I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
Jesus came into the world as light from heaven, in whom there is no darkness, shining amid moral darkness to bring divine truth and open the way to life so that whoever believes on Him should not remain in darkness. To believe in Him is to believe not in Him alone but in the Father who sent Him, and to see Him is to see the Father who sent Him. He did not come to judge the world but to save it, yet whoever rejects Him and refuses His words will be judged in the last day by the very word He spoke, which is the Father's commandment of everlasting life. The light is with men only a little while, so they must walk while they have the light and believe in the light to become children of light, advancing step by step in obedience on the pathway shining before them. Those who choose darkness rather than light blind their eyes until they cannot discern heavenly light and mistake human ideas for truth, so every person must choose between Christ and the world, between light and darkness, by self-surrender to Him rather than serving self apart from Him.
Christ Comes as Light
The words were cried out from intense desire that men receive truth and live. They were spoken just before betrayal and death. They still speak at the very close of this earth's history, reading every heart and knowing the sentiments of every soul. They were originally spoken of the Jews.
He came into the world as light from heaven, so that everyone who believes in Him does not stay in darkness. In Him there is no darkness, for His truth shines clearly. That light is revealed in His gospel and in His work for humanity. It shines amid moral darkness to bring divine truth and open the way to life for all peoples, so that people would not remain in ignorance, superstition, and error. If His light were withdrawn, the world would be left in eternal darkness.
Believing in Him is believing not in Him alone but in the Father who sent Him. Seeing Him is seeing the Father who sent Him.
He did not come to judge the world but to save it, so one who hears His words without believing does not receive immediate judgment from Him. He did not speak of Himself, but what He speaks is the commandment the Father gave Him to speak, and that commandment is everlasting life. Yet whoever rejects Him and does not receive His words has one that judges him, and the word He spoke will judge him in the last day. His coming is for judgment, so that those who see their blindness may see while those who claim to see are made blind.
God presents salvation to all people and gives it to those who believe. He has made believers His own by buying them at a price beyond computation. He shed His blood for them, and those for whom He shed His blood are required to trust and believe in Him. He urges all to accept His free invitation and to freely receive the water of life, and this is the gospel of good news and glad tidings of great joy to be proclaimed. This promise gives assurance of God's love and comfort, and believers have a right to lay hold of it. Every soul is precious in His sight because He died for all, and all are capable of being made trophies of His grace and heirs of heaven, while the Holy Spirit bears with people year after year and guards them with unceasing vigilance so they will not disappoint the Saviour.
Rejecting Light Brings Darkness
Choosing darkness rather than light blinds the eyes so that heavenly light cannot be discerned and the evidences God has given carry no weight. That choice affects the whole tenor of thoughts, decisions, propositions and counsels, with inclination to accept falsehood and to mistake human ideas and self-made theories for light. Those who originate what they call light walk only in sparks of their own kindling and shall lie down in sorrow. Making light of the message God sends is making light of the Word of God, and every rejected appeal hardens the heart until men cease to recognize light and are surrounded by cold darkness.
Believing in Christ means receiving the light rather than resisting it or choosing human approval over God's favor. It brings people out of spiritual darkness to forgiveness, light, happiness and a new love for Him, while unbelief keeps the soul in darkness. No one needs to remain in darkness and unbelief, for those in the dark cellar of unbelief who will come out will see the sunshine.
Seeing Christ by living faith and abiding in Him brings conversion of the heart and transformation into His likeness by beholding Him with self lost sight of. It brings perfection in God's sight by claiming forgiveness by living faith. Full submission to the sanctifying process removes natural tendencies and habits to become patient, kind, forbearing and compassionate. It gives power to work miracles for His glory.
Walking in Present Light
The light is present only a little while, so men must walk while they have the light lest darkness come upon them, and while they have light they must believe in the light that they may become children of light. Whoever believes must advance step by step with Him and walk in the light shining on his own pathway. Hearing His words calls for belief and obedience that practices His teachings and walks in the light.
Greater light is given to this generation than was given to the fathers, in privileges and opportunities of clearer light revealed through searching the Scriptures where truth is constantly unfolding. The fathers who cherished the light of their day and walked in it are not demerited in piety, are not lost, and are not accountable for light that never came to them. Those who now receive clearer light must be faithful in improving it and follow on to know the Lord in it. They cannot render acceptable service by doing only as the fathers did or by refusing increased light on the Sabbath because the fathers kept Sunday.
The verse presents the individual need of coming to the light and keeping in the channel of light by receiving present truth, the special message given to our world, even the third angel's message, which comprehends a vast field containing heavenly treasures. No one is excusable in saying he will have nothing to do with these special messages and will preach Christ only, for no one can preach Christ and present the truth as it is in Jesus unless he presents the truths that are to come before the people at the present time when such important developments are taking place. At the time of the loud cry those in any measure blinded by the enemy and not fully recovered from Satan's snare will be in peril, finding it difficult to discern light from heaven.
The verse calls for self-surrender and self-denial to become willing subjects of Christ's kingdom in God's appointed way, rather than choosing one's own way and will and serving self apart from Christ, which costs the loss of the soul. Every person must choose between Christ and the world, between light and darkness and unbelief. Men who refuse the light from heaven because their deeds are evil choose darkness rather than light, pull away the shoulder, stop their ears lest they hear, refuse to take Christ's yoke and lift His burden, and neglect God, which is a terrible calamity. Those who choose God as their portion yield to the Holy Spirit, open their hearts to Jesus, and separate from the world, even from neighbors and family who will not hear and believe.
