teach people about God, if we are going to follow His example.  That also matches with let us put on the armour of light.  Further, Jesus abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives  because He was spending time with God in preparation for the work of the next day.  Thus, since the night is far spent,  we should be letting God prepare us for His work.  As part of His preparation, we must cast off the works of darkness.

The next place that we see day  and night  is used together is John 9:4-5 which says I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world..  Obviously, our the armour of light  which we are to put on  must come from Jesus so that we can work the works of him (God) that sent  Jesus because the night (death) cometh, when no man can work.  Of course, when we cast off the works of darkness  we also cast off the works of  death and sin.

1Thessalonians 5:5   says Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  Matching it with our current sentence we get that our time of living in sin is about over (The night is far spent...let us therefore cast off the works of darkness)  and it is time for us to live like the children of light, and the children of the day  (let us put on the armour of light)  and stop living a lie (we are not of the night, nor of darkness).

Finally we have Revelation 21:25 which tells us And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.  The time of Satan and his governments running this world is almost over and the time of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is at hand.  However, when that time comes it will be too late to see people saved.  Therefore, let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light  so that God can use us to win the lost while they still have a chance at salvation.

Symbolically, light  is used to represent 'the influence of God' while darkness  is used to represent 'the influence of all that opposes God'.  In general, we can say that light is used, in the Bible, for the physical sources of light, such as the sun and the moon, and to 'symbolically represent knowledge and wisdom from God.  It is also the spiritual gift from God that overcomes spiritual darkness from sin and Satan. Spiritual light allows us to see and understand things from God's view. Spiritual light allows us to see how to walk, work and live in this world in a Godly way'.

God created all of this physical reality.  And, God does not change:  (Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8).  I've heard preachers claim 'I know more on any subject than any professional because I'm a preacher'.  Yet they shut their mouth when a family member has a fatal condition and their only hope of saving that family member is a lost doctor.  The fact is that the laws which God used when He created this physical reality are still in effect and never change for any circumstance.  And, yes, lost people can learn those laws.  That's why Jesus  said the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light  (Luke 16:8).

The laws of creation are still in effect and the true interpretation of symbolic language requires that we use the physical attributes of the symbol, which match what is said in context, in order to learn the spiritual truth being taught.  People who claim that a symbolic meaning has no relationship to the physical attributes of the symbol are wrong.  It is important to keep this truth in mind as we look at several places where the word of God  uses the symbolic meaning of light  and darkness  to teach us spiritual truth.

According to the science of physics, this physical reality is composed of matter and energy with most things being either matter or energy.  Light is unique in that it is both matter and energy.  Symbolically, that means that light represents this physical reality (matter), and the spiritual reality (energy).  Both are affected by God's light.

The word darkness is used in the Bible to 'symbolically represent everything which opposes the light from God.  It is a lack of spiritual light and guidance from God and includes the lust of the flesh, the way of the world, the pride of life and the guidance of a devil'.

There are relative levels of darkness.  The inside of a building, on a sunny day, has less light (more darkness) than what is outside in the direct light from the sun.  The darkness of night is greater.  The darkness of the grave is greater still.

One source of doctrinal error is the treatment of light  and darkness  as if they each have fixed amounts and that there is no variableness in either word.  As we see in this physical reality, we can have variable amounts of both, light and darkness.  Another source of error is the claim that darkness is only from the devil and that anyone who is in darkness is a servant of the devil and going to Hell.  We are told that Lot was saved even though he turned from serving God with Abraham to seeking the things of this world when he moved to Sodom and became a leader in that city.  Demas was part of Paul's missionary team but 2Timothy 4:10 tells us For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.  It should be obvious that God does not take away the free will of His children.  Saved people can turn to darkness and still be saved.

When we see light  and darkness  contrasted the first place that we should think of is Light and Darkness in 1John.  (Please see the several notes at that link.)  We also have all of the verses in the New Testament, listed below, which have light  and darkness  in them.  All of these verses teach the same basic thing but have differences in details.  That is, we need to 'Stop our Sinning' (let us therefore cast off the works of darkness)  and get into the spiritual war on God's side (and let us put on the armour of light).

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John 8:12 says: Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.  The New Testament definitionfor the word darkness  is: 'lack of spiritual light and guidance from God'.  The Morrish Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'Besides the references to physical light as existing distinct from the sun, and then emanating from the sun as the great light-bearer, the term is mainly used in scripture in a moral sense. Light from God is His word revealing Himself, and not only making manifest the dangers here, but acting as a lamp in showing the true path. Ps 119:105. the Psalmist asked Jehovah to lift upon him the light of His countenance (Ps 4:6), and declared that Jehovah Himself was his light, Ps 27:1. As natural light brings vigour and health to the body, so the light of God gives cheerfulness and strength to the soul'.

John 8:12-20 is a single account of Jesus  trying to tell people why they should follow His example in the way that He judged the account of the scribes and Pharisees  accusing a woman with adultery.  The Pharisees  challenged Him in this matter because He was claiming greater authority than they had and, as a result, reduced their power and authority.

Our sentence (John 8:12) starts with the word Then,  which means that it occurs after the prior account which was told in John 8:3-11.  Our chapter started with Jesus  going to the temple to teach.  Then the scribes and Pharisees  interrupted His teaching to drag a woman into the middle and accuse her of adultery.  As John 8:6   says: This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.  that plan blew up in their face and they left and then Jesus  dealt with the woman.  As explained in the notes for that chapter, the scribes and Pharisees  were trying to discredit Jesus  and claim that they were the representatives of God and the final authority for doctrine and anything related to God.  Jesus  proved them wrong and, repeatedly, proved that He was the true representatives of God and the final authority for doctrine and anything related to God.  The account that ended within our chapter just before this sentence told of such a conflict.  That is why Jesus  said what He did in this sentence and why our sentence starts with the word Then.

The people just saw this big conflict and saw the scribes and Pharisees  ran off.  Therefore, in this sentence, Jesus  is telling His audience, including us, 'Don't follow self-appointed religious authorities or you will walk in darkness.  However, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life'.

Continuing with the contextual requirements, our next sentence tells us that The Pharisees  once more disputed what Jesus  said.  So, even though they just lost the fight that they started, and the fight that Jesus  just finished, they didn't run very far.  Now they are on the outside of the group that Jesus  was teaching, instead of on the inside, but they are still fighting and will continue to do so until they are told ye shall die in your sins  (John C8-S24; John C8-S28).  As mentioned earlier, this particular argument continues through John C8-S23.  Since the Pharisees  were losing this argument, they try another after this one and continue until the end of the chapter where they try to kill Jesus  but can't.

When Jesus  dealt with the woman, He told her go and sin no more.  In order to obey that command, she would have to follow Jesus.  This is the direct contrast with the Pharisees who followed religious rules and refused to follow Jesus.  Thus, we have an illustration between those who walk in the light of Jesus  and those who walk in darkness.

