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Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Love, light, life

Light, Life and love.

Many years ago the Beatles sang ‘ all you need is love’. Well is that true? No, it is not true. I know Christians who have imbibed such a deception!
The great apostle of love (John) began his gospel writings with the essential link between the life of God becoming the light of mankind. I might have thought that the light of God would have become the  light of man, but it is recorded as : “in Him was life, and the life was the light of man” (John 1:4)

You might remember that God said : “Let there be light and there was light”[Genesis 1] This happened before the sun or moon were created. Light from God has the priority as so much in creation is dependent upon light.

In John chapter 1, it is God Himself stepping into time and space  as the light. This is the distinctive of Christianity – the life and teachings and death of the Lord Jesus, the son of God are the major theme of the Bible. It is His life that brings light as well as love. The love of God is spoken of as the great motive that caused God to send His Son into the world (John 3.16)

Light is essentially from God – otherwise it is darkness
Life is only from God – outside of God it is death
Love is the reality of God in action- in contrast to the destructive work of the devil.

To take one of these without the other is an insult to the very character of God. The varying rays of God’s character may shine more brightly in varying circumstances, but the unity and fullness of God remains complete.

This is why the Lord Jesus was able to say: “I am the way , the truth and the life” [John 14]  To receive  Him, is to receive life. To know Him is to know truth . To trust Him is to rest in His love.

How sad it was that He had to say – ‘you will not come to me that you might have life!’

johnmckee@internode.on.net 

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