Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
Take heed that the inner light is truly light and not darkness, for a wholly sound eye fills the whole person with light while any evil leaves the body in darkness. What seems to be spiritual light can in fact be darkness when idols are harbored and wrongdoing separates from God without discernment to remove the obstruction. Light not heeded and not put to use becomes darkness, and delaying known duty perverts judgment, weakens purpose against temptation, and hardens the heart against further instruction. The greater the light received and rejected, the greater the resulting darkness, for accountable beings must walk in the light given them and will be judged by truth that reached the understanding. Light is kept as light by continually beholding Christ and obeying the truth, which sanctifies, changes character and reflects to others, but it becomes darkness through preferring error, letting the world come between, resisting the Spirit, and cherishing pride and unconfessed sin.
Meaning and Setting
Take heed to examine whether the light within is truly light or has become darkness. A sound, single eye fills the whole person with light, while an evil eye leaves the body in darkness. Therefore the inner light must be wholly genuine, with no part dark. What seems to be spiritual light may in fact be darkness, and this applies to professed believers whose harbored idols and wrongdoing separate them from God. Such ones may be spiritually dark yet unaware of their condition, lacking discernment to recognize and remove what obstructs their relationship with God.
The warning belongs to woes spoken against oppression, dishonesty in trade, injustice and unfair dealing. It was uttered with tears of regret and compassion for sufferers, to relieve oppression caused by injustice, to show with clearness the consequence of even the least injustice, and to urge compassion. In it Christ identifies Himself with victims of wrongdoing and suffering when those He purchased with His blood are injured, wronged and insulted under the shield of divine protection. The denunciation was followed by exclamations of deepest sorrow, weeping over Jerusalem at the end of His mission when its three-year probation of seeking fruit had ended. Even then He still desired that the thankless, disobedient people receive solemn warnings and gracious invitations, comprehend Him as the promised Messiah clothed in humanity and their only hope, and come to Him for life and peace before wrath, siege and desolation hid those things from their eyes.
How Light Becomes Darkness
Searching for truth, discerning it and obeying it brings actions into accord with truth, and truth sanctifies, but refusing to seek truth and preferring error leaves the soul dark, and false belief corrupts conduct and character because error cannot sanctify or do any good. Merely appearing to have spiritual light is not enough when Christ is no longer kept in view, for continually beholding Him fills the mind with His light, brings peace and changes the character, and the light thus received is reflected to others through practical obedience. Christ is the great light and Christians are appointed to reflect Him to those exposed to the dangers of temptation, yet each must take care that the inner light does not grow dim or fail, for when the world comes between the church and Christ its light grows dim and unseen souls may be placed in spiritual danger for lack of that light.
While dense darkness covers the world the true light is shining, and those favored above every other people with greater spiritual blessings than any other age must meet it with corresponding obedience that makes them wise, humble and holy, for the great light, like the pillar of fire that shone upon Israel, becomes darkness to all who do not walk in its rays. Light not heeded becomes darkness, and the greater the light rejected the greater the resulting darkness, so the duty is to respond to the truth available in one's own time and to continue the work of reform rather than neglecting new light. As just and right Judge, God requires rational accountable beings to walk in the light shining upon them according to the grace and truth given them, with every righteous requirement remaining in force until fully met, and if they do not walk in that light the light in them becomes darkness in proportion to the amount of light received. Condemnation and banishment from the Lord's presence come not from lack of knowledge but from truth that reached the understanding and light that illuminated the soul, which will judge and condemn if turned away from and refused, for light never received never becomes darkness and blindness brings no sin, while great light unfolded to the understanding brings accountability to advance in knowledge and true holiness and to exhibit union and oneness with Christ in character and works.
When the Spirit's appeals and warnings are repeatedly resisted, even truth already known can become so perverted that it deepens spiritual blindness until the person stops responding to the Spirit. Light received but not heeded or put to use becomes darkness, and unimproved light and blessings bring condemnation, deepen spiritual darkness and make people less responsive to God's Spirit, while refusing instruction hardens the heart. Delaying obedience to a duty already made clear can turn a person's light into darkness, perverting mind and judgment, while neglected opportunities and unimproved blessings weaken good purposes and leave less strength to resist temptation, opening the way to presumptuous sins. Light is disregarded and becomes darkness by failing to heed God's reproofs and warnings and by allowing unwise counsellors to guide policy, leaving the person without a clean record before God.
Light received can become darkness when a person refuses to walk in it, for those who know God's will but hold back from surrender because of worldly interests grow estranged from commandment keepers and may come to regard what is dark as light, and continuing in chosen habits does not weaken them but deepens the loss of discernment. Those who have received light must live according to the truth, and if they refuse to cooperate with the people and agencies God uses in His work, their light becomes darkness and they are brought into confusion. Spiritual light within can become darkness through pride, self-esteem, unconfessed sin and refusal to humble oneself and follow God's guidance, which lets the enemy work through the person instead, so to keep that light from becoming darkness people must humble themselves before God, obey His Word and let Him use them as lights amid the world's moral darkness. The light within must truly be light and not darkness, and when it is not darkness people will be drawn to acknowledge the truth and the church will be filled, while harsh and discourteous words do not fit a gathering where God is present and heavenly beings are working on human minds.
