The Enlightenment... - by Matt

"There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." John 1:9

As I was reading the Gospel of John in the Prayer Room yesterday I was struck by John 1:9. Jesus is the Light that has come into the world, but so many have missed this Light and have been walking around in darkness, blind. The "Age of Enlightenment" and the "Age of Reason" that joined hands in the 18th century are what many in the Western world believe to be the time when humankind finally figured out how to figure things out. During this time and following many have rejected revelation [God's judgment of what is true, the only means to truth] and in it's place have embraced reason [man's vain attempt to judge for themselves what is truth], and thus have started a journey into building their own tower of Babel (Genesis 11). Mankind turned their face, yet again, away from God and back toward self. Liberal theologians, humanists, atheists, evolutionists, etc. have been on a journey to show that mankind can achieve and govern the universe for themselves, apart from God. As we see in John 1:9, the true "Enlightenment" is found in Jesus, the direct revelation of God. Jesus discusses Himself as the Light in John 3:14-21:

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness [see Numbers 21], even so must the Son of Man [Jesus] be lifted up; so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

I am believing more and more that the main reason people do not come to the Light is because they do not understand the mercy of God - God delights in showing mercy! When we come to this perfect God our evil deeds are exposed and we are seen for who we really are (there's no hiding from Him). We have a choice to make: We can turn from Him and walk in darkness until the day of Judgment when all will be exposed anyway. OR - We can turn to God and walk in the Light with Him as our Guide, thus we will expose our evil deeds and fall upon/accept His mercy.

Ask Him for mercy. Do not trust in your own ability to reason...Search for truth, practice truth. We are but a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow...do not think too highly of yourself, but come under the leadership of the High and Lofty One - the Light, Jesus of Nazareth. Praise God for His Son, Jesus the Promised and Coming King, who made the Way for God to show His great love for us and have mercy on us. This offer, Jesus Christ, is a no-brainer. May you receive revelation, or "be enlightened," concerning Jesus this Christmas season.

"I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life." - John 8:12