John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
There are numerous consequences for both those who are spiritual light and those who are spiritual darkness, and obviously as light is the opposite of darkness, so the consequences are also completely opposite to each other. In the above quoted passage of scripture our Lord Jesus tells us that those who aren’t born-again cannot see the kingdom of God. The reason they cannot see the kingdom of God is because they are darkness and none of God’s word makes any sense to them, for God’s word is light (Psalm 119:130). On the other hand those who are born-again can see the kingdom of God, for they have become light and can therefore clearly see the truths in God’s word and understand them, because in Christ the veil is taken away (2 Corinthians 3:16).
1 John 2:9-11 “He, who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. (10) He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. (11) But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
Another consequence of spiritual light and spiritual darkness is the propensity for sin. In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle John teaches us that one who is in darkness will stumble whereas as one who is in light with avoid stumbling. In context John is speaking about believers who choose to either walk in the light or to walk in darkness, and the stumbling that he is referring to is sin. And so John teaches us that when one walks in darkness that he will almost certainly end up committing more and more sin, as he cannot see where he is going and will therefore invariably stumble. In the same passage John teaches us that one who walks in the light will not commit sin, because he will clearly see the obstacles of sin in his path and thus avoid them. And so this truth becomes even more pertinent to those who not only walk in darkness but are themselves darkness, for they being completely blinded to the obstacles of sin in their path have no choice but to commit more and more sin as they stumble from one obstacle to the next. Those however who are light in the Lord have the ability to avoid all sin, for they can clearly see all obstacles in their path and thus avoid them.
John 3:19-21 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. (21) But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
We have seen that those who are darkness cannot avoid sin whereas those who are light are well able to avoid sin. In the above quoted passage of scripture the Lord Jesus gives us further insight into this particular truth however, for in this passage our Lord teaches us that those who are darkness do everything they can to avoid the light because they actually love the evil deeds that they do and do not want their deeds to be exposed by the light. In other words, they are not passive in the sins they commit, but rather take great delight in committing them. On the other hand, those who are light come to the light so that their deeds can be clearly seen that they are good and that they have been done in God. Clearly the motivations of those who are light and those who are darkness are completely opposed to each other.
Matthew 15:13-14 “But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. (14) Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
The destinations of those who are darkness and those who are light couldn’t be starker in their contrasts. In the above quoted passage of scripture the Lord Jesus tells us that those who are darkness are blind and are even being led by the blind. And so they have no hope, for their ultimate destination is to fall into the ditch. The ditch that our Lord is referring to in this passage is in fact the second death, i.e. the lake of fire and brimstone, where all unbelievers will be cast into at the end of the age (Revelation 21:18). Those who are light however, are not blind and neither are they led by those who are blind. And so their final destination is the eternal city of the New Jerusalem where they will dwell in the presence of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity (Revelation 3:12).
Michael E.B. Maher
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