In context, the religious Jewish leaders had dragged this woman to Jesus  to be judged for adultery and he saved her instead.  He literally saved her physical life by preventing the stoning and he saved her soul, as explained in the note for John 8:11.  Then He explains the basis of that salvation in this verse.  After this verse the rest of the chapter deals with several parts of an argument between Jesus  and these religious Jews where Jesus  is telling them that they are adulterers and the children of adultery, from a spiritual point of view.  They, of course, claim that they are saved and that God has to take them to Heaven because they are keeping their religious rules.  So, a major part of this argument is what constitutes evidence of true spiritual salvation versus religious adultery.  A true child and a child of adultery have the same mommy church but two different daddies.  The true daddy is only seen in the spirit that the child receives from his daddy and lives before men (1John 4:1).  That is what Jesus  is talking about in this context.

A person who is living needs light to see how to live his life.  A person who does not respond to light is dead or blind or unconscious.  Jesus  removes blindness and if an unconscious person doesn't wake up, they will eventually die.  It is only in modern times that we attach machines to comatose bodies and claim that they are still alive.  One of the basic checks that doctors make to access health is to see how people respond to light.  Response to light is very much attached to proper life and we saw this back in John's introduction of his book.  In John 1:4-5 we read In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  These verses that introduce John's book basically teach the same thing as our current verse.

The lost people in the darkness of spiritual death do not comprehend the light of Jesus  which directs true spiritual life.  In the rest of John 8, we see Jesus  speaking spiritual truths and the religious people having trouble comprehending His words because they are trying to understand them from within the darkness of religion.  You can not understand spiritual things from a fleshly religious point of view (1Corinthians 2:14).  Jesus  is saying that you can tell someone's true spiritual daddy by how they respond to the light of life  which comes from Jesus Christ.  We can know that Jesus  is speaking as 'God in human flesh' in this verse because He says things here, and throughout the rest of the chapter, that must be understood by the light of God's spirit.  He does not talk about the things of man: the things of this world and flesh.  This is exactly why God gives His Holy Spirit to His saved.  There are times that God wants us to follow the example of Jesus  and stop speaking the things of this world and of this flesh and let the God in us speak about spiritual light to a lost world that is living in spiritual darkness.  God gives His life to His people so that His light can shine through that life that He gave them.  Those that claim salvation (eternal life from God) but continue to walk in darkness  are probably the children of true spiritual adultery, according to all of John 8.

So, having dealt with the context, we can now look at the details of our sentence.  Back in 8:1-2, before Jesus  was interrupted by the scribes and Pharisees,  we read that He was teaching people.  Then the scribes and Pharisees,  interrupted Him to start their argument and 8:9   tells us that they left.  So, while it could be argued that the them,  of our sentence, is the scribes and Pharisees,  who were still hanging around, I believe that it is the original people whom Jesus  was teaching at the start of this chapter.  Now, it is true that the Pharisees  interrupt again in the next sentence, but I believe that, in this sentence, Jesus  gives them a chance to walk away while He returns to His original audience and returns to teaching them.  Like any good teacher, He starts to explain the spiritual conflict which was truly behind the interruption, but I personally doubt if He said this to agitate the scribes and Pharisees,  especially after He went out of His way to not publicly embarrass them when they rudely interrupted His teaching to start the fight in the first place.  Before the end of the chapter He condemns them to never being saved (ye die in your sins  [C8-S24; C8-S28 ]).  However, at this point I personally believe that Jesus  has returned to His original audience and is giving the scribes and Pharisees,  a chance to leave without further embarrassment or condemnation.

Our sentence has two Equivalent Sections with the Second Equivalent Section providing details to explain why Jesus  said I am the light of the world.  (We also see this exact same phrase in John 9:5.)  Our Second Equivalent Section literally tells us he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.  Our Second Equivalent Section also makes it pretty clear that if we refuse to followeth Jesus  we will walk in darkness  and not have the light of life.  So, we need to look at these symbolic phrases in order to completely understand what Jesus  is saying in this Second Equivalent Section.

The th  in the word followeth  means to 'keep on keeping on following'.  When a person 'backslides', they are not doing this and lose their spiritual light.

The New Testament definitionof the word light  is: 'The spiritual gift from God that overcomes spiritual darkness from sin and Satan.  Spiritual light allows us to see and understand things from God's view.  Spiritual light allows us to see how to walk, work and live in this world in a Godly way'.  Every place in this Gospel where the word Light  is used, it is used symbolically for 'directions from God on how to live in this world'.  As seen below, not only is light  used quite a bit in this Gospel and the epistles of John, but it is used quite a bit throughout the Bible and, based upon usage, is one of the more important doctrines of the Bible.  This doctrine is too large to cover in a single note of this Study but a couple of things, related to what is said here, can be noted.

Many places on this site say that Jesus  shows us how to live in this flesh using the Power of the Holy Ghost.  That is what our sentence is literally saying.  The word walk  means to 'take small repeated steps'.  Thus, shall not walk in darkness  means: 'shall not have the darkness of sin and Satan guiding the every-day little things of life'.  We can not control the big things in life but we can control the little things and quite often disasters happen because people have accumulated so much bad, and not accumulated enough good, that relatively small things can overwhelm them.  They are like a person in rough water with a boat so loaded down that even a two-inch wave comes into the boat and they are soon sinking.  However, the person who followeth Jesus  is like someone whose boat has twenty foot of sides above the water.  Their life is a lot harder to swamp.

Another thing which our sentence tells us is that when we walk in the light  we have the light of life.  The figure-of-speech that is 'shed some light on the subject' is used to mean: 'help people to have a better understanding'.  One of the things which our sentences promises is that if we followeth Jesus  we will have a better understanding of what is happening in life.  When some liar stands up and says a lie we will not only know it for the lie that it is, but we will have a better understanding of what he is really trying to do.  With that knowledge, we can, often, avoid being caught in something designed to hurt a lot of people just so that the liar can take advantage.  Also, aside from avoiding problems, when we understand what devil motivated people are really trying to do, we are surprised and upset less often.  In addition, if we truly have faith in God, we can anticipate God taking care of His children in spite of the devil motivated people trying to hurt them.  Thus, when things like the Communists taking over China happen, the true ministers of God were not surprised by the persecution which followed.  Some left to avoid the persecution and some stayed, knowing of the coming persecution but were willing to stay and help for greater spiritual reward.  However, regarded of the reaction, those who walked in the light of Jesus  were not caught by surprise when the results of evil came on society.

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Hebrews 12:1-2 says: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This sentence is used for the basis of preaching often enough that I remember hearing several messages based upon it.  A popular theme of such messages is let us run with patience the race that is set before us.  While that is a good thing to exhort God's people to do, it is not all that is in this sentence.  When I mention things like this to preachers they respond with things like: 'God's people won't sit long enough for me to preach the rest of that sentence'.  We can have lots of reasons why what we have to say is more important to preach than what God's Word actually has to say, but I hope the reader sticks with me while we look at what our sentence actually has to say.  Yes, this is a long sentence and it has many parts to consider, but it also is a single sentence, which means that all of these details were presented as a single thought.  We need to consider all of the details found within our sentence, and consider them as a single thought, before we go adding in our own thoughts.

