Love The One who is Light

2 Peter 3:9

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

John 3:16-17

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 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. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Point to ponder:  

The last week's happenings in world history are probably on all of our minds. I have no real words for the unspeakable suffering of people under the ruthless rule of pure evil leadership.  But then God reminded me of the above verses.  God is so much bigger than us, somehow He manages to get all the principles together and weave them into a tapestry of perfection.  He spells it out that He is righteous and will not let evil run rampart unpunished, and at the same time God makes no secret of the fact that He is a God of love who does not condemn anyone who believes in Him.  He is longsuffering and does not want anyone to perish, but wants to bring us to repentance precisely so that we will not perish forever.  He did not come to condemn us, but if we do not believe we are condemned already, simply because we do not make use of our only way to safety, the only way by which we can get out of the trap the enemy sets for us.  He spells out so beautifully exactly what condemnation is - it is the rejection of God's light.  Even though light has come into the world - they loved darkness rather than light and therefore their deeds are evil.  Everyone - yes EVERYONE - no matter your political affiliation, or which team you support, if you practice evil, you hate the light and do not come to the light, simply because light will expose all your sinful evil deeds.  

However, if we love the truth, we will gladly come to the light so that our deeds will be clearly seen that they are of the light - done in God.  And this is the issue of the heart - what is in our hearts?  Is God's light there?  Then there is no place for evil deeds, the only time there is place in our hearts for evil deeds is when we love darkness more than God's light. Evil is the absence of light - the absence of He who is The Light.   

Let There be Light - Hillsong