And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:19-21)

Nocturnal Men

God created humanity to be creatures of the day. Nocturnal animals are active in darkness and often possess special adaptations for seeing in low-light conditions, including large eyes that facilitate low-light vision. The human body is not created to be nocturnal. God created light as the first of creation to establish the natural and spiritual nature of man. When God created Adam and Eve, He created them in His own image as spiritual beings that would never cease to exist, dwelling in the light. Sin brought the darkness of rebellion to the world, and Satan has been casting his shadow of evil over the world, destroying the lives of those who were created for light.

Jesus came into the world as the divine light of God to show the glory of the Father in a dark and perverse world. The Son of God came to bring light to all men, but the world did not want the light to expose their sin. They loved the darkness of sin above the Light of God and sought to extinguish the Heavenly Light. Jesus was killed on a cross as the world plunged into the greatest darkness of sin and rebellion. The earth shook and trembled because God had died. But on the first day of the week, the Light of God returned once more to shine in the hearts of men the glory and power of God. Jesus rose from the dead to bring eternal light to all men. The early disciples spread the news of the eternal light, and thousands obeyed the gospel. But most rejected the Light of God and continued in their sin.

The condemnation of the world is that men love sin. There is greater joy in the darkness than in the deeds of the light, which is contrary to the eternal makeup of humanity. Man was created to be a creature of the light to glorify God. Those who love sin hate the light because they are exposed to what they are doing in the darkness. Why are most people, according to Jesus, going to be lost? They love darkness. Sin is fun, enjoyable, and fulfilling for them as they scurry about in spiritual darkness, believing they will not suffer any harm for their actions. The pride of man does not allow the light to show what they are doing because they are ashamed. When Adam and Eve first ate the forbidden fruit, they hid in the shadows of the garden in shame. Nothing much has changed since.

Light walkers are those who seek the light to bask in the glory of the Heavenly Father. Their deeds are clearly exposed, but they invite the eyes of God to look upon their lives and see all that is in their heart, souls, and minds. People of light are not afraid of what God sees because they know He is a graceful and merciful God who forgives through His infinite love. Light exposes everything. Walking in the light demands full accountability. Those who seek the light of Jesus Christ are unafraid of what the Lord will see. For those who follow the truth, they come to light to show God their love for Him. There is no greater joy for the Father to see His children walking in the light.

The greatest tragedy is when children of the light return to the darkness. They were once enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift of God’s grace, but they long for the joy of darkness. Like a hog returning to the wallowing in the mud, a soldier of light casts off his armor to dwell in the darkness of sin. The tragedy is compounded because they refuse to return to the Lord to walk in the light. Darkness becomes their friend and their enemy. Without the light of Christ, there is no hope. The reality is realized too late when death comes and the darkness of eternal damnation overwhelms the soul. Those who live in darkness now will live in darkness in eternity. The soul that walks in the light will live in everlasting light. God created all men to be people of the light because the Lord is unwilling that any should dwell in darkness. He has prepared a place of darkness for the devil and his angels, but He desires that none of His creation be cast into outer darkness. And yet, Satan has convinced the majority of humanity to dwell with him in darkness, and most will. Are you walking in the light? If not, you are walking in darkness. You need to change places.