The Light of God (A Seminar Talk)

 Background Scriptures:

OT: Genesis 1:1-3, 26-28; Ezekiel 28:12-16; Isaiah 14:12-17; Genesis 5:1-3

NT: John 1:1-5, 14-15; John 8:12; Matthew 11:28-29, 31; John 14:21; 1 Jn 2:3-11

Golden Verse: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

Central Truth: The Image of God is Light

Intro:

God made man in His image, in His likeness, and gave man dominion over all He created. The Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) reveal and accentuate only two crucial words and kingdoms – ‘LIGHT & DARKNESS.’ These are the Light of God and the darkness of Satan. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1). At this point, in the beginning, the earth was formless and empty; darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters – And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was Light.

Gen. 1:2. As far as heaven was concerned, there was no problem. God and Angelic Beings dwell in heaven. Heaven was and is still peaceful and paradisiacal.

Heaven was in a state of utter perfection and happiness. Because the Devil had been thrown out of heaven and cast into the earth. God is Light, and Satan is darkness. Satan was already cast out of heaven into the earth. And the earth was in a state of utter depravity. Heaven radiates only the Light of God – Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:7- 12; Ezekiel 28:16- 17; Isaiah 14:12-15.The pervasive darkness on earth made the earth formless, empty, and void. “But the earth was in disarray, and empty, and spiritual darkness was upon the face of the demonic realm.” We have had about the “Gap Theory,” a concept first proposed by Thomas Chalmers in 1814, based on a Hebrew reinterpretation of Genesis 1:2.

The “Gap Theory” suggests the angels were created “in the beginning” (Gen. 1:1). Rather than during or after the creation week, and that Satan and his angelic (demonic) followers fell before Gen. 1:2. “Without form and void” has been translated from the Hebrew phrase “tohu vav bohu,” also found in Isaiah 34:11, which is interpreted differently. “tohu” can also mean “confused,” and “bohu” mean ’empty.’ This means the earth was in disarray, and empty. Jeremiah 4:23-26 also uses the phrase “tohu vav bohu,” as follows: “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form (tohu), and void (bohu); and the heavens, and they had no light.

I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens fled. I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness. And all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.1″ The word choshek has been interpreted as “darkness”; this word is also used in Ex. 10:21 to describe the darkness The Lord brought upon Egypt, which was so dark it could be felt. The Light of God is not like a bulb or sunlight. God’s Word is Light; Yeshua, the word of God, is the Light. The Light is Phos, the only type of Light that emanates from God. In John 1:1-4, v. 1 says,” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God spoke, and the word produced Light. Remember, Satan was already cast on earth, causing darkness all over the earth.

The Light of God was now brought forth, and God sees it was good. Jesus reveals Himself in the Gospel of John as the Bread of Life (6:35), the Light of the World (8:12), the Gate for the sheep (10:7), the Good Shepherd (10:11, 14), the resurrection and the life (11:250); the way, the truth, and the Life (14:6) and the True Vine (15:1). A disciple of Jesus Christ is a branch of the Vine that is thoroughly pruned by Christ to bear fruit. The life of Christ is in the disciples; hence they have become the Light of the world.

Exposition:

Every Christian is a branch attached to the Vine (our Lord Jesus Christ). Your company determines your conduct. Your behavior determines your character, and your character determines your destiny. The power of the branch is its unbroken attachment to the Vine. God sent His Word, the Light in the flesh to the world of darkness. Jesus came to the world he created, and the world knew him not, but He shone His Light into the darkness of the world and brought a new lease of life for those that believe in Him. Jesus’ disciples must follow the ‘Master’ and become the Light of the world. It is when one abides in Jesus that one can bear fruit and become the Light of the world. Then the Light of God will not only shine on the person but also in him. The image of God that we are created is the Light of God. Adam & Eve were created with the Light of God in them. That was why Satan came to tempt them to draw them into his dark world of darkness.

So, every man born since then from Cain, Abel & Seth has the darkness of Satan in them until such a person intentionally decides to permit the Light of God to shine in him through repentance and transformation. The transformation is the inflow of Light in a person that decides for Christ. The conformity to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ is a flow of the perfect lifestyle in exchange for the old lifestyle. The old lifestyle will cave in for the new. The light of God inside those who believe in Jesus Christ is evident in their character, deeds, speech, and living lifestyle. When the Light of Christ shines in man, the first thing it deals with is the darkness of sin.

