In a fog?

One morning last week our city was shrouded in a dense fog. We don’t live on the coast; fog is rare. At times, visibility was zero. I had an appointment about twenty minutes from our home. Most of the drive I could see only about 5-6 car lengths. Buildings were hidden. I felt as if I were on another planet. Most drivers turned on their bright lights which helped. Even then, I was cautious and a bit fearful. Fog is the same as darkness because I could not see where I was going.

The Bible says nothing about fog but mentions darkness more than one hundred and seventy times. Most of those references use darkness as a metaphor for being in a fog concerning God and His holiness. Sin puts us there and only the Light of the world can expose our sin and lead us into the knowledge of the Lord giving us His righteousness. Light and darkness are interesting metaphors because darkness cannot snuff out light. As soon as it moves into it, it is overcome. However, even a tiny candle can invade darkness.

I’m thinking of the power of light as I read the verses in John’s Gospel that use it as a strong metaphor.

In him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4–5)

The life of Christ is light that exposes and overcomes the darkness of sin. When He turns on that light revealing who He is and what He has done, darkness must flee. John knew it . . .

(John the Baptist) came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. (John 1:7–8)

This other John was not the Messiah but he pointed the people to the Messiah that they might believe. He also set an example for me. I am not Jesus nor the light of the world, but I can point people to Him that they might have light in their lives.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. (John 1:9–10)

This is the message of the Scriptures: Jesus is light from God for everyone. He created the world yet the world did not personally know Him. People know about Him just as I know about many people yet have no personal relationship with them. Knowing Him personally is key to being in His light.

He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. (John 5:35)

Even though the people didn’t personally know Jesus, for a while they loved what He said and did. His words were ‘wise’ and His deeds blessed them and often filled their bellies, but this is not what His light is for.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5)

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” (John 11:9–10)

Jesus explains that He will bring them out of their fog about God and out of the darkness of sin.

Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. (John 12:35-36)

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. (John 12:46)

They didn’t get it even though Jesus explained the reason for their fog and that they would be judged . . .

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19–21)

People love darkness. They don’t want to see God because He exposes their sin. Light also exposes the power that enables people who do what is true — they are doing it by the power of God. Light exposes sin, all my excuses and my pride. Any good that I do is from God, not from me.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, You use light to reveal my selfishness, my efforts to go my own way and resist You. But would I rather be meandering in the dark? I don’t think so. Seeing reality is often painful and shameful, but it is better than the limited view in a fog and far better than being in darkness with no view at all.

God’s Unfailing Plan

The human soul is blind to spiritual reality. The reason is sin, and the answer is faith in Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. However, if that Light is rejected, then those realities cannot be known.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19–21)

Toward the end of His time on earth, Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph and the city shouted its welcome, but the people actually preferred their god, the human pride expressed in their Pharisaical religious system. Today we might call it the religion of “I can save myself by keeping my own rules. Chambers calls them “religious and upright” yet Jesus said they were like “whitewashed tombs” which appeared beautiful, but were full of dead people’s bones and unclean. (Matthew 23:27) This is the sinner’s attitude of hating the light and refusing to come to it. Their rejection had consequences . . .

And when (Jesus) drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41–44)

The city would perish for rejecting their Messiah, even as all who love darkness and reject Him will perish.

Chambers brings that reality to my life by asking “What is it that blinds me in this my day?” He is talking about holding on to something that might even look pleasing on the outside, but it is something that rules me and makes me blind to the things that give total peace with God.

Odd thing is that if I have such a god and suffer from such blindness, how could I know it? I would be blind to it, as unseeing as the Pharisees, as unseeing as the vilest sinner who has rejected all attempts to make him see. The only ‘cure’ for this blindness is an eye-opening from the Spirit of God, a piercing of truth that goes direct to the heart.

Luke 19:41ff is the response of Jesus to a blind heart. He wept over it, yet for those people He offered no hope. They had their opportunity. God appeared to them in human flesh and they said no, rejecting His rule over them. I don’t think this is how Jesus treats those who have said yes and who have seen His light.

I agree with Chambers in that Christians can hang fast to strange gods and that God will bring us face to face to our folly. I agree also that we often resist Him and fight truth. We can be blind to what we could enjoy if we would just abandon such vain foolishness. I also agree that God holds us responsible for what we do not see.

