Darkness vs. Light

People ask why God created evil. He didn’t. Just as darkness is the absence of light, so evil is the absence of God. Take away His goodness and there is evil. The implication is that even though I’d like to coast along in my Christian life, I know that if  stop doing good, there is no neutral.

Spurgeon discusses these opposites in today’s reading. He sees this contrast right from the beginning in creation where God said,

“Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:3–4)

Spurgeon brings out how this light/dark contrast affects people. Actually, every Christian knows them. We are well aware that if we had remained in our natural, fleshy state, we were subject to one extreme. It takes some time to realize it, but without the light of Jesus Christ, all is darkness.

Then, when Christ who is the Light of the world came into our lives, darkness had to leave, yet it does not go willingly. This becomes our major spiritual battle. Paul describes this conflict and struggle . . . 

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. (Romans 7:21–23)

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:17)

The Lord divided the light from the darkness. Had He not done that, my darkness and sin would remain and I would be largely ignorant of it. Only light can expose what I need to see. Yet when the Lord sends Light, conflict begins. Darkness resists light, even though it cannot overcome it. The Bible is clear that this conflict will never stop until I am “altogether light in the Lord.”

This struggle happens in my inner person, but there is also a struggle against another kind of darkness. That is, as soon as Jesus gave me light about my sinful spiritual condition and His saving power, this light also came into conflict with all worldly thinking and choices. No longer can I smugly offer an outward form of worship, or do “good deeds” without faith and abiding in Jesus. Nothing short of full light, full intimacy and full direction from Him will illumine the darkness in me and around me. The more light He gives, the more that the activities of society appear frivolous and in the dark. As I follow that light, I also am in contrast to the world.

This light also changed my affections toward people. I am drawn to others who know the Light, who know Jesus. The Bible even says that this love for other Christians is evidence of passing from darkness and death to light and life. Spurgeon points to Jesus who went “without the camp, bearing his reproach” and reminds me that God also bids me to come away from ungodly things and darkness. Just as Jesus is holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, so am I to be a nonconformist to the world and shun sin.

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Lord, I cannot do this without You, not inwardly or outwardly. So many times I crash and burn, yet You promise to forgive and cleanse me. When life is confusing, You promise to shed light on my confusion. When darkness threatens the light that I have, You give greater light that I might overcome the darkness. You do this that I might be free from sin; You are my Savior. And in the saving, You make known that Your salvation is greater than anything that comes against it, even greater than the foolishness in my heart that persists in resisting You. Thank You for being my Light and my salvation, the only One who can deliver me from sin and lead me to victory.