There is a good sized note, from the Lord Jesus Christ Study and copied below, that explains why our sentence uses only Jesus  and not Jesus Christ,  Christ Jesus,  Christ,  or any of the other names for the Son of God.  Jesus  is our example for how to live in the flesh and please God.  Please see the Doctrinal Study called What Did Jesus Do? for links to places in the Gospels which give us His example to follow.

This sentence starts with Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.  The Wherefore,  of course, refers back to all of the people and all that we are told that they did in Hebrews 11.  These witnesses  lived by faith while in the flesh.  Religion tells us that God will understand  and gives us excuses to use instead of stopping our sinning and instead of letting Christ  live through our lives.  When we try to give these excuses at the judgment seat of Christ  (Romans 14:10 and 2Corinthians 5:10-11), these witnesses  will be called to testify at our trial.  That is why they are called witnesses.  They will witness  how we live and explain how they lived in similar or worse circumstances than us and acted differently.  Matthew 12:41-42 and Luke 11:31-32 tell us that Jesus  warned that men shall rise in judgment.  While some can argue that those people that Jesus  talked to acted differently, the principal still applies, it matches with the use of witnesses  in this sentence and I have never heard of any Biblical basis to the contrary.

In addition, we have the teaching of the Bible like in Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4 which plainly teach us that we are to be different as a result of our salvation.  (Also see Psalms 18:23; 119:32-33; Matthew 10:22, Matthew 10:37-38; Matthew 16:24; Matthew 24:13; Luke 8:5-18; 9:59-62; 12:15; 13:24; 14:26-33; 18:22-35; 21:34; 22:32; John 4:39; Romans 2:1-11; 5:3-5; 6:1-23; 13:11-14; 1Corinthians 9:24-27; 1Corinthians 11:1; 2Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:1-26; Philippians 1:6; 2:16; 3:10-14; 1Timothy 6:9-11; 2Timothy 2:4; 4:7; James 5:7-11; 1Peter 2:1; 4:2; 5:12; 1John 2:15-16; 5:4-5; Revelation 1:9.)

So, while lots of preachers like to skip right to the phrases after our first phrase, the author included the first phrase because Gods thought it was important.  We need to remember that God is the true author of the word of God and that men are only His tools that He used to write His Word.  With this in mind we can see the error of ignoring part of what God wrote to us.

The word let  makes this a command which has the power of creation behind it because Genesis tells us that the action verb used by God is creation was let.

Please see the note for Luke 9:10 about the word aside.  The New Testament definitionfor this word is: 'Distinct from others, privately, to withdraw'  In this sentence, we are commanded to separate ourselves from every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us  and that will keep us from doing everything that God wants us to do.  As many preachers have pointed out, a weight  is not a sin  and we are told to lay aside  both of them.  A weight  is a good thing which keeps us from serving God like He wants us to serve him.  The 400 pound preacher who rants and raves about sins of the flesh has people in his audience thinking: 'Yea! What about your sin of gluttony?'  that is an example of the weight  that God wants is to lay aside.

In addition, to the weight,  our sentence tells us to also lay aside...the sin which doth so easily beset us.  As many preachers have pointed out, the sin which doth so easily beset  you is not necessarily the one that besets  me.  Instead of worrying about the sin in another person's life, we are told to concentrate on the sin in our own life.  Also, we are told to concentrate on the sin which doth so easily beset us,  and deal with it before we worry about sins which hardly ever bother us.

Our next phrase starts with and let us run.  As also has been preached, a runner, especially a long-distance runner, gets rid of every extra weight  and anything else which will hinder his running and will do it before starting his run.  That is what we are told to do in this First Step and that is the order that we are told to do these things.  Until we do the first step, we will find it to be very difficult, if not impossible, to do the following steps.

The next phrase we see is with patience  and the word definitions, in tjhe Word Studies, have links for studying the word patience.  This word is only found in the New Testament and only found 34 times in 33 verses.  We learn many interesting things when we look at how this word is used.  Since we are told to run with patience,  it is important to understand what attitudes the Bible expects us to add (with)  into our life as we run.  These include:

• Matthew 18:26-29 tells us that we must have patience  with someone when we forgive  them.  Of course, we are also commanded to forgive.
• Luke 8:15 is the Parable of the Sower and it tells us that But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
• Luke 21:19 tells us that when we are betrayed or tortured or killed by friends and family, we are to In your patience possess ye your souls.
• Romans 5:3-4 says, And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.  Instead of getting frustrated with God's lessons on patience,  we are commanded to glory  in them.  That is, start testifying , by faith, about how you believe that God will take care of the problems in His time and His way.
• Romans 8:25 also tells us that hope  requires patience  because we have to wait for the results of our hope.
• Romans 15:4 tells us that hope  requires patience  and the next verse tells us what the God of patience  will give us that when we are patient.
• 2Corinthians 6:1-4 : tells us that God gives us His grace  so that we can be approving ourselves as the ministers of God  by using such character traits (which comer from God) as patience.

While I could go on with what these places in the Bible tell us about patience,  they are already in the note referenced in the Word Studies for the word patience.  I only included enough here to create an interest in those readers who truly want to know more and, if someone does want to know more, then they will follow the link referenced.

Related to our current Study, learning to have patience  is part of how we turn from walking in darkness  to walking in the light.

Returning to our phrase (and let us run with patience the race that is set before us),  the next part, which many preachers bring out, is the part which says the race that is set before us.  Gossips and busy-bodies are sticking their noses into other people's business because they are not dealing with the race that is set before  them.  We are to be rightly dividing the word of truth  (2Timothy 2:15) and one of the ways that we are to be rightly dividing  is to separate rules from God which apply to all believers from instructions we receive through our personal relationship with God.  If I am truly running with patience the race that is set before (me),  I won't have time to be a gossip nor time to be a busy-body.  I will be so busy doing what my Lord  told me to personally do that I won't have time to stick my nose into the business of anyone else.  Also, I will understand that a lot of the things which I am told to do are personal commands.  Unless I am a pastor who has the job of helping others, I won't have time to be a busy-body.

The last phrase in our First Step is: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.  As already mentioned, there is a good sized note for this sentence in the Lord Jesus Christ Study that explains why our sentence uses only Jesus  and explains why this name is used by itself.  In particular, the First Step of our sentence is telling us 'How we should react to all of the circumstances of life'.  The finish of our instructions, within this sentence, is to Look unto Jesus  with the reminder that He is the author and finisher of our faith.