Departing from iniquity is a critical foundational walk with God (2 Tim. 2:19). Jesus died on the cross, breaking the power of sin so that we can be free. God needs men to do His work but only uses people “whom he had formed.”

In the same vein, for any individual to accomplish God’s call in his life, he has to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ through discipleship. Men like Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and many others had a personal relationship with the Lord in discipleship. The Light of God causes a transformation in man. Transformation means change, alteration, mutation, conversion, metamorphosis, and transfiguration. As we wait before God’s presence, His glory will reflect and shine on us so we may progress in the transformation process. It is only a man who stays long under the incubation of Christ that can release Christ’s life through which he shines the Light.

Conclusion:

Jesus Christ, the Word of God, the Light of God is our Motivator, so we must allow the Light to flow in us. You cannot straddle between the two Kingdoms of Light and Darkness– Matt. 6:10. Obedience is a keyword in the kingdom of Light. Kingdom obedience stems from love; not fear, 1 John 4:18. Only the message of Jesus Christ can bring Light to, man.

The Light of God is also the Love of God. Koinonia is the fullest possible partnership and fellowship with God and with others. Koinonia with God only comes from a real personal encounter with the living Christ and surrender to Him as the absolute Lord of life. Koinonia is the complete expression of love (agape) and fellowship with God. You cannot be in fellowship with God and His Son (Jesus Christ) and not walk in godly fellowship with one another. Koinonia with God is an experience of his presence with His Light shining in us. Koinonia with God is the fundamental element of Salvation and eternal life.

Five Things to take Note:

1. When the warm south wind with its soothing and balmy breezes brings showers of blessing2; Jesus Christ is the Light, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” – James 1:17
2. When the cold north wind of trial and testing sweeps down upon you, Jesus is the – 1Cor. 10:13
3. When the west wind blows hard upon you with its punishing intent. Jesus is the Light; “Whom the Lord loves He chastens” – Hebrews 12:6
4. When the east wind threatens to sweep away all that you have, Jesus is the Light. God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory – Philippians 4:19
5. The light of God is what makes a man to be wise.

Go Light Your World – written by Rice, Christopher M.

There is a candle in every soul. Some brightly burning, some dark and cold. There is a spirit who brings a fire; Ignites a candle and makes His home Chorus:

So, carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle and go light your world Take your candle and go light your word

Because we are a family whose hearts are blazing

So, let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father in the name of Jesus

Make us a beacon in the darkest times.

 

 

 

 

 

When Creed was written, there was severe persecution of Christians. The Christians were burnt on sticks and beheaded to uphold the Christian Faith. So this last line of the Apostles’ Creed was to give them ‘Hope’ of a future after death. Humanity has a present Hope in a future Home.’ It is to reassure Christians that despite pains and circumstances, there is hope in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

In 1 Cor. 15:51,52, Paul wrote to the Corinthians to give them this type of ‘Hope.’ Matt. 6:9- 30 explains the present Kingdom and the future. The Kingdom of God means the domain over which God exercises rule as King. Therefore, God’s declared purpose is that His people, His holy nation, His peculiar treasure, should be the domain over which He would rule as King, and ultimately all the earth, all things, and every creature. The Lord’s greatest dominion at this time is in the lives of His elect, the chosen ones.

Jesus Christ has extended the dominion of His Kingdom to our hearts and lives. Ladd defines “kingdom” in the following way: “The primary meaning of both the Hebrew word Malkuth in the Old Testament and of the Greek word basileia in the New Testament is the rank, authority, and sovereignty exercised by a king. The Kingdom of God was established when Christ, the King, initiated His rule. Ladd’s approach to interpreting the Kingdom of God is synthetic, and he used inaugurated eschatology as the key idea for this interpretation of the “Kingdom of God.”

 Ladd’s dynamic interpretation is couched in already and yet to come ages. Two ages underline Ladd’s thought; the present reality of evil age is corroborated in Gal 1:4; Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 20; 2: 6-8; 2 Cor 4: 4 and the age to come in Ephesians 1:21. Ladd stipulated that the age to come has become present already in Christ and the Spirit – 1 Cor 10:11, 2 Cor. 5:17, Gal. 6:15 (pointing to Isaiah 65-66). The true Sons of the Kingdom are believers already in union with Christ. They have died and have been raised with Christ (Rom 6:3-11) and seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:4-7, Col. 2:12).

