Exploring Light and Darkness

Biblical Perspectives

John 8:53
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March 30th, 2014
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Verse by verseTGNN’s Bible teaching series—book-by-book, through the lens of fulfillment and spiritual liberty.

Okay, we left off last week with the Lord actually calling the Pharisees gathered around Him Children of the Devil as they have had some rather involved discussion with Him over matters. We noted that they were claiming to be Children of Abraham . . . and as having God as their father too – but Jesus points out that they were children of the Devil.

Now, a couple biblical points here to consider.

First – and this is really difficult for some people to accept but all human beings, from birth, are children of the Devil. There was only one born a Son or Child of God. This does not mean babies and children are horny headed forked tongued full-fledged demons but the canopy of a sinful nature rests clearly over all of our heads – causing our natural views to be in some ways dark and dead.

Christ as Light

Having said this I would also suggest that there is light in all of us from birth as well – that light is Christ. Some call it conscience. But scripture says this:

In the first chapter of this book we read at verse 9, speaking of Jesus Christ John wrote . . .
“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

From this we can say that He has to some extent or another illuminated the minds or hearts of every man with the light that He was from the Beginning (when I believe God said, Let there be light.) The trouble is some refuse the darkness due to not understanding it, rebelling against it, or simply not caring about it.

In chapter 12 we will read Jesus Himself say:
(John 12:46) “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”
He also said 3:19:
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

This is what we are facing here with these religious rulers. And Romans one tells us that they are without excuse, having had the light but rejecting it.

God's Call to Humanity

There are three factors we know about God and His relationship to Man –

First, we know that He calls to all of us. By and through the light given all of us, and by and through the Holy Spirit. Those who seek and those who are of Him (meaning, whether they are His yet or not) hear His voice – they are His Sheep – but He calls to all and all have been equipped to hear.

Secondly, some – no matter how much calling they hear, facts they see, or reason they have to believe – refuse the call. We cannot kid ourselves – our free will plays into the decision to hear or not – no matter what the determinists try and suggest. Looking back we know Satan was in the presence of God and rebelled. We know that these Jews were standing in FRONT of God in the flesh and they rebelled, and we know that many will hear the truth and see by the light who too will reject it.

We can come up with all sorts of reasons but I would suggest that they ALL BOIL DOWN TO . . . "they love the darkness more than the light." It’s the reason Jesus gives us and I think that in the end, it plays. The darkness of the world does not come without temporary benefits – on this we cannot kid ourselves – if it didn’t people wouldn’t love it. And so in our flesh – and apparently, in the case of Satan, even from our spiritual will – some of us, most of us (according to scripture) love the dark more than the light.

I have to be honest here – I am one bifurcated soul when it comes to dark and light – and I make no bones about it. I love the light because He makes clear and therefore brings freedom. I love the light because He is productive on the positive side of the scales of human interaction – meaning when we forgive, and are kind, and gentle, and loving so much MORE is accomplished between us. I love the light for His (and its) selfless nature – who really appreciates the self-centered?

But I love the dark from my flesh. When I see someone I believe deserves a punch in the mouth, I love seeing it occur. I love

The Concept of Light and Darkness

The temporary rest and relaxation and the immediacy in which the dark rewards. I love the carnal nature of night, of sensory illusion, of rebellion. The question is, what and who do I (and you and others) love… MORE?

Because of Him and His light and selflessness and love and the freedom He brings… I love light more. And once the Light enters into our lives and hearts… the darkness cannot help but flee – proving that He overcomes the darkness on our behalf and we don’t have to worry about doing it ourselves.

Did you catch that? When life is filled with darkness the answer is not to fight the darkness but… to bring LIGHT… in. Which brings me to the third thing we can know about God’s involvement with fallen human kind –

First, He calls to all. Second, some respond, and others don’t, and third: He will, based on His foreknowledge and love and light have His way – with all – in the end.

No, these Pharisees were not going to escape the fires and damnation of hell (as Jesus puts it) but we have to offset this fact with the fact that Jesus also told them in Matthew 21:31:

“…That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of GodGod’s spiritual reign—fulfilled and present, not political or future. ahead of you.”

So the ugly battle of light and dark goes on here on the temple mount with Jesus telling them that they were the Children of Satan (which was especially applicable because they wanted to kill Him, which was the work of Satan who was a murderer from the beginning.

(Verse 46, chapter 8, where Jesus asks of them yet another question, saying –

Interactions with the Pharisees

John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace.? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God.. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

Okay, back to verse 46:

John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

The Nature of Belief and Truth

You have accused me of all sorts of evil and bad intention – can any of you convict (the King James says “convinceth” – same as convicteth) me of Sin? It’s one thing to have opinions about someone, and to despise their person, and quite another to prove true a justification to convict them.