Please see the note for Matthew 19:1 about the word finish.  Webster's 1828 defines the word finish  as: 'complete; as, to finish a house; to finish a journey.  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished. Gen. 2.  2. to make perfect.  Episodes, taken separately, finish nothing.  3. to bring to an end; to end; to put an end to.  Seventy weeks are determined on thy people, and on thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and make an end of sins.  Dan. 9.  4. to perfect; to accomplish; to polish to the degree of excellence intended. in this sense it is frequently used in the participle of the perfect tense as an adjective. It is a finished performance. He is a finished scholar'.  Webster's 1828 defines the word finished  as: '1. Completed; ended; done; perfected.  2. a. Complete; perfect; polished to the highest degree of excellence; as a finished poem; a finished education'.

As the author...of our faith,  He gave us the faith  which was required to be saved (Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:16-20; Ephesians 3:11-12; Revelation 14:12).  He not only gave us the faith  which was required to be saved but He also gives us the faith  which is required to follow His example and His personal instructions on how to live by faith  in this flesh and in this world using the power of the holy Ghost.  That is how Jesus  is the...finisher of our faith.

With these things in mind, we can now look at our Second Step, which tells us 'How Jesus  acted as our example'.  In our Second Step we have three phrases that could be expanded upon much, but this note will keep it simple.

Our first phrase tells us that Jesus  endured the cross  and that He did it for the joy that was set before him.  Now there is much that can be said about the cross  and how much He endured and how much we should be willing to endure in the service of God.  However, the point which the author is making here is why Jesus  endured the cross.  It was not 'to show how much He loved God' because the author literally tells us that His motivation was for the joy that was set before him.  Since we were just told, in the prior phrase of the same sentence, to be Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,  the commandment of our sentence is to follow the example of Jesus  and have our main motivation to be the joy that (is) set before (us).  That is, our main motivation is not to be 'to show how much we love God' but is to be Laying up Treasure in heaven.

With this motivation in mind, we can now consider the phrase endured the cross.  Now people can preach all kinds of things which encourage God's people to endure  anything that God puts into their life with the knowledge that the more we suffer here the more eternal rewards we will have in heaven.  As has already been explained several times within this book Study, the amount of eternal rewards which we have in heaven are proportional to the amount that we suffer for the kingdom of God while here in the flesh.  Jesus  is our example and He endured the cross.  What God lets us endure  will be less, and therefore we should be willing to endure  anything that God puts us through.

Once we have that attitude settled, we can look at the next phrase of our Second Step which tells us that Jesus  was despising the shame  even while He endure.  This means that we are not to be bragging about how much we 'suffer for Jesus'.

Our last phrase is that Jesus...is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  He's not 'sitting on a cloud playing a harp' but is busy working on our behalf.  When God made Adam God gave him a job.  We should expect that in eternity God will give us a job to do.  In addition, back in Hebrews 1:13 and Hebrews 10:13 we were told that Jesus  was expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.  What we see here is that Jesus  is busy doing the work that God gave Him while He is waiting for God the Father to do as God promised.  (He is busy being our advocate  1John 2:1).  This matches what we are taught about God's rest  back in Hebrews 4.

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Our verse starts with: Looking unto Jesus.  Our sentence, before this verse, talked about other witnesses  from the Old Testament who were the subject of the prior chapter.  While these other witnesses are great examples, the best human example is God in human flesh Himself (Jesus).  This verse also lays out the things that the Son of God did in His role as Jesus  on the cross.

First this sentence tells us that He was despising the shame  of the cross but endured the cross for the joy that was set before him.  Lots of hyper-spiritual  people tells us that we should do everything because of our love of Jesus  and not for reward.  Some even go so far as to claim that looking for reward is sin.  However, these people aren't out on the spiritual front lines.  They hide in the church and plant seeds of disobedience that will destroy God's worker during a trial.  Notice that when Jesus  had to endure the cross  and face the shame  that He despised,  He acted for the reward (joy that was set before him).  Elsewhere we are told to lay up treasure in Heaven  (Matthew 19:21; 27:29; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22; Philippians 4:1; 1Thessalonians 2:19; 2Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; 1Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10; 3:11) because God knows that we will need this additional motivation when we are facing the terrible things that we have to endure in this life for His sake.  1 and 2 Thessalonians tell us to look for our reward from our Lord  (please see the notes for those epistles under Lord) and those who stop looking for the reward and only serve to show their love of Jesus  end up breaking under tribulation and torture when their obedience to God and looking at the reward would have kept them going.  (For those who deny this statement, prove that Hebrews 12:4 does not apply to your personal life because only those who have passed 12:4 (resisted unto blood, striving against sin  and have been brought back to life) have the personal authority to deny this statement that if you are only 'serving God based upon your love of Jesus', then you will fail the trial that ends in torture and death.)

Notice that our main sentence goes on to say that He (Jesus) is the author and finisher of our faith.  None of us would get saved if He didn't give us the initial faith required for salvation.  This is referring back to Hebrews 2:10 and to Revelation 1:8, 11.  Further, John 6:44 says No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.  In Acts 3:16 and 5:31 Peter testified of the same to the Jews.

In addition, to being the author of our faith, Jesus  is the finisher of our faith.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.  Jesus  does everything that is required to get us saved and we have no part in our salvation other than accepting God's free gift.  In addition, the work by Jesus  is completely done, as this verse says Jesus is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  He is set down because there is no more work to do.  What He did is completed for eternity, which is why we have eternal salvation.  However, this is different from what the Bible teaches about the cross of Christ  because the work of Christ  is still ongoing in the lives of the saved.  Where Jesus  is the author and finisher of our faith,  Christ  applies that finished work to our daily walk in this flesh.

Beyond considering that Jesus  is no longer working on our faith for salvation, He is our example of how to live by faith using the power of the Holy Ghost.  The example that He lived is finished and recorded in the Gospels for us to follow.  Please see the study called Jesus used the Holy Spirit.

Returning to Ephesians, we see in 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10 gives us the basics of what the Bible teaches about the cross of Christ.  Christ  is the role of God the Son that works only with saved people and only after they are saved (made their initial profession [Romans 3:26]) .  After the salvation presented in Ephesians 2:8-9, we see Christ Jesus  working in our lives.  This is covered in more detail in the notes associated with those verses, so I will just point out a basic difference.  Notice that Ephesians 2:10 says that we should walk in them.  The ministry of Christ,  as related to our salvation, requires our participation, while the ministry of Jesus  allows nothing more than our accepting His finished work.  Where we can't loose our salvation, because we had no part in providing it, we can loose our rewards after profession for refusing to do our part in the ministry of Christ.  This is a basic difference between the cross of Jesus  and the cross of Christ  and between the Gospel of Your Salvation (Jesus) and the gospel of Christ.

This sentence told us ...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. ..  It also told us that that we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses  that included all of the saints mentioned in Hebrews 11 who will witness our lives and testify at our trial by our Lord.  Finally, it told us Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith  and told us how He acted during the worst trial of His physical life because He is our example of how to live in this flesh by the power of the Holy Ghost.  Since it is talking about physical life, this sentence uses Jesus  as the role of the Son of God that we are to follow.

