A series of articles exploring teachings from the Good News as reavealed by God in His Word to us.


The light that has enlightens every man.

One gentleman I met looked to John1:9 for hope for non-Christian and all mankind:

John 1:9 He was [and is - Greek verb eŻn is imperfect tense meaning that it is an ongoing action] the true Light, which enlightens every man, coming to the world;

Candle

What does a light do?
If you put a candle in a completely dark room, what do you see? You see the candle first, and then everything else is lit by the candle.

In much the same way, Jesus came into a world of darkness (John 1:5,3:19) and was the only Light of the world. By creation itself (not to mention the Scriptures), men are exposed to that Light (Romans 1:20-21, Psalms 19:1-4, Psalms 97:6). That light "lightens" all in darkness. All mankind is in darkness (John 1:5,John 1:10,John 3:19,John 7:7, John 12:46). All men have sinned and are in bondage to sin. It is only when God intervenes and brings us back to spiritual life from being spiritually dead, that we recognize that Light and that Light enters us:
Joh 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

Clearly, the author of Hebrews recognizes this as he refers to his audience as "being enlightened" - enlightened is the exact same Greek word (photizo) translated as "enlightens" in John 1:9. The light was always there, but they became enlightened when God intervened.
Heb 10:32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,

If we only see that Light and are only "lit" by that light, then, we are no better than the Jews of Jesus' time who had the Light shining as bright as can be right before their very eyes, and were still only lit by that Light... never coming to that Light for salvation.

God is not teaching that we all have a part of that Light in John1:9, He is teaching us that Jesus is the Light to which we must turn. He is the only Light... there is no other out there... none.

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