Ladd affirmed that those who respond to Jesus and accept His word (M. 13:38), those who receive and depend entirely on the proclamation of Jesus as LORD of the Kingdom in this present age are children of the Kingdom. The age to come, according to Ladd, is the final and total destruction of the devil and his angels (Mt. 25: 41), the formation of a redeemed society with evil and perfect fellowship with God at the Messianic feast. (Ref: Mt. 13:36-43, Luke 13: 28-29). Although the church reflects the rule of God in the world, the “kingdom” cannot be precisely paralleled with the “church.” Old Testament kingdom passages confirm that the rule of God existed before the coming of Christ, the ultimate King, and the establishment of the church.

Neither can the Kingdom be strictly equated with some cosmic event to occur when Christ returns. Although the consummation of the Kingdom will occur at the end of time, the Kingdom of God is a continuing historical reality. The real purpose for which God sent Jesus into the world was to ESTABLISH ON EARTH HIS KINGDOM; His ultimate purpose is that the kingdoms of this world shall experientially become the Kingdom of our God and His Christ. The light of the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and revelation is shed with its quickening and illuminating rays upon our understanding, dispelling the mists, dividing the light from the darkness, that all the elect Children of God may find an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom is THE RULE OF GOD.

 Jesus came with just that message, the revelation of the RULE OF GOD within the hearts of men and through men over the whole world. The Kingdom of God is heavenly in its King; that King is the Son of God, Jesus Christ our LORD and Redeemer. The Kingdom of God is heavenly in its subjects; those subjects are the children of God. The Kingdom of God is heavenly in nature; that nature is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom of God is heavenly in its entrance; that gateway is not by human birth, or of the will of the flesh, or the will of man, but by being born of the Holy Spirit.

The Kingdom of God is heavenly in its laws; those laws are not ordinances, rules, or regulations; they are spiritual principles. The Kingdom of God is heavenly in its method; that method is not by might, power, or the enticing words of man’s wisdom but by the Spirit of the living God. The Kingdom of God is heavenly in its prerogatives; those prerogatives are for the Children of God to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, a kingdom of priests after the order of Melchizedek, saviors on mount Zion. The Kingdom of God is heavenly in its privileges; those privileges are to be heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ to the inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and cannot fade away.

In summary, the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the Kingdom of Heaven because it is the Kingdom or dominion of the GOD OF HEAVEN. In its simplest definition, the Kingdom of God means that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! He must be Lord in you, and He must be Lord through you. That is the mark and seal of Christ to make you a child of God. That is the power of the Kingdom. Jesus was declared by the Father to be the Son of God with power because of His resurrection from the dead. We see the initial victory in Christ’s incarnation, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension.

 Through Jesus’ disciples during the dispensation of the church’s trial, we see His continuing and increasing victory. And in the manifestation of the sons of God, we see His ultimate victory. The Kingdom spans all generations and ages, from the advent of the firstborn Son into the world to the manifestation of the sons of God. Final victory shall be achieved at Christ second coming. Then shall the Kingdom be delivered up to God, even the Father, “that God may be all in all” (I Cor. 15:28).

The Apostle’s Creed teaches us to choose Jesus as the center of our relationship. The entire point of the Apostles’ Creed is to unite the believers in Truth, bringing them all closer to Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection of our body and soul, our life, and our Creed in the flesh. This Creed teaches ‘Hope’ in future Homes for those terminally sick. Suffering is a result of living in a sin-cursed world. But the next life in the future Home is different and without pains.

 Q: How does the Apostle Creed ground and shape your walk with Jesus Christ?

 The answer to the question is personal. Ruminate and Meditate on your personal answer. Have a lovely week with Christ as the Center. 

 

 

The Christian Primary Creeds – ‘The Apostles’ Creed’ (2)

Apostles’ Creed– Virgin Birth and Resurrection

“… and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. On the third day, he rose again from the dead.”

Matthew walks us through this portion of the Apostles’ Creed to show us how it:

1. Affirms the historical humanity of Jesus;
2. Affirms the immense love of Jesus, and
3. Affirms the power of the deity of Jesus.

The church today is not different from modern society in its engagement with contemporary issues. They get engaged in silly arguments like the Pharisees and Sadducees at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. They get solely engaged in the minors leaving the majority of our Faith. The real focus should know the Scriptures and God’s power.