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Hebrews 12:18-24 says: Hebrews 12:18-24 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

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Light  and darkness  are contrasted against each other in the first two chapters of 1John.

Light and Darkness  are used in two general areas of 1John.  Since each of those places involve several sentences, the commentary of those places is below and not within the Sentence-by-Sentence section.  Light and Darkness  are used 7 times in 1John.  The usage is symbolic in nature and the symbolic meaning can only be understood by looking at every usage in 1John.  Light  is used in 1John in:

• 1:5 (This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.).  Here, light  is used to tell us the character of God and that this character has nothing of evil (symbolic darkness)  in it.  Things which are in physical light  can be easily seen and are not hid.  Thus, we know that God does not hide anything of His character from the saved.  This lets us know that people who claim to have 'special knowledge or special revelation that God gave only to them' are liars.  That would require God putting the saved into darkness  about this so-called 'special knowledge or special revelation'.  Yes, places like Deuteronomy 29:4; Psalms 10:17; Isaiah 50:4; Jeremiah 25:4; Ezekiel 12:2; Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:9; Matthew 13:43; Mark 4:9; Mark 4:23; Mark 7:16; Luke 8:8 and Luke 14:35, let us know that God hides some things from the lost and the spiritually immature, but God makes those things available to any people who meet His requirements of getting saved and spiritually maturing.  Thus, God is only protecting people from knowledge that they can't handle and not restricting that knowledge like we see when a being is in darkness.  Also, there are some places like Romans 16:25 which tell us that God hid things until we had the indwelling Holy Spirit Who could teach us their true meaning.  However, this is just one more example of God is protecting people from knowledge that they can't handle.
• 1:7 (But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.).  Here, light  is used to tell us how to walk  ('take small repeated steps' 'which represents the little things of everyday life').  Therefore, we see that we are symbolically told to let God's character control 'the little things of everyday life'.
• 1John 2:8 (Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.).  Here, light  is used to tell us that God provided a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path  (Psalms 119:105).  Therefore, we are expected to use it and to follow it.
• 1John 2:9 (He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.)  Here we see that our life must back our mouth or we are a liar.  Once more we see that light  is used to tell us how to act in thus physical world and the attitudes that we are to have.
• 1John 2:10 (He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.).  Here, we see that having light  prevents us from acting wrong against our brother.  We can act wrong against our brother,  but we must first leave the light  and enter darkness.

In general, we can say that light is: 'The spiritual gift from God that overcomes spiritual darkness from sin and Satan.  Spiritual light allows us to see and understand things from God's view.  Spiritual light allows us to see how to walk, work and live in this world in a Godly way.'  Please also see the note for Romans 13:12 for links to every place in the New Testament where the word light  and the word darkness  are both used, along with further notes about related verses.

Please be sure to see the sections below the notes on the verses which use the word darkness.  Those sections have contextual requirements and show how the sentences work together to teach the doctrine that John is teaching.  They also show how John contrasts light  to darkness.

Darkness  is used in 1John in:

• 1:5 (This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.)  Here, darkness  is used symbolically to tell us that there is nothing evil in God.  Titus 1:2 says, In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.  Hebrews 4:15 says, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  1John 3:9 says, Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  thus, we see that no darkness at all  can be equated to cannot lie  and cannot sin.
• 1:6 (If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth).  Here, darkness  is used spiritually to tell us that 'if the small things of our everyday life are not as God directs, while we say that we have fellowship with him (God)  then we lie, and do not the truth'.  Now some might think that I go to far but consider: Romans 14:23 says, whatsoever is not of faith is sin.  James 4:17 says, Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.  1John 5:17 says, All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.  thus, we see that these verses cover pretty much everything that people might think is not sin but is part of darkness.  This verse is only half of this sentence with the other half being the polar opposite Equivalent Section.  When we consider the entire sentence together, as done below, there can be no doubt that if we walk in darkness  then we are sinning and that breaks our fellowship  with God.
• 1John 2:8 (Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.).  Here, darkness  is used symbolically for the time before the church age when God's people did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead them in their everyday life.  Since, during the Church age, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead us, the darkness is past.  Thus, we see that darkness  includes sins of ignorance.
• 1John 2:9 (He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.)  thus, we see that the condition of our heart is revealed by our attitudes and actions.  Within our verse, darkness  is used symbolically to identify a heart that is turned away from God.
• 1John 2:11 (But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.)  Here, we see that darkness  is used symbolically to represent spiritual things which prevent us from seeing what the guidance from God.  We already saw that Psalms 119:105 tells us, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Yet, 2Peter 3:16 tells us that they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.  Therefore, the darkness  that the unlearned and unstable  are in will cause them to wrest (with) the scriptures, unto their own destruction  and to knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his (spiritual) eyes.  Putting it all together, we see that hateth our brother  causes us to walketh in darkness  and wrest (with) the scriptures, unto our own destruction.

Please also see the note for Romans 13:12 for links to every place in the New Testament where the word light  and the word darkness  are both used, along with further notes about related verses.  In addition, please also see the note for Hebrews 12:18-24 about the word darkness.  That note has the full definitions from three dictionaries and links from other commentators.  The New Testament definition, for the word darkness  is: 'the physical manifestation of evil spiritual influence'.

1John 1:5-7

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth : But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 

This sentence starts out with This then, which means 'as a result of what was said in the prior verses'.  There we are told that Jesus Christ  is the Son of God  and that He manifested  that eternal life, which was with the Father.  Further, John and others had fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.  John also said that he was writing to us that ye (each and every one of us personally) also may have fellowship with us (God the Father, Jesus Christ and the true saints of God)  and that this fellowship  will allow that your joy may be full.  In order to have this fellowship  and joy, we have to receive This message  that comes from God the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.  The message is that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Therefore, since John's whole book is written from a spiritual perspective, John is using light  to indicate the Spiritual nature of God in us and he is using darkness  to indicate the spiritual nature which is opposite of God and comes from sin  in us.  John tells us a considerable amount about sin, as seen in the part under Sin in 1John.  As seen there, sin  comes from the influence of the world  (1John 2:2, 15, 16, 17; 3 :1, 13, 17; 4 :1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 14, 17; 5 :4, 5, 19), the flesh,  (1John 2:16; 4:2, 3) and the devil  (1John 3:8, 10).  Further, 2:16   tells us, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  Most people understand that lust  and pride  are from sin  and what John calls darkness.  The difference between sin  and darkness  is that sin  is an act or attitude that violates God's Law (1John 3:4) and darkness  is the influence that encourages (tempts) us to sin.  This first occurrence of darkness  in 1John tells us that God has nothing to do with anything that influences us to sin  and that God's influence is light.  Just as light  overcomes all darkness, so also does God's influence overcome the influence that encourages us to sin.  However, as seen in the sentences before this sentence, we must maintain our fellowship  with God the Father, Jesus Christ,  and the true saints of God in order to remain in God's light.