However, that is where the parallel ends. The Pharisees had set their course, but God never gives up on a stubborn child. Because He gave me new life in Christ and adopted me into His forever family, He sets my course and has planned my destiny. He promises that one day I will be like Jesus and that He will stay in my face until that transformation is completed. No matter how entrenched any ‘god’ or stubbornness might be, Jesus is my Savior and He saves His people from our sin.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. (Hebrews 12:6–10)

Chambers says “But now they are hidden from your eyes” — yet I do not believe that. Once Jesus gives light into a stubborn heart, we know it. God might close doors because of it, but He never stops His relentless discipline. My stubborn heart cannot alter the fact that I am His child. He loves me with an everlasting love. Regardless of any silly choices I make, my course is set. I am saved by grace and bound for eternity with Him. No matter what, His changeless plan without a doubt will change my life.

Striving for control?

In the beginning, God told male and female, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

One of the ways that we try to take dominion is by understanding everything. If we can figure it out, then we have command over it. If not, then it somehow seems to master us, or at least eludes our dominion.

I see this played out in matters of faith. The Bible says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith asks us to trust a God whom we cannot fully figure out and trust in the promises He makes that have not yet come to fruition. If we could figure out God and see for certain all He says, it would not be faith. Our desire to “see” or reason it out or make sense of its mystery would give us a sense of dominion over God.

Paul tried that. Before he met Jesus Christ, he attempted to control what he could not understand. Those who believed in Jesus didn’t make sense to him. As he was on this way, Christ met him on the road and put him on his knees. In broken humility, Paul said,

“Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” (Acts 9:5–6)

By a miracle no one can fully explain, Saul of Tarsus was turned in one second from a strong-willed, intense Pharisee who persecuted Christians into a humble, devoted slave of the Lord Jesus. It is this amazing ability of God that most eludes us. How does He do it? How can we make this happen?

When Christ came into my life, a friend said, “It takes a second to be saved — and many spend the rest of their lives trying to figure out what happened.” I agree.

An arrogant and self-sufficient man once told me that he could become a Christian anytime he wanted to, that it was totally up to him. Like most, he thinks he controls his own destiny. While in one sense our choices have bearing, to his notion that he could make himself a Christian, I said, “No, you cannot. If God does not do it, it will not happen.”

Saying “I am a Christian” does not work. The Bible is clear that this transfer out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God is not of our own doing. 

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12–13)

(The Father) has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13)

False teachers such as cult members and Christian imitators say that matters of faith are logical and make sense. In the mind of anyone who has been granted salvation, this is partly true, but even believers know that faith is largely a mystery. We cannot control what only God can do.

On the other hand, some people say that if all the above is true, then God will save them and they do not have to do anything. However, we also need to realize that the “default” for humanity is rejection of Christ and going our own way. The Bible is clear on this. No one is righteous and no one seeks God. By default, we are lost in our sin. 

None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. (Romans 3:10–12)

In an Eden-given desire to take command, sin makes us think this includes God and matters that only He knows and understands. The world’s quest for knowledge and control is rampant and quite amazing, yet we still have not figured out how to conquer our own wickedness. Instead of going to this mysterious God and asking Him for help, our default position is to stay where we are, and as some say, “take our chances.”

Yet God leaves nothing to chance. He sent Jesus, the Light of the world, and invites us to choose that direction. We cannot do it without Him, nor can we understand how He does it, but He has made it possible by His Spirit that we can be drawn out of our darkness. This happens mysteriously as He somehow makes us willing to seek the truth and turn in the direction of light.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works (including this work of turning to the light) have been carried out in God. (John 3:19–21)

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Father, I’ve been thinking about those who insist their teaching must make sense. However, some of the gospel is beyond us. I continue to pray for those who stumble over this element of mystery that is out of their comprehension zone. Grant them light and a desire to know You.

I can relate to them. I’ve spent many hours trying to figure out things that were too deep for me. Now I see that some of my effort was to give me a sense of being in control, but faith is not about control. It is about trusting You, the only One who can control everything. Thank You for revealing truth to me and for giving me a desire to seek truth in Jesus Christ. I am so undeserving. I am so blessed.