[0:00] Let's turn in our Bibles to the passage of Scripture which we read in the Gospel of John, chapter 12.
[0:16] ! And as God would help me, I'd like to concentrate on verse 46. John chapter 12, verse 46.
[0:27] I have come into the world as light. This is Jesus speaking. I've come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
[0:46] It's very important to grasp that Jesus is not saying here in this verse, if you ignore me, you will enter darkness.
[1:02] That's not what he's saying. He's saying, if you ignore me, as we read, you will remain in darkness.
[1:14] We're born in darkness. But Christ has come into the world as light of the world, so that we will not remain in darkness.
[1:33] Darkness. As God would help me this morning, I'd like to just look at these two subjects as we find them spoken to us in the Bible and by Jesus Christ himself.
[1:47] Darkness. Some things about darkness. But far more importantly, some things about Jesus being the light of the world.
[2:03] First thing I want to say about darkness is a person gets used to darkness. So much so, so much so, that you begin to think you're in the light.
[2:21] Even when you're in darkness, you think you're in the light. You think you're seen. I used to be a printer before I was a minister.
[2:31] And I trained as what was called a letterpress printer. That is, working with little lead individual letters. But the trade, the industry, turned over to what they call lithographic printing, which is printing through photography, through the negatives of a film.
[2:56] And we used to have a dark room. And we had to train up people to do the work in the dark room.
[3:06] And I remember on one occasion having to go into the dark room. And of course, I had to knock on the door. And I let them, let me in. And I went in.
[3:17] And I remember saying, Murdo, can you give me this order form? I'm looking for the order form for this job. I said, help yourself. It's over there on the table. And I said, Murdo, I can't even see the table.
[3:31] Never mind the order form. Oh, he said, I forgot. You're not used to working in the dark. And off he went to the table, flicked through some forms.
[3:44] There's an order form you're looking for. My point here is this. People in darkness need convincing they're in darkness.
[3:57] That's the first job in trying to get someone into salvation. Convincing they're in darkness. They think they're in light.
[4:08] They got so used to the darkness. Darkness. Darkness. Darkness. But here's the second thing to note about darkness. Darkness. Darkness is not so strong as light.
[4:22] Light. Light and darkness are direct opposites. But they are not equals.
[4:33] That's very important to grasp. They're direct opposites. But they are not equals. The Bible teaches us that light excels darkness.
[4:48] Wisdom excels folly as much as light excels darkness. What's the definition of darkness?
[5:01] It's the absence of light. That's the definition of darkness. No light. Darkness can always be penetrated by light.
[5:18] But darkness cannot penetrate light. Light penetrates darkness. Light cannot be penetrated by darkness.
[5:34] That's important to remember. Direct opposites but not equals. Light is far, far more powerful as we'll come to note.
[5:51] Now the Bible speaks about darkness. But largely when it does it's speaking about spiritual darkness. The Bible speaks about works of darkness.
[6:08] There's works of darkness. Some of it a shame to speak of. The Bible speaks of. The power of darkness.
[6:21] Spiritual darkness. There's a power. The Bible speaks of chains of darkness. Being held in chains of darkness.
[6:34] darkness. Darkness. Darkness. And the Bible speaks of darkness. That could be felt. In Egypt. God said darkness.
[6:46] That could be felt. The Bible speaks of darkness. Yes. Yes.
[6:57] having their understanding darkened. Our minds. The carnal mind is enmity against God.
[7:12] The Bible tells us we are enemies in our minds by wicked works. Colossians 1.21 The Bible says the end is destruction because they have set their minds on earthly things.
[7:35] Darkness of mind. But it's not just darkness of mind that's our problem. The Bible tells us also we have darkness of heart.
[7:50] Their foolish heart was darkened, we read. Their blindness of heart.
[8:04] Ultimately, our problems are not lack of information. Our problems are not really, in the last analysis, lack of intelligence.
[8:15] The real problem is hardness of heart. I don't want this new information. I don't like what I read in the Bible.
[8:32] We can actually understand it quite well. But we don't like it. That's the problem. Our minds have to be enlightened.
[8:43] But our hearts have to be softened. Jesus, our Savior, has said himself, Men prefer darkness to light.
