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Show LIVING IN THE LIGHT The darkness is past, and the true now shineth, He that saith he is in H ••• light the light, hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now, he that loveth light, and there ofstumbling in him. his brother abideth in the is none occasion But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in knoweth not whither he darkness, and goeth, that darkness hath blinded his John2: 8b-ll H ••• The darkness is the True Light who claims to hates KJV) a on because eyes." (1 its way out, and already blazing! Anyone live in God's light and brother or sister is still in the dark. It's the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God's light and Page -1- doesn't block the light from others. But whoever hates is till in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn't know which end is up, blinded by the darkness." (1 John 2: 8b-11 Eugene Peterson's The Message) light are opposites. Both cannot dwell in the same place at Darkness and the same time. Where there is there is no there is no the dark darkness, light and where there is light, darkness. We live either in or we live in the cannot be both light. We places at the same time. When the water is dirty, it is dirty. When it is clean, it is clean. When we have mixture of the two, we will always produce the dirty. The Apostle John captures the essence of the Page -2- gospel a in this text and reminds us make do make difference and will determine our hate and we and are a fate in the are in the that the choices long run. in the dark light. or we we Either love And the time is now for the darkness to get out of the way and the light to take over. The first thing is this text for remember is that it is time for a us to change. ought to be tired of walking in the dark, and stumbling here and there, and hating one another. No good comes from being in the dark or stumbling where we go or hating others. We have been stuck where we are long enough. We have made enough mistakes. It's time to go in a new direction. One writer put it clearly this way about four lepers, "If we stay here we are sure to die but if they save We ... Page -3- alive, live; and if they kill us we shall but die." (II Kings 7: 3-5) I would rather take a chance on a possible us new we shall outcome than be certain of the worst result. Then, my sisters and my brothers, there is a clear difference between haters and lovers as well as fate. Those who hate their they of their brothers, no walking in darkness and are blocking the light for others. Always remember th at somebody want to pattern their lives and b like you, whether good or bad. Some people have grown up where they are and never gone to see anything different. They think and believe that their way of doing things is the only and best way. They do not know that there are other matter what say, Page are -4- possibilities. Haters will stumble, fall, and hurt themselves and others in the injuries or scares to even try to explain. They can see where they are going by faith. Jesus is the light! dark. Those who love have Two blind no in Galilee called Jesus men the Son of David and received their and saw the A blind Light. (Matthew 9) man in Bethsaida received second touch from Jesus and Light. (Mark 8) The man at the pool had been born blind first time. (John 9) Bartimaeus sight saw the of Siloam who saw the saw the Light light as he for the leaving (Luke 18) A man possessed by a demon in Galilee saw the light and the people Jericho. Page -5- a acknowledged Jesus as th (Matthew 12; Luke 18) Son of God. 1948, Hank Williams, Sr. and later In Johnny Cash sang a song: "I saw the light, I saw the light. No more darkness, no more night. Now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight. Praise the Lord I saw the light." "I wondered so aimless life filled with • SIn idea where the way out could be I wouldn't let my dear savior in I had . no stranger in the came like a Praise the Lord I saw the Then Jesus night light. 1 walked in darkness and clouds covered me. Just a blind man I wondered Page -6- astray . Straight in the way and narrow the way. Just like a blind man sight Praise the Lord I saw Page Jesus gave back his the -7- light." |
