This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

              John 3:19-20

Jesus reminds us of why so many people reject the gospel. Today’s passage is a vital one and one that we should all remember when dealing with the darkness that is so pervasive in our culture. First, “the judgment” or “verdict.” Who is pronouncing this verdict on humanity? Almighty God, the One True God, the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. God is the only One that can accurately, justifiably, and perfectly pronounce judgment. And He has already declared the verdict…that Light has come into the world!

Jesus is the Light of the world! If we haven’t arrived at that truth and are not operating in the power of it, we are misguided at best. Consider Jesus’ words:

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.”

      John 8:12

Notice that those who receive salvation in Jesus Christ, “will not walk in darkness.” To “walk” refers to the way in which we live our lives. It is the very foundation of our lifestyle. Christians should always possess lifestyles that are superior, above and beyond, and uncommon to the rest of the unbelieving world. We no longer walk in spiritual darkness, sin, and depravity, as we did before surrendering our lives to Christ. We have been delivered from all of that and it is the Spirit of God within us that sets us free from sin, death, and condemnation. Not so the world…apart from Christ, mankind will continue in futile, short-sighted ways, pursuing only the temporal and fully investing themselves in the here and now to the exclusion of any concern for eternity. But for us, as believers, all of this freedom, victory, and power is true because we “have the Light of life” living within us!

But not only is Christ the light of the world, all of us who have been saved and have found redemption in His name are to be lights as well. Consider Jesus’ words:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

As Christians, we are the Light of the world. We are not to hide our faith in Jesus rather we are to speak it into the lives of anyone who will listen and even those who will not (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are to let our light, the presence of the Holy Spirit, shine before mankind and we are to display our authenticity by our good works, godly words, behaviors, and attitudes. In this way, we are giving humanity that best gift that any human could give another…the path to eternal life!

But not only is Jesus the Light of the world and not only are we to illuminate the Light within us, we have another source of Light and Truth…the Holy Spirit of God!

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”

      John 16:13

The Holy Spirit is the presence of God and because God can fully be trusted, the Spirit is referred to as the “Spirit of truth.” This is how Christians can discern corruption, false motives, and a disingenuous heart while those apart from Christ are often fooled and are incapable of this same ability. It is because this capability is a result of God’s Spirit living within the heart of a believer in Jesus. “He will guide you into all the truth.” This is the promise that Christ gives to all of those who belong to Him.

But there is one more source of Light and truth that we enjoy as believers. Rejected by the world but embraced by authentic believers is the Word of God. Consider the following:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

        Psalm 119:105

We will never stumble in darkness as long as we are building our lives on the truth of God’s Word (Matthew 7:24-27, James 1:22). When the Spirit within us is at work in tandem with the power of the Word of God, we are able to negotiate the pitfalls that trap so many in our dark and depraved world. 

So, Light has come into the world. That’s the first portion of the verdict pronounced on mankind by Almighty God. But secondly is this…”but men loved the darkness rather than the Light.” This is the indictment. Not that people cannot come to the cross and be saved rather that they do not because they love and prefer darkness. This is the default position for all of humanity (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:18, James 2:10). And the reason for this rejection of the Light…“men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” Apart from Christ, the best that we can say for our lives is that we are evil. This is largely rejected by the world because we have convinced ourselves that we really aren’t that bad and we point to our own achievements as the proof of a life well lived. But a life outside of Christ is a dead one and one that is not heading for an eternity with God. Instead of comparing ourselves to ourselves (2 Corinthians 10:12), we are to be surrendering our lives to the only One who can completely restore us back to the way that we were intended to live…in relationship with God! 

Thirdly, “for everyone who does evil hates the Light…” Why do people hate the gospel and Christians? Don’t miss this…because their lifestyles are indicative of evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light” and by extension, hate those who belong to Christ (John 15:18-19). This should come as no surprise to us as Jesus has prepared us for such realities. As the world continues to “speak their truth,” Christians stand strong and powerful in the truth!

Fourthly, “for everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light.” Because of their hatred for the Light, who is Christ Himself, they will not come into the Light. So how exactly does someone “come into the Light”? We expose ourselves to the Light when we are involved in the local church (one that is rooted in the gospel of Jesus, the Bible, and powered by the Holy Spirit). We also expose ourselves to the Light and the truth when we regularly study and practice the truth of Scripture. But for those who prefer darkness, they are entirely disinterested in these things because they know that the Word of God is preached in church and that the truth of God’s Word has the ability to convict and judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). 

And lastly, “for everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” Jesus reveals the motive behind all of this “hiding” from the truth. The motive…fear. Once we lay our lives in front of the Lord and in the truth of scripture, we are exposed and that exposure is what unbelievers fear. But this is simply a tactic of the enemy…to keep them in fear of exposure (Luke 8:12). But for believers, those who belong to Christ, this exposure is actually the beginning of our freedom. It is something that believers embrace because of the redemptive power of God that comes to all who call on His name (Romans 10:13). When Christians expose themselves to the truth of God’s Word it is for the purpose of rejoicing in our salvation and celebrating what God has done for us on the cross (John 3:21). 

Do you prefer darkness or Light? The verdict is in! Choose Light and watch God begin to perform the miraculous work of spiritually restoring you!

For He (Jesus) rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.    

      Colossians 1:13-17