[9:00] John 3.19 Why? Because their deeds are evil. That's Jesus, not me. Salutary, isn't it?
[9:14] There's something else the Bible says. The Bible speaks about the darkness of this world. That it has its rulers.
[9:26] It has its rulers. Ephesians 6.12 The rulers of the darkness of this age. We wrestle not against flesh and blood.
[9:40] We wrestle, Christians wrestle, against the rulers of darkness. There's a hierarchy in the powers of authorities of darkness.
[9:55] It's frightening. hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. It's frightening. John, who wrote this letter, tells us in his, who wrote this gospel, as you see, tells us in his first letter, chapter 5, under 19, the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
[10:25] Our version here, the ESV version here, it says, the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
[10:40] The power of darkness. That's the way we come into this world. the problem is, we are, by nature, all under the influence of Satan.
[11:02] And we need deliverance from the power of evil. That's the bad news.
[11:15] That's the bad news of the gospel. But what's the good news of the gospel? Listen to our text. Verse 46, I have come into the world as light so that whoever, whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
[11:44] That's the gospel and I hope it's the only one I'll ever preach. So let's change the subject. Jesus saying, I am the light of the world.
[12:00] What he's actually saying here is that he is the source of light. Light comes from through Christ.
[12:17] I want to say four or five things about light. Jesus gives light. That's why he came to give light in a dark, dark world.
[12:33] All this was predicted, you know, in the Old Testament. I say a chapter nine, speaking in one of the darkest ages of the people of God, Israel, in the Old Testament.
[12:52] I say a prophesied light. And he said, the people who walked in darkness, speaking about the time when Jesus would come, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
[13:07] Those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them have light shone. Later on, it's not just once he speaks it.
[13:19] He says, I am the Lord speaking. I will give a light for the nations to bring out from the prison those who sit in darkness.
[13:33] Those who sit in darkness. I'm told that actually there's only one real test for blindness.
[13:48] I'm not talking about short-sightedness or tunnel vision or cataracts or blindness. I'm talking about pure blindness. There's only one test, apparently, for that.
[13:58] And that is to take someone into a dark room. Place them in the dark room. And in that dark room, shine a torch and ask them, can you see the light shining in the darkness?
[14:16] And if you cannot see the light shining in the darkness, you're blind. That's the physical realm. realm. That's the natural realm which God made.
[14:30] But it's also the spiritual realm. If you cannot see Christ, the light of the world, shining in this dark world, then, whatever you feel, whatever you think, you're spiritually blind, you cannot see the light of the world.
[14:59] Well, this light that you need to see, that we all need to see, only Christ can give it to you.
[15:11] He is the source of all light. That's the first thing I want to say about Jesus being the light of the world.
[15:24] It's all very well, Jesus giving light in this world. But you say, to whom? To those who sit in darkness.
[15:39] Again, I say, I will turn the darkness before them into light. I give light to bring out of the prison those who sit in darkness.
[15:54] Christ gives light to sinners sitting in darkness. So, whatever you do, if you're seeking God, if you're seeking forgiveness, if you want peace of soul, if you want to go to heaven, Christ is the one who can give you light.
[16:20] But he gives it to sinners sitting in darkness. Whatever you do, make yourself a sinner before God. Don't try and cover up your sins.
[16:33] Don't try and minimize your sins. Multiply your sins. Say, I'm a sinner, and your Bible tells me Christ died for sinners. I'm one of them.
[16:45] That's the way to come to God. Don't hide your sin. Reveal your sin to God and say, pardon me for Christ's sake.
[16:57] He died on the cross for a number that no man can number for multitude. Include me in that number. This is the free church, and you used to have a professor called Rabbi Duncan.
[17:16] He was very, very prone to depression. And on one occasion when he was going through a dark period of procession, he said to his students, on one occasion I understand, my only hope is my sin.
[17:36] I am a sinner, and Christ died for sinners. Therefore, there's hope for me. Don't try and make yourself good before God.
[17:48] Don't try and make yourself worthy of forgiveness, because you can't. This man, Jesus, receives sinners.
