“And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” (Matthew 6:23b NLT)
Often as I’ve spoken to someone about their need of Jesus, their recurring theme is one of uncertainty. It’s like they agree with me. . . BUT! So, as I inquire further, the bottom line becomes: “I’m afraid I’m going to miss out on something!” They’re concerned that a life lived for the Lord will restrict them from something they don’t want to miss.
But having spent hours with people on the other end of those conversations, after they’ve walked for years on the paths they’ve chosen for themselves, it becomes even more clear in my mind and theirs what they’ve missed. The only things we miss by not coming to Christ when we’re young, is a life of regret, heartache, and disappointment.
John writes in 1 John 2:16: “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.” “Craving” refers to a longing for what is forbidden. Lust grows into a driving force that draws us to people or things that are not in our best interest, but seem so desirable they’re impossible to resist, apart from the strength of God’s Spirit. The word translated “pride” in this verse means: “an insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). What does that mean?
It essentially means the lies of Satan, made manifest through the manifold outlets of what our eyes can see, and our ears can hear, overshadow the gentle voice of God. Satan is a desperate, defeated foe of God, seeking in any way possible to drag as many as possible to hell with him.
A much-used analogy for living our lives apart from Christ, is darkness. Jesus said: “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” (Matthew 6:22-23 NLT)
If that upon which we choose to focus our eyes, and thus, our attention, is primarily of this world, then what to us in that moment seems like light, is actually darkness. Darkness that is shrinking our soul and robbing us of everything Jesus died to give us. The tragedy is, we often don’t realize what’s happening to us until our heart is so numb to truth, we can’t see even a glimmer of light. We’ve believed the lies so long, to us they have become truth.
Only the floodlight of God’s Spirit can break the stranglehold of the enemy. The great news of the Gospel of Christ is spoken in Luke 1:78-79 through the lips of John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah: “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
Dear friend, I assure you, on the authority of God’s Word and my nearly 60 years of walking with Jesus, your only hope of eternal life is Jesus! He’s the only One who can penetrate the darkness of our souls with the light of His love. That’s the beauty of Jesus. He, in His wisdom and infinite love, has planted His Church, God’s people, to stand at the gates of hell to pull back those who are on their way to a Christless eternity. Please don’t fall for the lies of Satan for another second. Yield your life and allegiance without reservation to Jesus. You will never regret it. Click on this link to learn why and how to give your life to Jesus. He’s the ONLY path from darkness to light. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 