Jesus follows up and asks, “And if (or since) I speak the truth, why don’t you believe me? He answers this query in the next verse, saying:

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. He that is of God – He that is a pursuer of God – truly God – will hear or receive messages when they come from Him, He seems to be saying.

In other words He implies to them that they were not able to hear God’s words because they were not of God (OR) they loved the darkness – and all of its representations – more than Him. Another way to understand this is we hear and are able to follow the commands and teachings of whatever masters us, or whatever matters most to us, or to whom or what we are slaves.

The one we love, the one we serve, the one that means most to us – His or its voice we hear. If it’s not God, we may struggle with hearing… God (which is why they could not hear or receive His truths. (verse 48)

48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and…

The Accusations Against Jesus

Weren’t we correct (Did we not say well) that you are a Samaritan and have a devil? Insults. Of course Samarian was a pejorative as they were considered the lowest of low and I guess the only thing more vile would be a demon. The connection between the terms Samaritan and Demon seem to be this – Jesus had just told them that they were NOT of God – something the Samaritans ALSO said of them. Since such an accusation was so inflammatory it had to be demonically driven – and I would suggest this is the connection between the two terms.

49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me. This is a point He has made over – love God, you will love and receive me. Reject me, you do not love God. And He repeats something else He makes very clear

50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. He was NOT there for His own praise or honor but to glorify the Father, the invisible God.

The Challenge of Glorifying God

Another distinguishing factor between our King and Redeemer and the rest of us. He did the Father’s will and sought the Father’s glory. We have a real hard time keeping our eyes (and motives and intentions) fixed on Christ, don’t we? It’s a really, really good tool believers can use to run a personal inventory of their walk – to ask ourselves, “Why am I doing this? Is it to the glory of God alone? Is it for His will and work or is some of it, most of it, or all of it, for mine?” There is no shame in changing course or direction if you discover that the road you are on (whether that road be our beliefs, our arguments, our attitudes or arguments) to change course. Sometimes, we might mean well (and even think we are doing the will of God in some thing) but upon reflection realize we got caught up in our own agenda. I have done this a number of times and unfortunately some of them have been public. But better is a man who changes courses in the cause of God than one who is consistent in the cause of self.

In addition, from these words of the Lord we can see He walked by ultimate faith – serving as a perfect model. When He says, “I don’t seek my own will and then there is one who seeketh and judgeth,” He is saying God is the one who seeks His own will to be done, and He leaves the decisions in His hands – trusts in His purview and ways – and does NOTHING of Himself.

The Promise of Eternal Life

Then the Lord says something really wild (when we think about it).

51 “Verily, verily, I say unto you,” (which means, this is vitally important for you to hear – READY) “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”

“If a man keeps my saying.” Now, He had just told them that He doee nothing on his own, nothing of Himself, so when He says if a man keep MY sayings we can interpret this to mean, If a man does what my father has told me to teach. He’s taught a lot of things but in the end all of it comes down to believing on Him and loving. “So if a man believes on me, and then loves God and others as a result . . .” he says . . . “He shall never see death.”

The word for see here in the Greek is Theoreo and does not mean see physically (that’s blepo) but to experience or discern . . . death. Let’s work through this for a minute. Chuck Smith believed on Jesus and His words and last year he . . . died. I believe on the words of Christ and I am going to . . die. I thought if we believe on Him we would NEVER experience death? I put it in this sophomoric way to show we are not talking about physical death here. We are talking about the death of the soul – which scripture calls the second death. Again, this is the death He is speaking about. Believe on Him and His words and nobody will experience the second death. Yes, he overcame the effects of physical death, but as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive, so we know we will all physically die but we

The Second Death in Revelation

to struggle with fears, liars, and unbelieving moments.

What is being said here?

1. John is talking about their non-redeemed state. All of them who remain such will suffer the second death in the Lake of Fire.

2. None of these sins are unforgivable unless they are cherished and held onto through this life – this includes not believing when truth is readily available.

3. Those who overcome through Christ are not going to "suffer hurt" from the second death.

Revelation Passages on the Second Death

Revelation 2:11 says “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”

The word overcometh and the concept of it is all over scripture. It is essentially a description of those who overcome the world by and through faith in Him – believers, simply put. This first passage here in Revelation says something unique – shall not be hurt of the second death – the Greek is idekeo and means shall not suffer loss.

The second passage says:

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

I’m not going to go into the end time stuff on this and whether or not this has or will occur, I am just pointing out that first resurrection folk are not subject to this second death.