The next sentence (1:6-7) continues this thought which helps to create the foundation of John's epistle.  As seen in the Sentence-by-Sentence   section of this study, this sentence is divided into two Equivalent Sections by a colon.  It is also explained in the part on Sin in 1John.  As noted above, darkness  influences us to sin, which is seen in this sentence (If we...walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth).  As also noted the Sentence-by-Sentence   section, the colon followed by a but  makes the two parts of this sentence polar opposites.  At the one end we have those people who say that (they) have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness.  At the other end, we have those people who walk in the light, as he is in the light.  Then we have the majority of people who fall between the two extremes such as those who walk in darkness  but do not claim to have fellowship with him  or those people who walk in the light  but they don't do it as he is in the light.  We can tell if we are part of these in-between groups if we are not lying about our fellowship with him  but also do not have the results promised to those who walk in the light, as he is in the light.  As noted elsewhere, many people do not experience that the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Religious error claims that we have to 'claim this promise by faith' but 1John is about evidences in this world which let us how that we have a spiritual truth.  We need to verify according to what we are told in 1John instead of 'claiming this promise by faith'.  In the case of cleanseth us from all sin, the sin no longer has control over us and we stop doing it (Matthew 1:21; John 19:11; Romans 6:7-22; 8:22; 1Peter 4:1; 2Peter 2:14; 1John 1:7; 3:8).  In particular, 3:8   tells us: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  So long as sin has control over us He has not destroyed the works of the devil  in our life.  Therefore, while saved people are still struggling with a particular sin, they do not walk in the light, as he is in the light  with regard to that particular sin.

1John 2:8-11

Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.  He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

The next place that we see Darkness  and Light  is 2:8.  John started Chapter 2 with, My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  John continues with an explanation that we must keep his commandments  and makes a distinction between those who really keep his commandments  and liars who claim to do so but really do not keep his commandments.  Further, as explained in the Sentence-by-Sentence   section, John's commandments are based upon the Bible and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Our sentence in 2:8   is part of John's explanation that his new commandment  is to follow the indwelling Holy Spirit.  John says the darkness is past  to indicate that the time when God's saints had to live under the influence of sin ended when the true light now shineth.  John 3:34   is part of the testimony of John the Baptist and tells us, For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.  the colon in John 3:34   lets us know that the two parts are equivalent and that Jesus speaketh the words of God  because (for) God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

Jesus used the Holy Spirit   to tell us the words of God  and He declared I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life  (Romans 13:12; John 8:12, also John 9:5; Mark 5:14; 2Corinthians 4:4).  We also see the children of this world  contrasted to the children of light  in Luke 16:8   and we saw in John's first use of darkness  that he equated darkness  to the influence of sin, including the influence of This world.  Hopefully the reader can see the Biblical basis for my claim that in our current verse, John uses the true light now shineth  for the influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit   within our life and John uses the darkness  for the influence of sin in our life which includes the influence of This world.  John clarifies this further in the next two sentences where he says, He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.  In our first sentence, we see the same structure as 2:4   where John called these people liars  and liars  are in darkness  according to this epistle.  Further, John is contrasting hateth his brother  to loveth his brother.  Further, John equates hateth his brother  to is in darkness  and equates loveth his brother  to abideth in the light  because hateth  and loveth  are manifestations in this physical world of the spiritual influence of darkness  and light.

As I said before, John is speaking about spiritual things and telling us how we can tell the influence of the spiritual by the attitudes and actions that people have in this physical world.  John ends this teaching on darkness  and light  with 2:11   which tells us, But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.  Someone who is blinded  cannot see the light  even when it is all around him.  Notice that between is in darkness  and abideth in the light  (in 2:9) are those who go back and forth between the two and there is some occasion of stumbling in  them.  John is warning these people (in 2:11) that while they keep playing with darkness,  they are risking being blinded  and, even as saved people, may lose their chance to abideth in the light.

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The following verses have light  and darkness  in them and they tell us the difference between the two words and their symbolic meanings.  Below is just minimal explanation of the usage in each verse.  Please use the link to access the Detailed note with a fuller explanation.

