Christ As Light
I am the light
Light illuminates our innermost being. The Bible uses light as a metaphor for divine presence. The eyes of our hearts can perceive this light. It is accessible and available to everyone. This light is not just for mystics. All can access this universal light in Christ, who is the light of the world. We are called to walk in this light.
Fear and anxiety emerge within us when our view is unclear. Light dispels darkness, helping us see reality more clearly. In the light, fear and anxiety fade, enabling us to walk without stumbling.
In contact with God as the source, the divine current of Spirit flows through our being. It functions like electricity flowing through a light bulb, illuminating us and our surroundings. The lamp within needs to be lit, and the oil of Spirit must be supplied to keep it burning.
Physical light is essential for physical health. Likewise, our inner being needs regular exposure to divine light to stay healthy. Walk in the light as He is in the light. The life we have in Christ grows through this light.
Light was the first step in creation. Genesis begins with an earth covered in darkness. Then, God speaks forth light. That becomes a foundation for the unfolding of life. Space is formed by separating light from darkness, land from sea, and the expanse above from the earth below. Various life forms, starting with plants, emerge progressively.
Human life is the pinnacle of creation. Made in God's image from the clay of the earth and receiving God's breath from above, humans become living souls. Earthly yet infused with divine heavenly essence, humans are endowed with the capacity for God-consciousness. God blesses them to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth.
The creation story in Genesis can also be viewed as an allegory for the human experience. The emergence of light from darkness across a desolate, empty landscape mirrors a human journey shared by many lives, from profound despair to the blessing of dominion over the earth. That is the arc of the eternal creation story.
Light also begins a new creation. Paul explains the Christian experience by comparing it to the illumination of creation. The God who said, “Out of darkness light shall shine,” is the same One who has shone in our hearts.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
This shining brings forth a new creation in Christ. Old things become new inwardly, just as the old earth became new in Genesis. Once plunged into darkness, a new space is now created in our consciousness. Darkness is separated from light, just as in Genesis.
This new creation is what truly matters. It overrides religious and non-religious statuses. All old distinctions are eliminated in this newness.
For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but a new creation.
The shining of God's light within us begins and sustains the life of the spirit. Walking in newness of life is supported by that inner light.
Light is a recurring theme in the Old Testament. Moses encounters God in a flame of fire. The sight of the fire that does not consume the thornbush captures Moses’s attention. The divine fire burns without using the thornbush as fuel. This is also how God draws our attention – the spirit burns within us, without using us as fuel.
During the journey through the wilderness, a pillar of fire guides the way at night. Moses’s face shone after he spoke with God at Mount Sinai.
Job amidst suffering speaks of “a time when His lamp shone on my head, and by His light, I walked through darkness.”
Psalmists and prophets also use the imagery of light:
Let the light of Your face shine upon us.
In Your light we see light.
Blessed are those who walk in the light of Your presence.
Light is consistently used to describe the human experience of God across many generations. Many have borne witness to this light.
In the Tabernacle, the lampstand is a vital feature. The tabernacle lacks natural light or windows; all illumination comes from the oil of pressed olives that fuels the lamps. His people are to keep the light burning continuously. The light serves as a testimony.
Christ enlightens every individual. The coming of Christ is perceived as a great light. He comes to those who sit in darkness. He is a light that darkness cannot eclipse. The contrast between light and darkness echoes back to Genesis, where the earth was enveloped in darkness.
Christ announces light — that is the essence of the message. There is a call from darkness to light.
I am the light.
He who follows Me shall possess the light of life.
The mission of the incarnation is to bring divine light to humanity. Darkness represents humanity's problem, while light is the divine solution.
Christ is recognized as the embodiment of the true light. This light illuminates the knowledge of God.
Light transforms identity and consciousness. God is known as light without darkness.
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
Light embodies the essence of God, and this light alters the nature of the beings it illuminates, transforming them into reflections of its essence. The new creation arises from light. The sons of light, born of light, have a new identity.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord;
Walk as children of the light.
Light reveals more of the landscape, making it more visible. Physical light broadens our awareness. Likewise, the luminous divine presence within changes the quality and extent of our consciousness. When there is light within, one perceives and feels differently.
Awakening to God occurs through “illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God”. A change in consciousness also changes conduct. With the eyes of the heart having been enlightened, one sees things differently. Christian values and conduct depend on this light that illuminates the walk. Stumbling comes from walking in the darkness.
If we are unhappy with our conduct or our inner state, we can take time to come to the light and spend some time there.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
The effect of light is far-reaching. Light produces a change in identity, nature, consciousness, conduct, and function. Light transforms us.
And we all having been unveiled in face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
This change in inner nature can also lead to conflict in some relationships.
What fellowship does light have with darkness?
Having been enlightened, you endured a great conflict of suffering.
Such experiences are not uncommon. Light can put us at odds with darkness.
The shining of light is also a sign of God's acceptance. In Christ’s transfiguration, His face shone, and His garments became white as light. A bright cloud overshadowed. This is my Son…Hear Him.
For Paul, a light from heaven flashed around him, and he was chosen to be a light to the Gentiles.
For us, light brings an inward assurance and peace that come from God's acceptance.
The Bible concludes with the vision of a city of light. There are two symbolic cities in the Bible: New Jerusalem and Babylon. The destruction of Babylon specifically mentions that the light of a lamp shall shine no more; light is taken away. That is the outcome.
On the other hand, the holy city, New Jerusalem, is described as having the glory of God; Her light is like a most precious stone. There will be no need for a lamp or sun, for the Lord will shine. The nations will walk by its light.
The holy city symbolizes divinity within humanity, shining with splendor. The first known divine command is: Let there be light. It finds its ultimate fulfillment in this holy city. God, who resides in unapproachable light, is now embodied collectively in humanity. The beginning of the Bible reveals divine intent, and the conclusion demonstrates its realization.
A story that begins with Earth in darkness fittingly ends with a city of light. The builder and architect is God. Amidst the chaos of the outer world, this inner work progresses silently, invisibly, and relentlessly. Light holds tremendous importance in the biblical narrative.
Being in the light requires coming forward. To experience the effects of light, one must be present in a place that has light. Since the light is found within our consciousness, the tools of awareness and attention can be used. If the eye is single, the body is full of light. Focused attention brings light into our consciousness. One can walk and dwell in this light. The light reveals all things, giving us no reason to stumble, since we see things as they truly are.
When inner darkness arises, one can move toward the light by turning one's attention inward. The mind needs to turn to the Spirit within. We recognize the light because of our inner sense. The light will guide and teach us. The lamp is kept burning with the oil of the Spirit.
Light is received by focusing on Him.
