Temple Baptist Church - 3-29-2023
John 8:12
Introduction: I will not get through with this in one night.
A. Tonight, I want to use a Hermeneutical Principle to explain verse 12 with, the First Mention Principle. Simply stated that in the first mention of any subject in the Bible, God states His mind on the subject and does not change it through progressive revelation. Progressive revelation only further develops the thought or subject without differentiation.
B. The First Mention of “light” is found in the beginning of your Bible so let us turn to Genesis, chapter one.
Genesis 1:1-5 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (3) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (4) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (5) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
1. The world, without light, lies in darkness. “Without form and void because of two things:
a) Water covered the earth so that its physical characteristics were hidden and
b) Because of the absolute absence of light, nothing could be observed.
2. Illustration: Many of you have been on a guided tour of some cave in your lifetime. Caves are very interesting with stalactites and stalagmites as well as many other formations. Stalactites stick tight to the ceiling while stalagmites might reach the ceiling if they grow tall enough. 😊 During your visit to a cave, the guide normally brings you to a place where he askes you to either sit or stand still and they turn off the light. Without the light, the darkness is complete, and everything is without form and void.
3. In the beginning, when God created this world, there was a complete absence of both natural and artificial light. In verse 3, God said, “Let there be light.” The world, without God’s light would have remained in darkness. The heavenly bodies, sun-moon-stars, were created on the 4th day.
4. Today, without God’s light, the world remains in darkness. Only God’s light takes away the “ without form and void” that permeates. Without the light of God, Satan leads the world deeper into darkness. Darkness is a choice as is light.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Acts 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
5. God’s children are to walk in light according to John 8:12. Not to walk in the light is to walk in darkness.
John_12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Ephesians_5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
1 John_1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness we lie, and do not the truth:
1 John_2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
6. God placed a division between darkness and light.
a) Light - (illumination or (concretely) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.): - bright, clear, + day, light (-ning), morning, sun.) does not co-exist with darkness.
b) Darkness - (the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness: - dark (-ness), night, obscurity.)
7. God placed a division between day and night.
a) Day – light, warm or hot. A time when man works.
b) Night – darkness or obscurity. A time when man sleeps.
C. God is light.
1. The Light of God’s Person - Psalms 104:1-2 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. (2) Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
Matthew 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Revelation 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
2. The Light of God’s Place - 1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Revelation 21:23-25 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (25) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Compared to the Godless domain of the unsaved.
Jude 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. (No natural light, no artificial light, and no light of God. Utter darkness.)
2 Peter 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. (A cloud or shroud.)
Exodus 10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. (Felt, smothering darkness.)
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