Life Produces Light

Lesson #7

“In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind” (John 1:4 NET). As part of creation Adam was created and given life and became an image of God. But this life was the light of mankind. It removed darkness and gave one the ability to see, but to see what? Consider the following: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3 – 4 NET).

As the image of God, Adam was created with this life that was in Jesus, the Son of God. This life provided Adam with the ability to see by removing darkness. This light gives understanding to the minds of those who believe and have the Son of God living within. At creation God gave Adam freedom of choice and placed a test before him. He was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of good and evil. If he did he would die. As the story goes, Satan shows up and convinces Eve that she would be more like God if she ate the fruit. Both she and Adam ate and their minds were blinded to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. All future offspring would now be born lacking spiritual life and thus lacking light that would allow them to understand spiritual things. Without this light no one has the ability to understand; no one desires to seek for God (Romans 3:11).

Consider the apostle Paul. Breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, he was headed toward Damascus when “suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 9:3 – 5 ESV). That light from God removed enough spiritual blindness to allow Paul, called Saul at the time, to understand things he never could before. This work of God in his life completely change the direction of Paul’s life. Without this life and the light it provides a person remains in spiritual death and darkness.

Prayer

Father, I am so very thankful that you chose a sinner like me to enlighten my desire to understand the gospel of Christ. Thank you for causing me to be born again; to experience eternal life and to understand spiritual things. Thank you for adopting me into the family of God to enjoy an eternal relationship of love with you and the body of believers. Thank you for causing Jesus to be my life and my light of understanding.