Illuminated by the Spirit Yesterday, July 18, 2014, 3:20:00 AM | [email protected] (Grace to You)Go to full article That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). In the natural realm, darkness can be a debilitating and frightening thing. The story is told of a missionary who was on board ship one dark night when suddenly he was awakened by the frantic cry of Man overboard! Immediately he arose from his bunk, grabbed the portable lamp from its bracket, and held it at the window of his cabin. He couldnt see anything, but the next morning he was told that the flash of his lamp through the porthole emitted just enough light to enable those on deck to see the missing man clinging to a rope. They rescued him seconds before his strength would have given out. The light had shone just in time to save the mans life. In the spiritual realm, darkness is even more devastating because it represents sin with all its disastrous consequences. First John 1:5-6 says, God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. Unbelievers are characterized as children of darkness. They are enslaved to Satan, the prince of darkness, who blinds their minds so they dont see the light of Christs glorious gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). They love darkness and reject light because they dont want their evil deeds to be exposed (John 3:19-20). Christians, however, have been called out of darkness into Gods marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). That refers to Gods taking the initiative to save us. As an unredeemed sinner, you could never have turned from darkness on your own because you had neither the ability nor the desire to do so. God had to grant you saving grace and the illumination of His Spirit so you could recognize truth and respond accordingly. That blessed privilege is known only to Christians. What a joy—not only to recognize Gods truth, but also to walk in it daily! Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God for illuminating your mind and enabling you to see spiritual truth. Pray diligently for others to be so illuminated. For Further Study: Read 1 John 1:5—2:11. Contrast the children of darkness with the children of light.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 17:08:10 +0000
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