Jesus came into the world as light from heaven, in whom there is no darkness, shining amid moral darkness to bring divine truth and open the way to life so that whoever believes on Him should not remain in darkness. To believe in Him is to believe not in Him alone but in the Father who sent Him, and to see Him is to see the Father who sent Him. He did not come to judge the world but to save it, yet whoever rejects Him and refuses His words will be judged in the last day by the very word He spoke, which is the Father's commandment of everlasting life. The light is with men only a little while, so they must walk while they have the light and believe in the light to become children of light, advancing step by step in obedience on the pathway shining before them. Those who choose darkness rather than light blind their eyes until they cannot discern heavenly light and mistake human ideas for truth, so every person must choose between Christ and the world, between light and darkness, by self-surrender to Him rather than serving self apart from Him.
Christ Comes as Light
The words were cried out from intense desire that men receive truth and live. They were spoken just before betrayal and death. They still speak at the very close of this earth's history, reading every heart and knowing the sentiments of every soul. They were originally spoken of the Jews.
He came into the world as light from heaven, so that everyone who believes in Him does not stay in darkness. In Him there is no darkness, for His truth shines clearly. That light is revealed in His gospel and in His work for humanity. It shines amid moral darkness to bring divine truth and open the way to life for all peoples, so that people would not remain in ignorance, superstition, and error. If His light were withdrawn, the world would be left in eternal darkness.
Believing in Him is believing not in Him alone but in the Father who sent Him. Seeing Him is seeing the Father who sent Him.
He did not come to judge the world but to save it, so one who hears His words without believing does not receive immediate judgment from Him. He did not speak of Himself, but what He speaks is the commandment the Father gave Him to speak, and that commandment is everlasting life. Yet whoever rejects Him and does not receive His words has one that judges him, and the word He spoke will judge him in the last day. His coming is for judgment, so that those who see their blindness may see while those who claim to see are made blind.
God presents salvation to all people and gives it to those who believe. He has made believers His own by buying them at a price beyond computation. He shed His blood for them, and those for whom He shed His blood are required to trust and believe in Him. He urges all to accept His free invitation and to freely receive the water of life, and this is the gospel of good news and glad tidings of great joy to be proclaimed. This promise gives assurance of God's love and comfort, and believers have a right to lay hold of it. Every soul is precious in His sight because He died for all, and all are capable of being made trophies of His grace and heirs of heaven, while the Holy Spirit bears with people year after year and guards them with unceasing vigilance so they will not disappoint the Saviour.
Rejecting Light Brings Darkness
Choosing darkness rather than light blinds the eyes so that heavenly light cannot be discerned and the evidences God has given carry no weight. That choice affects the whole tenor of thoughts, decisions, propositions and counsels, with inclination to accept falsehood and to mistake human ideas and self-made theories for light. Those who originate what they call light walk only in sparks of their own kindling and shall lie down in sorrow. Making light of the message God sends is making light of the Word of God, and every rejected appeal hardens the heart until men cease to recognize light and are surrounded by cold darkness.
Believing in Christ means receiving the light rather than resisting it or choosing human approval over God's favor. It brings people out of spiritual darkness to forgiveness, light, happiness and a new love for Him, while unbelief keeps the soul in darkness. No one needs to remain in darkness and unbelief, for those in the dark cellar of unbelief who will come out will see the sunshine.
Seeing Christ by living faith and abiding in Him brings conversion of the heart and transformation into His likeness by beholding Him with self lost sight of. It brings perfection in God's sight by claiming forgiveness by living faith. Full submission to the sanctifying process removes natural tendencies and habits to become patient, kind, forbearing and compassionate. It gives power to work miracles for His glory.
Walking in Present Light
The light is present only a little while, so men must walk while they have the light lest darkness come upon them, and while they have light they must believe in the light that they may become children of light. Whoever believes must advance step by step with Him and walk in the light shining on his own pathway. Hearing His words calls for belief and obedience that practices His teachings and walks in the light.
Greater light is given to this generation than was given to the fathers, in privileges and opportunities of clearer light revealed through searching the Scriptures where truth is constantly unfolding. The fathers who cherished the light of their day and walked in it are not demerited in piety, are not lost, and are not accountable for light that never came to them. Those who now receive clearer light must be faithful in improving it and follow on to know the Lord in it. They cannot render acceptable service by doing only as the fathers did or by refusing increased light on the Sabbath because the fathers kept Sunday.
The verse presents the individual need of coming to the light and keeping in the channel of light by receiving present truth, the special message given to our world, even the third angel's message, which comprehends a vast field containing heavenly treasures. No one is excusable in saying he will have nothing to do with these special messages and will preach Christ only, for no one can preach Christ and present the truth as it is in Jesus unless he presents the truths that are to come before the people at the present time when such important developments are taking place. At the time of the loud cry those in any measure blinded by the enemy and not fully recovered from Satan's snare will be in peril, finding it difficult to discern light from heaven.
The verse calls for self-surrender and self-denial to become willing subjects of Christ's kingdom in God's appointed way, rather than choosing one's own way and will and serving self apart from Christ, which costs the loss of the soul. Every person must choose between Christ and the world, between light and darkness and unbelief. Men who refuse the light from heaven because their deeds are evil choose darkness rather than light, pull away the shoulder, stop their ears lest they hear, refuse to take Christ's yoke and lift His burden, and neglect God, which is a terrible calamity. Those who choose God as their portion yield to the Holy Spirit, open their hearts to Jesus, and separate from the world, even from neighbors and family who will not hear and believe.