1. Matthew 4:16   says: The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.  This is only part of the verse which quotes the Old Testament and, symbolically, says that Jesus brought God's light  to the Jewish people who sat in darkness,  that is, they were taught to seek the way of this world and to follow religious traditions instead of having a personal relationship with God.  The prophecy about light  and darkness  is very similar to what is found in Luke 1:79.
2. Matthew 6:22-23   says: The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!.  Please note that Jesus  said that it is evil  to follow darkness.  In addition, Jesus  said these things as part of the 'Sermon on the Mount'.  in this sentence, He did not say 'if you are lost' but said if thine eye be evil  ('if you are looking at evil things').  When He said If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!,  He meant 'if you are directed in life by evil things then you will go far from God's wisdom'.  After that, He said No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  Notice that He did not say that the choice was between God and the devil but between God and the riches of this world (mammon).
3. Matthew 10:27   says: What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.  This was instructions to the twelve disciples.  It means: 'What Jesus told them in private meetings they were to tell everyone when they were sent to preach'.
4. Luke 1:79   says: To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.  This is only part of the verse which quotes the Old Testament and, symbolically, says that Jesus brought God's light  the Jewish people who sat in darkness  that is, they were taught to seek the way of this world and to follow religious traditions instead of having a personal relationship with God.  The prophecy about light  and darkness  is very similar to what is found in Matthew 4:16.
5. Luke 11:34-35   says: The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.  Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.  If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.  This was part of what Jesus  told Jews who were seeking a religious sign instead of listening to His doctrine.  As a prior verse also said, when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness,  which means: 'if you are directed in life by evil things then you will go far from God's wisdom'.  Also, He said, If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark,  which means 'we can have light and darkness in us at the same time.  We can be carnal saved people'.
6. Luke 12:3   says: Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.  God will reveal everything which we thought was hid.  Jesus said this to His disciples.  Therefore, it applies to all saved.
7. John 1:5   says: And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  This is part of John's opening where he presents Jesus as the spiritual light,  and the spiritual life  which God offers to men.  He writes the darkness comprehended it not.  which means the same as 1Corinthians 2:14 (But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned).  People who are following the lusts of the flesh and the way of this world (darkness)  can not comprehend  spiritual truth.  This should be obvious to anyone who has tried to explain a spiritual truth, such as tithing, to a carnal saved person.
8. John 3:19   says: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. for every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
   1. This is part of what Jesus told Nicodemus.
   2. Our quote equates condemned  to believeth  ('have a lifestyle belief').  Lot's wife was saved (literally dragged out of Sodom while her older children died with the rest of the lost), but was condemned  (turned to a pillar of salt) when she looked back at (turned back to the way of the world).  She is a type of saved person who turns back to the world like Demas did.
   3. The phrase believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God  means 'trust in His power and authority'.  Saved people who turn back to the world, such as those who trust in their money, do not 'trust in His power and authority' even though they are saved.
   4. The phrase men loved darkness rather than light  means 'men loved the things of this physical world, and the way of the world, more than they loved the spiritual light from Jesus'.  Such men, even saved, refuse to let the true doctrine from the word of God to correct their personal beliefs.
   5. The phrase because their deeds were evil  explains why people refuse correction from the word of God.  Anyone who claims that a saved person can not do an evil deed is a fool.  Anyone who is not doing what God instructs them to do is doing evil, according to the Bible.  We must use Bible definitions, not wrong definitions from this world.
9. Romans 13:12; John 8:12   says: Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.  Jesus  said this to the Pharisees when they picked a doctrinal fight with him.  The implication was that they walked in darkness  because they did not follow Him.  Again, saved but carnal people also walk in darkness  because they do not follow Jesus  even though they are saved.
10. John 12:35   says: Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you.  Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.  Jesus  said this to people who were following Him including His disciples.  It should be obvious that lest darkness come upon you  can happen to saved people.  Saved people who do not know the spiritual results of their life, such as carnal saved people, knoweth not whither he goeth.
11. John 12:46   says: I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.  Notice that Jesus said should not  and did not say 'can not'.  Since the truly saved believeth on me,  this is speaking to the saved and telling them that they were saved so that God could change their life.  The truly saved are to stop living to fulfill the lusts of the flesh and stop living the way that the world tells them to live.  That is what is meant by should not abide in darkness.
12. Acts 26:16-18   says: But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.  This is Paul testifying about his salvation experience.  Notice that Jesus said that He saved Paul to send him to Gentiles and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.  In the word of God, the word and  is the mathematical function of addition.  Thus, the power of Satan  is not darkness  but the command to turn the lost from the power of Satan unto God  is added to the command to turn the lost from darkness to light.  Anyone who has truly studied Paul's epistles knows that he does not just tell people to turn from doctrines of devils  but also instructs the saved to turn from the lusts of the flesh  and the way of the world.  Paul writes these things to saved church members and this is part of his turning the saved, but carnal, from darkness to light.
13. Romans 2:17-20   says: Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.  This is part of where Paul writes about the judgment which people will face who are sure that they are saved.  in this sentence, Paul describes the religious person who believes that he is saved and sanctified by doing religious deeds and keeping religious traditions.  The last time that Paul went to the Jerusalem church he was told how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law  (Acts 21:20-21).  God ended up destroying the Jerusalem Church when He had the Temple torn down because they refused to let God correct their doctrine.  Even though they were supposedly saved, they preached a works salvation claiming that Jews had to be circumcised in order to be saved and had to keep the Jewish religious traditions in order to be sanctified and blessed.
14. Romans 13:12   says: The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.  This was written to saved people. If the saved are to cast off the works of darkness,  then darkness  can not mean that they are on their way to Hell.  in this sentence, darkness  means the lusts of the flesh and the way of the world. It also means that saved people can still do the works of darkness.
15. 1Corinthians 4:5   says: Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.  It should be obvious that this is speaking about the judgment seat of Christ.  The lost, who are sent to Hell, do not receive praise of God.  Only the saved, at the judgment seat of Christ,  will receive praise of God.  However, we are also told that, at the same time and at the same judgment seat of Christ,  the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.  He can not bring to light the hidden things of darkness,  unless the saved, in Heaven, have hidden things of darkness.  And, it should be obvious that the hidden things of darkness  have not sent then to Hell.  In addition, when the Lord will make manifest the counsels of the hearts,  He will reveal in every way possible (make manifest)  the motivations (counsels of the heart)  which caused saved people to have hidden things of darkness.
16. 2Corinthians 4:6   says: For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  God the Father commanded the light of the knowledge of the glory of God  to shine out of darkness,  which means that the light of the knowledge of the glory of God  is to change the life of saved people from darkness  to producing this spiritual light  (shine out of darkness).  This only happens when the saved look in the face of Jesus Christ  in order to receive the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.  However, any honest person must admit that there are saved people who do not do that and even those saved people who do it, do not do it all of the time. therefore, there are times when saved people do not shine  with the knowledge of the glory of God.  This is especially true when they are fulfilling the lusts of the flesh or are following the way of the world.
17. 2Corinthians 6:14   says: and what communion hath light with darkness?.  This means: 'How can the spiritual light of God  live with, and agree with, the darkness  which fights against light of God?'.  And, the chapter ends with: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and ouch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  Basically, we can not live in darkness  ('everything which opposes the light from God') and expect God to have fellowship with us and bless us. Again, this is written to saved people. God is telling us to separate from the people and things of darkness  and God will add (and)  a relationship of father and son. However, we must do the first step of coming out from among them  before God can add the offered relationship.
18. Ephesians 5:8-10   says: For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.  This reference, and those in context with it, have several interesting statements related to the doctrine of darkness
    1. Our reference says: For ye were sometimes darkness.  It means: 'Each and every one of you personally were darkness.  more than once'.  I was sent a video of a preacher in Manila claiming that he had been teaching Hermeneutics for 25 years and that made him an expert on the subject.  He then proceeded to prove that he was an expert on the wrong way to interpret the word of God.  And, he proceeded to claim that he could personally correct this phrase.
       1. The word of God  has covenants ('spiritual contracts') in it.  Ask any honest judge and he should agree that no righteous judge would enforce an altered contract that both sides did not sign off on the change.  His claim eliminated any possibility to holding God to fulfilling any promise found in the word of God.
       2. The word of God  will be used to judge us.  God would be a liar to give us one rule book to follow and then use another to judge us.
       3. No man has the power nor the authority to alter the word of God.  That entire doctrine has much more to it but these should cover the basics.
       4. He claimed that this reference should use the singular word of sometime.  That is: 'You were darkness  when you were lost but once saved, you can never turn to darkness  again'.  he is not rightly dividing the word of truth.  Salvation  and sanctification  are different spiritual truths.  Salvation  is 100% dependent upon our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, it can not be lost.  However, sanctification  is dependent upon our fulfilling our own personal responsibilities in our ongoing personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, it can be lost.
       5. That doctrine is a denial of every reference presented here.  It calls the word of God  a book of lies.
    2. Our reference next says: walk as children of light.  We would not be commanded to do this unless there was a possibility for use to walk in darkness.  Our reference continues with: For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.  Only a liar would claim that everyone who claims to be saved always walks this way and never deviates from it.  Therefore, only a liar would claim that everyone who claims to be saved always walk as children of light.
    3. Our reference says: Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.  There is a lot of doctrinal error about this phrase but even the liars and deceived acknowledge that some save people will lose rewards  at the judgment seat of Christ.  Therefore, their life does not Prove what is acceptable unto the Lord.
    4. Our reference says: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.  We would not be told to have no fellowship  unless it was possible for us to do so.  Therefore, only a liar would claim that everyone who claims to be saved never fulfills the lusts of the flesh  and never follows the way of the world  and never has the pride of life.
    5. Our reference says: but rather reprove them.  If all people always did this then there would be no need for preachers to preach this to saved people.
    6. Our context is also important and tells us more on this subject.  Our chapter starts with: Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love.  There would be no need for God to have this instruction written unless it was possible for saved people to not do this and not fulfill the requirements for true sanctification.
    7. Verses 3 and 4 tell us things which we are told let it not be once named among you.  There would be no need for God to have this instruction written unless it was possible for saved people to not do this and not fulfill the requirements for true sanctification.
    8. Our context is also says: Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.  Only a lying fool would claim that the saved, especially the carnal saved, can never be deceive.  Only a lying fool would claim that the saved, especially the carnal saved, can never be filled with pride by vain words.  .  Only a lying fool would claim that the saved, especially the carnal saved, can never receive punishment from God and that God never gives the wrath of God  to the children of disobedience.  ('God's children who continue to disobey.  This phrase does not identify the lost'.
    9. Our context is also says: Be not ye therefore partakers with them.  It means: 'Don't have any part with people who are living a lifestyle of ongoing sin.  And, yes, some will claim to be saved and we are to rebuke their sin, whether they are saved or lost, but not to participate in a life of sin'.
    10. Our chapter continues along these lines and further context tells us more but what is provided should be sufficient for truly spiritual people to understand the truth of what is written.
19. 1Thessalonians 5:4-7   says: But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.   for they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
    1. Our sentence starts with But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  This epistle was written to saved and serving church members.  Such are assumed to not be carnal and to understand certain truths.  They had lying preachers claiming that the great tribulation  had already passed.  The true spiritual children of God are looking for the Rapture and their own personal judgment by God.  They are not living is sin and trying to ignore future sin.
    2. Our reference says: Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day.  It means: 'Each and every one of you have rece3ived the character (children)  of light.  Your outer life displays the changed inner man  which is a result of maintaining an ongoing personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ'.
    3. Our reference says: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  It means: 'We do not belong to devils, nor to the lusts of the flesh nor to the way of the world nor to the pride of life'.
    4. Our reference says: Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.  It means: 'Pay attention to what is going on spiritually.  Don't be so caught up in the physical world that you don't understand what is happening spiritually'.
    5. Our reference says: For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.  It means: 'The people who don't know what is going on spiritually (sleep)  and the people who are carnal (drunken)  are part of the spiritual night,  even if they are saved'.
20. 1Peter 2:9-10   says: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.  Unfortunately, many saved have times when they do not obey the call  of God.  As a result, there are saved, and carnal, people who have not come out of darkness into his marvellous light.
21. 1John 1:5-7   says: This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  It means: 'There is nothing of the way of the world, the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life nor the doctrines of devils in God.  If we are following ant of this things, then we are lying to claim that we have fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ  and the sins that we do as saved people are not forgiven.  We will answer for them at the judgment seat of Christ  and be punished for them'.  Please see the note on Light and Darkness in 1John for more details on this reference and the next reference.
22. 1John 2:8-11   says: Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.  Again, this is dealt with in more detail in the note on Light and Darkness in 1John.  This important part of this reference is what says about a saved person that hateth his brother is in darkness.  There can be no doubt about our reference saying that a saved person can be in darkness.  Since we can not lose our salvation, this can not mean that everyone who is in darkness.  is going to Hell.