[18:03] And the bigger sinner you are, the more qualified you are to receive his mercy and his forgiveness.
[18:15] That's the second thing about Christ being the light of the world. He gives light. Secondly, he gives light to sinners in darkness. Here's the third thing.
[18:28] Christ, gives light to sinners in darkness in one moment. That's all it takes Christ to give you light.
[18:40] One moment. That's all Christ needs to transfer you from the kingdom of darkness into his kingdom.
[18:53] Because he's the light of the world. Do you know how quickly light travels? This is what I read.
[19:07] Light travels, wait for it, 83,000 miles per hour? No, no.
[19:20] 83,000 miles per minute. No, no, no, no. Light travels at 83,000 miles per second.
[19:38] Christ can transfer you from the kingdom of darkness into his kingdom of light in less than a second.
[19:49] darkness, it has no movement to be measured. Light is greater than darkness.
[20:03] Can't compare them, not in the same league. Christ is the light of the world. That's what you need. And Christ can bless you in one moment.
[20:25] Something else we need to say about Christ being the light of the world. Christ gives light to sinners in darkness in one moment, permanently.
[20:45] Permanently. the gifts and the calling of God are without change of mind and without change of heart. They're not the remotest prospects of Christ changing his mind about transferring you into his kingdom.
[21:06] It doesn't matter what you do. no one in darkness is secure in darkness.
[21:19] No one in the hands of Satan is secure there. Christ can come and pluck you out of Satan's hand in one moment permanently.
[21:31] but no one, no devil in hell, no millions of devils in hell can pluck you out of Christ's hand.
[21:49] When he saves you, when he forgives you, when he blesses you, he does it forever and ever and ever.
[22:05] That's the glory of Christ. The devil can never say to you, you're mine forever. Never.
[22:17] But Christ says to you, now you're mine, you're mine forever and ever and ever.
[22:29] what a glorious thing it is to be a Christian. What a tremendous blessing we Christians have. If Christ gives you light, even God has no right to take it away.
[22:51] Or else he denies himself. Christ, of course, is God, which underlines everything. Christ gives light.
[23:11] He gives it to sinners. He gives it to sinners in darkness. He gives it to sinners in darkness in one moment. And he gives it to sinners in darkness in one moment, permanently, forever.
[23:26] there's nothing else. Jesus can give you that light in one moment, permanently, for the asking.
[23:45] You don't have to do some great feat. You don't have to make a journey to Jerusalem. him. Just ask.
[23:57] Just pray. Just believe. Believe him. Believe in his power. But above all, believe in his love.
[24:11] He calls out to sinners in the gospel, come to me. Ask, and you'll receive tremendous love.
[24:24] Tremendous good news. It's real. It's for sinners. And it's got power.
[24:38] Not just, it's got power, as we've said, to keep you, to keep you from wandering, that if you do wander, he'll bring you back. Wonderful power.
[24:49] Well, that's verse 46. What a lot of light there is in this chapter. Even the few verses we read.
[25:04] I want just to mention, as we finish, verse 36. We looked at verse 46, verse 36.
[25:15] Verse 36. while you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.
[25:33] Did you get that? Did you get that? While you have the light, believe in the light, and what? light, so that you may become sons of light.
[25:49] the world says, seeing is believing. Do you know what the Bible says?
[26:04] Believing is becoming. Do you want to become a son of light? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you'll become one.
[26:21] Verse 36. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.
[26:34] God is the God of truth. Christ said, I am the truth. It's not telling a lie. You want to become light.
[26:46] Believe on the light. We become Christians by believing. We're transformed by beholding Christ.
[27:03] There's a wonderful verse in 2 Corinthians 3.18. beholding as in a glass darkly, we are being transformed.
[27:16] 2 Corinthians 3.18. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
[27:43] By beholding Christ, looking at Christ, seeing Christ, speaking to Christ, loving Christ, thinking about Christ, transformed into a sun of light.
[27:58] it's real, it's true, it's got power, and it's for us, it's for you, it's for me, it's real, it's true.
[28:19] He that believeth on the sun is not condemned forever. May God, the Holy Spirit, make his word, his truth, effectual to every one of us here.
[28:41] Let's bow our heads.