“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'”
In our universe of existence, there are two types of light: physical and spiritual. If you're in a dark room and you want to see, what do you do? Flip the switch, raise your phone's flashlight, put a match to a candle—whatever it takes to bring light into that place. We both want and need light.
Physical light is necessary for life—an obvious fact for plant life. Plants are said to be positively phototropic—or drawn to the light. All plants can survive for a short period without light, such as at night, but no plant can survive forever in utter darkness. While some plants can survive with limited or artificial light, they will eventually die if they're given no light at all.
Spiritual light is much the same as physical light—necessary for life. Human beings, regardless of their beliefs, are inherently drawn to spiritual light, which feels like goodness, kindness, and love. Even an unbeliever can see the value and worth of being loved.
Our sinful desires often cause us to shy away from the light for fear of being exposed (John 3:19-20). We may substitute spiritual light for other things or artificial things, but we cannot live forever in darkness.
Jesus is the Spiritual Light
“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”
When Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world," He was calling Himself the exclusive source of spiritual light for all people. No other spiritual truth or light is available to humanity; all spiritual light comes from God.
How do we get access to this light? Jesus answered that question right away: "If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life" (John 8:12). When we choose to follow Jesus on His path, we never need experience spiritual darkness again.
His light goes into the darkness of our sinful hearts and shines His love, mercy, truth, and LIGHT into every corner (John 6:37). Then, wherever we go, God's spiritual light stays with us (John 1:5; John 6:37).
We Reflect Spiritual Light
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
Jesus calls those who believe in Him to be the "light of the world." That means we serve as mirrors for Jesus, shining His light into the dark places we live in, bringing glory to God in the process (Matthew 5:14-16; 1 Corinthians 10:31).
We can be a part of bringing God's light to those who have hidden themselves from Him. As the moon reflects the sun brilliantly, so should believers reflect God's light (Ephesians 5:8).
Choose to live faithfully, honestly, sincerely, and earnestly. The struggle with sin will continue, and we can confess that sin to God,. He's always willing to forgive and restore our close friendship with Him when we ask (1 John 1:9). Continue to work toward changing unhealthy habits and behaviors, striving for growth, and thriving in God's spiritual light.
“Once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!”