Please see the notes for Romans C13S15; 2Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians C5S6 about the word light.  The New Testament definitionis: 'The spiritual gift from God that overcomes spiritual darkness from sin and Satan. Spiritual light allows us to see and understand things from God's view. Spiritual light allows us to see how to walk, work and live in this world in a Godly way'.  Every place in this Gospel where the word light  is used, it is used symbolically for 'directions from God on how to live in this world'.  In addition, John tells us that people who do not obey these 'directions from God' are living like lost people while people who are truly living like saved people do obey these 'directions from God'.  Please see the notes for Light and Darkness in 1John; Romans C13S15; Hebrews 12:18-24 about the phrase light and darkness.  Please see the note for John 11:9-LJC about the phrase Jesus is our light.  Please see the note for Hebrews 6:4 about the word enlightened.  The New Testament definitionis: 'Rendered light; illuminated; instructed; informed; furnished with clear views'.  Please see the note for Psalms 119:16 about the word delight.  John 9:5 about the phrase light of the world.  True delight  is one of the effects of God's light.

There are 13 verses which use light  and walk  within the Bible.  While I will not go over them here, the reader can glean understanding just by skimming them.  They are: 1Kings 16:31; Psalms 56:13; 89:15; Isaiah 2:5; 50:11; 59:9; John 8:12; 11:9-10; 12:35; this verse; 1John 1:7; Revelation 21:24.

When we see armour of light  we are referred to 2Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 6:11-20; 1Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 2:12, 16.

Please see the note for Luke 1:5 about the word day.  The New Testament definitionfor this word is: 'The time when the sun provides light to a part of the Earth  The word day  sometimes signifies an indefinite time'.  The New Testament definition, of the phrase last day  is: '(end of the) Church Age.  However, in the life of the individual, it can be used for the day that he dies'.  Please see the note for Hebrews 3:13  about the word today. The New Testament definitionis: 'obey immediately'.  Please also see the note for Matthew 26:55 about the word daily.  Please also see the notes for Philippians 1:6-LJC and 1Thessalonians 5:2 about the phrase day of.  Please also see the note for 1Thessalonians 5:2 about the phrase day of the Lord.  Please also see the note for John 20:1 about the phrase first day of the week.  Please also see the note for Mark 2:28-LJC about the phrase Good Friday.  Please also see the note for Galatians C4-S17 about the words birth / birthright / birthday.

In addition to what has already bee written, in this Study, about darkness,  Please also see the note on outer darkness.  Many saved people have been deceived to believe that God will not separate saved people who refused to serve, like Lot, from saved people who truly served God and God's kingdom.  They believe they can devote their life to the lusts of the flesh, the desires of this world and doctrines of devils with no consequences in Heaven.  Their outer life is darkness,  just like the lives of lost people, even though they have the light of God in their inner man.  In Heaven, God will have a separate place for saved people who lived an outer life of darkness in spite of having God's light in their inner man.

Please see the note for John 11:10 about the word night.  The New Testament definitionfor this word is: 'The time of darkness within a day. This word is used symbolically for:

• The time of distress (Isa 21:12).
• Death, the time when life's day is over (Joh 9:4).
• Children of night, i.e. dark deeds, filthiness, which shuns daylight (1Th 5:5).
• present life, compared with the believer's bright life to come (Ro 13:12).
• Death, a time "when no man can work." Joh 9:4.
• The moral darkness of the world, in which men sleep and are drunken. 1Th 5:7.
• The period of Christ's rejection

'.  Please also see the note for Matthew 25:6 about the word midnight.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 6:3-10 about the word armour.  It has links to every place in the New Testament where we find forms of this word along with the full definition from Easton's Bible Dictionary.  The New Testament definitionis: 'Things used to protect a person who goes to a battle.'