GOD IS LIGHT; GOD AS LIGHT

Who is GOD?

God is the eternal, supreme being who created and preserved all things. In Gen 1:1, God is described as The One who created the heavens and the earth. Hence, He is the Sustainer and The Ruler of the universe. He is all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing, and sovereign. He created everyone and everything.

What is LIGHT?

Using a simple description, Light can be described as the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.

Using the scientific term, Light can be defined as electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 380 and 750nm which is visible to the human eye. Some lights can be found in nature, like the Sun, while other light sources are created by people, for instance, the electricity that powers light and supplies energy.

Biblically, Light has always been a symbol of illumination, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, grace, hope, and God’s revelation. Light also signifies God’s presence and favor.

In all definitions of light that can be found, be it biblically or scientifically, there’s one common thing we can hold onto, which is, the visibility of light. Light can be seen!

Light is the opposite of darkness. Light itself eradicates darkness. Where there is light, darkness disappears. Light is very essential to man. Light improves our productivity, our focus, and our psychological well-being.

God IS Light.

Now, knowing God and knowing light, it is important to know that God himself is light. One of the evidence we have about God being light is the fact that He made light. Referring to the word (Bible), we come to realize that when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was without form. Darkness was upon the earth. In Gen 1:3, “And God said, let there be light, and there was light.”

God couldn’t dwell in darkness, that was the reason He created light on the first day. Light was the first thing God created after the heavens and the earth.

God is light. Hence, He created light to beautify the world and He saw that it was good.

Furthermore, let’s take a look at John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

In the above passage, Jesus told that to the Jews. It is no news that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus Himself is God, who came to the world to live as a human being. He said to us that He is the Light of the world and whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness. God doesn’t stay in darkness. Instead, He turns darkness into light. He made light; He is the light of the world.

Illumination, Holiness, Goodness, Knowledge, and Wisdom are all biblical definitions of Light. God is all of them! God is Illumination, as in 2 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.“; God is Holy, as in Leviticus 20:26 – “You shall be holy to me, for I, the Lord is holy and I have separated you from the world and you should be mine.”; God is Good as in Psalm 136:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”; God is full of Knowledge and Wisdom as in Proverbs 2:6 – “For the LORD giveth wisdom: Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”

It takes an extraordinary level of enlightenment, godliness, greatness, knowledge, and wisdom to create the heavens and earth, the living and nonliving things, and everything in and out of the world. God is also good and perfect because all He created was good and perfect. As it was said in Gen 1:31, God saw everything He has created and it was very good and He validated it completely.

All these are the attributes of the Light of God.

God AS Light.

Let’s not confuse the two terms, “God is light” is not nearly the same as “God as light.” They’re two different things.

“God is light” is simply a term to describe or define God to be light. It is the proof that God is truly light. On the other hand, “God as light” is to describe how God has been proving himself to be light. We know here that He’s light already, we’re not disputing the fact any longer. We’re only going to look at how He, Himself is showing us more about Him being light.

The light of Christ guides us through the darkness of sin, life, and the struggles therewith, both spiritually and literally. Universally, the dark is often frightening and sinister, associated with things we can not see or understand.

The dark is scary, there are very limited things we can do in the dark. It’s like a cage where there isn’t freedom. Light conquers darkness and brings order out of chaos.

Light brings meaning to a confused state. It brings visibility and freedom. Light conquers darkness!

That is what God is here to do for us.

Right before God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. We were in darkness. The love God has for us was what made Him light our paths again by sending His only Son to die for us and give us hope.

Anyone who has Jesus no longer dwells in darkness. Anyone who studies about God using the Bible has decided to go into light, because, God’s word itself is a lamp and a light that illuminates darkness. That is what light does, it illuminates and reveals, and so does the word of God and God Himself.

When God came to earth as a human, He showed all attributes of light. He was holy, He was good, he had knowledge and all other attributes of light there is. He healed the sick and He rose the dead. Whenever He was called into a home of darkness, He gave them light. He gives them light because He is light; wherever He enters, darkness vanishes.

The light of Christ is the brightness of God shining on the retina of the human soul. A life without God is an incomplete life that is in darkness and grave danger.

A life with God is a life that will experience the God that is light and exists as light.