–Born of the Virgin Mary became essential due to the heretical teachings of some Jews. The story was about Tiberius Julius Abdes Pantera (c. 22 BC to AD 40), a Roman soldier whose tombstone was found in Bingerbrück, Germany, in 1859. A historical connection from this soldier to Jesus of Nazareth was hypothesized by James Tabor, based on the claim of the ancient Greek philosopher Celsus, who said that some Jews claimed Jesus was the result of an affair between his mother, Mary, and a soldier.

Celsus said Mary was “convicted of adultery and had a child by a certain soldier named Panthera” [1]. Tiberius Pantera could have served in the region at the time of Jesus’s conception[2]. The hypothesis is considered extremely unlikely by mainstream scholars, given that no evidence supports this Pantera in particular[3]. Historically, the name Pantera is not unusual and was in use among Roman soldiers[4].

Jesus was not born of a sinful nature. If he had a human father, man’s sinful nature would have been transferred to him, but he touched humanity only by the Virgin Mary. The virgin birth was complicated for the pagans to believe or comprehend. It is the man, not the woman, through which the sinful nature comes from. So Jesus had to come without the sinful nature of man. Virgin Mary and the executioner were mentioned in the Apostles’ Creed because these are documented Roman records.

Jesus died a painful death to bring us Salvation. He died for us because He deeply loves us. The point of the Resurrection is to prove there is life after death. The power of the Resurrection is to tell us that Christ has made our lives significant. There is Power and Hope because of Resurrection. The Apostles Creed consistently serves as a starting point or benchmark to constantly measure where you are in your beliefs. Because so many different kinds of churches emphasize various doctrines, beliefs, and practices radically different from one another, it can be challenging to understand what is essential and what is non-essential.

There are essential doctrines like Jesus’ gruesome death on the Cross and his miraculous Resurrection that are required beliefs to be an authentic Christian. So the Apostles Creed is imperative for all Christians to affirm and accept because it points us back to Jesus. While our relationship with God can only be mediated through Jesus Christ, our Faith points to the life, death, burial, and Resurrection of a natural person whom we now commune with through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.

Apostles’ Creed– Ascension and Return

…. On the third day, he rose again from the dead. He ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there, he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Apostles’ Creed is significant to Christians. It explains things that make Christianity special. Our lives as Christians center on a King and His Kingdom. Eyewitnesses saw Jesus ascending to Heaven. Jesus Christ is equal with the Father and rules and reigns with Him; God rules with His Righteous Right Hand. Jesus is God’s Righteous Right Hand. Death cannot hold Jesus, for he has the supreme power – Eph. 1:19 and He has given the believers the same authority – Luke 10:19. He is alive forever – 1 Cor. 15:1-8. All other dead religious founders have their bones in their graves; none arose except Jesus. Jesus triumphed over the grave by His Resurrection, and His grave is empty – Matt. 7:25, 1 Cor. 15:12-13. The world’s blackest assumption is that Jesus was not raised; If Jesus was not raised, where is our Faith as Christians? And if Christ has not risen, our Faith is futile; we are still in our sins. 1Cor. 15:17

The Apostles’ Creed – Unity

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the Resurrection of the Body, and the life everlasting.

The word “Catholic” used here means Universal Church. When one uses the word “catholic” and writes with a small ‘c,’ it refers to the Universal Church of Christ. The alphabet ‘C’ is always written in Capital letters for a denomination like the Catholic Church. The Apostles’ Creed speaks about unity within the local church congregation and throughout the global church. The Universal Church is One Body, and Christ is the head of the Body. This Creed re-emphasizes the congregational unification, the work of the Holy Spirit since Pentecost, and the forgiveness of sins in the blood of Jesus on the Cross.

Notes:

•   [1] James D. Tabor, The Jesus Dynasty, New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2006, 64-72
• [2] Tabor, 64-72
• [3] James Whitehead, The panther: posthumous poems, (Michael Burns 2009), 15-17; Maurice Casey, Jesus of Nazareth: An Independent Historian’s Account of His Life and Teaching, 2010, 153-154
• [4] A. Evans, “The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke,” Volume 1, 2003, 146;

Join me next Sunday, February 19, 2023, for the Final analysis of The Apostles’ Creed