The Lake of Fire as the Second Death

The third passage says:

Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

From this we know that when hell and death are cast into the Lake of Fire this is the Second Death.

Believe on Him – escape it.

Then the final verse that describes the Lake of Fire is troubling, quite frankly, and it can be understood in a number of ways.

First let’s read what it says:

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Now, in the company of all the rest of scripture we have to make a highly supported statement that this verse means all unforgiven men and women who in their sin remain “fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters and liars.”

There are those who would say that this verse is literal and whether a believer or not, nobody who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven who is guilty of these crimes. I would suggest that if this is the case the Kingdom of Heaven is going to be almost empty because even though most believers do not continue to be “abominable, murderers, whoremongers, and sorcerers,” many continue to struggle with fears, liars, and unbelieving moments.

New Testament Teachings on Salvation and Moral Standards

In the New Testament, numerous passages articulate a clear message: believers contend with fear, unbelief, and moral failings, yet salvation lies not in moral perfection but in faith. Paul's writings, along with other scriptures, emphasize salvation's dependency on faith rather than human morality.

Understanding Paul's Teachings

For instance, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul warns that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. He mentions various sins, such as fornication and idolatry, as disqualifiers. However, reading further to verse 11, we see a crucial follow-up: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” This passage highlights that redemption and transformation occur through Christ, not personal merit.

Similarly, Galatians 5:19-25 lists the works of the flesh, contrasting them with the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” Paul distinguishes between the lifestyles of the flesh and those walking in the SpiritLiving in trust and love under God’s Spirit—free from law or religious obligation.. The principle emerges that those living by the flesh are not Spirit-filled Christians. True Christians, although warring with the flesh, walk by the Spirit.

A Matter of Identity in Christ

Paul's letter to the Ephesians echoes this sentiment, warning against sin but urging believers to live as “children of light.” Ephesians 5:5-8 speaks to the transformative power of faith and identity in Christ: “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” The emphasis remains on the distinction between past darkness and present light in Jesus.

Addressing Hebrews' Warnings

The writer of Hebrews provides another layer to this discussion. In Hebrews 12:14-15, the call is to follow peace and holiness: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” This holiness and peace are gifts imputed to us by Christ. The warning against a “root of bitterness” in verse 15 suggests a potential for falling away yet focuses on the importance of maintaining faith and avoiding unbelief.

In summary, these passages collectively affirm that while believers may struggle with various issues, their salvation is rooted in faith and identity in Christ. The New Testament underscores a life led by the Spirit as the hallmark of true Christianity, not moral flawlessness. These teachings call believers to uphold spiritual growth and grace through faith.

Understanding "Never See Death"

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. (never see the second death).

One final note on this passage which is of interest. These are the literal Greek words that are in this passage:

”saying” “never” “see death

We notice that in this list of Greek words where Christ says “never see” as in “he shall never see death” that the Greek words are “ou me eis aion theoreo.” The best translation, using all these Greek words in the passage says (according to Young’s): “verily, verily, I say to you, If any one may keep my word, death he may not see–to the age.”

Second Death and Eternal Life

This opens us up to one final concept to consider relative to the words never see “the second death.” It is worth consideration but those who do NOT believe on His words in this life, who go to the Lake of Fire and see the second death – “see it” – experience it, are hurt by it, suffer loss in it,” . . . until the end of the ageThe close of the old covenant era, fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not the end of the world..

Believe on Him – inherit life eternal, be of the first resurrection, experience justification for sin, sanctification in life, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and enter into heaven, never experiencing the second death. Reject Him and His message, and forget about it – hell, second resurrection, great white throne judgment, Google search through the Lambs book of Life for your name, and if nothing found, Lake of Fire.

Jewish Misunderstanding

Well the Jews misunderstood the Lord here and thought He was speaking of physical death when He said NEVER see death. (verse 52 and 53)

52 Then said the Jews unto him, “Now we know that thou hast a devil.”

Now we know you are demon possessed, they say, as the Greek word here is daimonion not diabolos, meaning the devil himself . . . “now we know you are demon possessed . . .”

“Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?”

Now we know you are absolutely deranged, they say, because NOW you are suggesting that you can keep your followers from dying! Then they ask three questions: “Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead (who died?) Are you greater than the prophets (who are dead too) and, “Who are you making yourself out to be?”

In other words . . . “the greatest have died physically before you! Abraham the FATHER of our faith, the Prophets! and here you come along and are telling us that those who believe on your teachings, on you – a Samaritan, a product of fornication, a deceiver, a Nazarene, and a demon possessed man – that if we believe on your teachings we shall never die! What the????

(long beat)

And we will finish the chapter next week – when we will also share in communion.

Q? Prayer