Living in God’s Light: Finding Truth, Joy, and Eternal Hope in Christ
- Jack Selcher
- Aug 13
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 15
I had bandages over both eyes for three days. A racket ball injured my left eye, and the doctor covered my right eye also to reduce strain on my left eye. Without light, I couldn’t see and didn’t know what was happening in my hospital room.
Fanny Crosby, who was blind from birth but wrote thousands of Christian hymns, had God’s light that enabled her to understand life better than many with 20/20 vision.
What is God’s light? How can we live in it?
Earth would be a barren planet without the sunlight that feeds and nurtures life. But there is one who created and outshines the sun.
God lives in unapproachable, brilliant light (1 Timothy 6:16). He is light with no trace of darkness (1 John 1:5). He “is completely, unreservedly, absolutely holy, with no admixture of sin, no taint of iniquity, and no hint of injustice”1
God’s light is associated with purity, perfection, goodness, truth, holiness, knowledge, spiritual perfection, moral excellence, righteousness (Micah 7:9), and transcendence. The lamps that lit the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:20) symbolize that Jesus is the light of the world. As we shall see, so are we who follow Him.
God rescued us from the barren grave of darkness and spiritual death to full-orbed life in Him (2 Samuel 23:3-4). He graciously imparts His light to the humble and His strength to the weak (Psalm 18:28) while resisting the arrogant (Proverbs 3:34).
God’s light enables us to see life as it is. That was impossible with the truth blinders we formerly wore in the kingdom of darkness (2 Samuel 22:29). We thought we were wise. We weren’t.
The deepest darkness is ours who believe we understand life but don’t (Matthew 6:23). Only we who put our trust in Jesus live in the light (John 12:46). Only we who walk in the light Jesus provides can see where we are going (John 12:35).
Wickedness, like black mold, thrives in the darkness. Living in darkness is associated with sin, falseness, and evil.
God judges evil people for loving darkness more than the light Jesus brought into the world (John 3:19). They hate God’s light and distance themselves from it for fear it will reveal their sins (John 3:20).
God’s light prevents darkness from overwhelming the world (Job 38:15). God has rescued us from death so we can live in the life-giving light of His presence (Psalm 56:13), happily, joyfully worshiping Him (Psalm 89:15).
God’s light, salvation, and our fearlessness are inseparable (Psalm 27:1). God’s light is associated with salvation for all people without distinction (Isaiah 49:6). With salvation comes light to us who receive Jesus (Acts 13:47).
Living in darkness is associated with sin, falseness, and evil. God must open our eyes for us to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.
Turning from darkness to light and from the power of Satan is repentance. United with faith in Jesus, the result is receiving forgiveness and becoming God’s people (Acts 26:18).
Satan once blinded our minds from seeing and understanding the glorious light of the gospel and Christ’s glory, who is God’s exact likeness (2 Corinthians 4:4). We were hopelessly confused (Ephesians 4:17).
The good news of the gospel is that hopelessly confused prisoners living in darkness come into the light and become God’s sheep with abundant provision (Isaiah 49:9). Children of light are no longer children of the world (Luke 16:8). We put our trust in Jesus’ light throughout our earthly lives (John 12:36). We treasure God’s light shining in our hearts (2 Corinthians 4:7)
God is the source of both life and light, and the two are closely connected (Psalm 36:9). Similarly, God’s light and truth are also linked. They guide us to His holy dwelling place (Psalm 43:3). When flooded with light, we possess confident hope (Ephesians 1:18).
We who live in God’s light are generous, compassionate, and righteous (Psalm 112:4). God’s word guides and lights our path (Psalm 119:105). We do what is right and live in the light, wanting others to see we are obeying God (John 3:21).
We belong to and are set apart for God as royal priests, living in the light, and showing others His goodness (1 Peter 2:9). Living in the light is associated with sound doctrine and moral purity, reflecting God’s holiness. We obediently live in the light He provides (Isaiah 2:5).
Living in the light includes being clearheaded, armored with faith and love, and assured of salvation (1Thessalonians 5:8). Living in the light is the basis for true Christian fellowship and demonstrates that Jesus’ death in our place has cleansed our sins (1 John 1:7). Loving fellow believers proves our former darkness is disappearing with God’s light shining in us (1 John 2:8,10).
God’s word provides corrective discipline and is a light guiding us to an abundant life (Proverbs 6:23), overflowing with light and joy (Proverbs 13:9). God’s light illuminates and exposes our hidden motives (Proverbs 20:27).
While Jesus walked on earth, He was the light of the world. After he left, we believers became the light of the world (Matthew 5:14, John 9:5). We live in the light and share God’s inheritance (Colossians 1:12).
Our lights shine when we feed the hungry and help those in trouble (Isaiah 58:10). We do what is good, right, and true (Ephesians 5:9). Our light shines brightly when we live clean, innocent lives in a sin-saturated world (Philippians 2:15).
God’s light shining in our hearts is a great treasure. When Jesus’ light fills us, our whole life is radiant (Luke 11:36). Giving glory to the Lord our God and acknowledging Him is only possible while His light shines, which it won’t always do for those who ignore Him (Jeremiah 13:16).
God’s light must shine in our hearts to know His glory that is seen in Jesus Christ’s face (2 Corinthians 4:6). The glory of God and Jesus light the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:23). In the future, the Lord our God will be our everlasting light and our glory (Isaiah 60:19).
Jesus’s light shone on those who lived in the darkness and shadows of death (Matthew 4:16). God’s tender mercy underlies the coming of His light to earth (Luke 1:78).
Jesus came to guide the otherwise hopeless into the path of peace (Luke 1:79). His atoning death and resurrection are God’s light to everyone (Acts 26:23). He is the true light to reveal God and bring abundant life and light to all people groups without distinction (Luke 2:32; John 1:4, 9; John 8:12). See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians. #discipleshipresources #evangelismresources #christianleadershipresources
See free spiritual growth resources for Christians at https://www.christiangrowthresources.com
God has empowered me to write “His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength.” It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship eBook. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 6,090 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 14,172 people. I invite you to explore it.
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