Take heed that the inner light is truly light and not darkness, for a wholly sound eye fills the whole person with light while any evil leaves the body in darkness. What seems to be spiritual light can in fact be darkness when idols are harbored and wrongdoing separates from God without discernment to remove the obstruction. Light not heeded and not put to use becomes darkness, and delaying known duty perverts judgment, weakens purpose against temptation, and hardens the heart against further instruction. The greater the light received and rejected, the greater the resulting darkness, for accountable beings must walk in the light given them and will be judged by truth that reached the understanding. Light is kept as light by continually beholding Christ and obeying the truth, which sanctifies, changes character and reflects to others, but it becomes darkness through preferring error, letting the world come between, resisting the Spirit, and cherishing pride and unconfessed sin.
Meaning and Setting
Take heed to examine whether the light within is truly light or has become darkness. A sound, single eye fills the whole person with light, while an evil eye leaves the body in darkness. Therefore the inner light must be wholly genuine, with no part dark. What seems to be spiritual light may in fact be darkness, and this applies to professed believers whose harbored idols and wrongdoing separate them from God. Such ones may be spiritually dark yet unaware of their condition, lacking discernment to recognize and remove what obstructs their relationship with God.
The warning belongs to woes spoken against oppression, dishonesty in trade, injustice and unfair dealing. It was uttered with tears of regret and compassion for sufferers, to relieve oppression caused by injustice, to show with clearness the consequence of even the least injustice, and to urge compassion. In it Christ identifies Himself with victims of wrongdoing and suffering when those He purchased with His blood are injured, wronged and insulted under the shield of divine protection. The denunciation was followed by exclamations of deepest sorrow, weeping over Jerusalem at the end of His mission when its three-year probation of seeking fruit had ended. Even then He still desired that the thankless, disobedient people receive solemn warnings and gracious invitations, comprehend Him as the promised Messiah clothed in humanity and their only hope, and come to Him for life and peace before wrath, siege and desolation hid those things from their eyes.
How Light Becomes Darkness
Searching for truth, discerning it and obeying it brings actions into accord with truth, and truth sanctifies, but refusing to seek truth and preferring error leaves the soul dark, and false belief corrupts conduct and character because error cannot sanctify or do any good. Merely appearing to have spiritual light is not enough when Christ is no longer kept in view, for continually beholding Him fills the mind with His light, brings peace and changes the character, and the light thus received is reflected to others through practical obedience. Christ is the great light and Christians are appointed to reflect Him to those exposed to the dangers of temptation, yet each must take care that the inner light does not grow dim or fail, for when the world comes between the church and Christ its light grows dim and unseen souls may be placed in spiritual danger for lack of that light.
While dense darkness covers the world the true light is shining, and those favored above every other people with greater spiritual blessings than any other age must meet it with corresponding obedience that makes them wise, humble and holy, for the great light, like the pillar of fire that shone upon Israel, becomes darkness to all who do not walk in its rays. Light not heeded becomes darkness, and the greater the light rejected the greater the resulting darkness, so the duty is to respond to the truth available in one's own time and to continue the work of reform rather than neglecting new light. As just and right Judge, God requires rational accountable beings to walk in the light shining upon them according to the grace and truth given them, with every righteous requirement remaining in force until fully met, and if they do not walk in that light the light in them becomes darkness in proportion to the amount of light received. Condemnation and banishment from the Lord's presence come not from lack of knowledge but from truth that reached the understanding and light that illuminated the soul, which will judge and condemn if turned away from and refused, for light never received never becomes darkness and blindness brings no sin, while great light unfolded to the understanding brings accountability to advance in knowledge and true holiness and to exhibit union and oneness with Christ in character and works.
When the Spirit's appeals and warnings are repeatedly resisted, even truth already known can become so perverted that it deepens spiritual blindness until the person stops responding to the Spirit. Light received but not heeded or put to use becomes darkness, and unimproved light and blessings bring condemnation, deepen spiritual darkness and make people less responsive to God's Spirit, while refusing instruction hardens the heart. Delaying obedience to a duty already made clear can turn a person's light into darkness, perverting mind and judgment, while neglected opportunities and unimproved blessings weaken good purposes and leave less strength to resist temptation, opening the way to presumptuous sins. Light is disregarded and becomes darkness by failing to heed God's reproofs and warnings and by allowing unwise counsellors to guide policy, leaving the person without a clean record before God.
Light received can become darkness when a person refuses to walk in it, for those who know God's will but hold back from surrender because of worldly interests grow estranged from commandment keepers and may come to regard what is dark as light, and continuing in chosen habits does not weaken them but deepens the loss of discernment. Those who have received light must live according to the truth, and if they refuse to cooperate with the people and agencies God uses in His work, their light becomes darkness and they are brought into confusion. Spiritual light within can become darkness through pride, self-esteem, unconfessed sin and refusal to humble oneself and follow God's guidance, which lets the enemy work through the person instead, so to keep that light from becoming darkness people must humble themselves before God, obey His Word and let Him use them as lights amid the world's moral darkness. The light within must truly be light and not darkness, and when it is not darkness people will be drawn to acknowledge the truth and the church will be filled, while harsh and discourteous words do not fit a gathering where God is present and heavenly beings are working on human minds.