Christian Living

The Father of Lights

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
11/01/21
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“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:1-4)

Last week I listened to an inspiring message from my Pastor. It is amazing to me how we can miss the details of Scripture. The excuse that it is God’s Word and not to be questioned is false. Every detail of God’s Word is for us to study, be enlightened by, and meditate upon. How dare I question? Question is the means by how we learn the deeper meaning of anything. In Acts, we see the people of Berea question Paul’s teaching by searching the Scriptures. “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) I remember the Crosby, Stills, and Nash song lyrics “Question all the answers” to know what you know and understand.

I have read these verses in Genesis many times but never paused at this phrase. “Then God said, “Let there be light.” In the Creation story, the sun, moon, and stars had not been created. Yet, I accepted there was light in God’s Word. What light, and what is that light? The Hebrew word here is ore and is defined as a luminary. That would be light, but maybe not as we perceive light to be supplied by the sun. The word Shekinah is not found in the Scripture but is coupled as Shekinah Glory and is the Divine presence of God and refers to dwelling or presence. God led the Israelites in the wilderness by a pillar of fire and dwelled in the Tabernacle. Before God’s Shekinah Glory, the earth was void, formless, and filled with darkness. God’s Spirit was hovering over the earth. You can read in Ezekiel chapter 28 verses 12 -19 that Satan was in the Garden of Eden

God then separated the darkness from His light. “God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.” When God said, let there be light, He placed His Divine presence on earth. Here is where you will have to walk with me, as I believe the separation of God’s light from the darkness was His special place for mankind, the Garden of Eden. If God created man in the Garden of Eden, Satan must have thought mankind was also under his domain. When Satan learned that mankind was God’s, as all creation is, Satan must have become infuriated. Satan thought that he should be as God would think he should rule over mankind. That would be a wicked thought, as the creature cannot be as the creator. This wickedness found in Satan caused a war to break out in the Kingdom of God. “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” (Revelation 12:9)

Satan, the father of lies, must have wanted to destroy mankind to enact his revenge on God. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10) The speculation is that Adam, who was instructed not to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, did not inform Eve correctly of God’s command. When Satan tempted her in the form of a serpent, she was not sure what the command was. Satan tempted her that if she ate the fruit, she could also be as God. Eve ate the fruit and did not die, convinced Adam to eat, and neither did he die. The fruit did change them and mankind for eternity. They now had the knowledge of evil in their hearts, they knew they were naked before God, and the guilt caused them to hide when ‘God came into His Garden. God knew they had disobeyed His command, knew that they were fractured from the relationship of God and man, and knew that now they must die, as that is the wage of sin. “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

Humanity's heart was now filled with evil desires, their hearts soiled and no longer pure, and spirits no longer in unity with God’s Spirit, and orphans without a Heavenly Father. With physical death upon them, they must live in fear, and with spiritual death, assured they lived in hopelessness. Adam and Eve, mother and father of the human race, had now been poisoned with the venom of Satan’s temptation, and all their children have been born with a sinful nature. Therefore, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

God is love, and He created with purpose and loved His creation. His creation was created for the benefit of humanity, the crown of His creation. God, who knows the end from the beginning, plans to restore humanity to the right relationship that was fractured in the Garden. He sent His Son Jesus to provide a way by His righteousness, sacrifice, and resurrection from the grave. Jesus lived the righteous life that we could be perfected as in the beginning. He sacrifices His life as the Lamb of God to pay the sin debt of all who would believe in Him. He rose from the grave to testify that He could offer eternal life in the kingdom of God. “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9)

Not one can live a righteous life and keep the commandments of God’s Word. Mankind could not in the beginning and cannot today. No one can earn salvation from God’s wrath, as they are born with evil in their hearts. The work of Jesus by His grace offers salvation freely to those who will believe in Him through faith. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

A person must realize their need for a Savior, realize they are broken, humble themselves, repent from this kingdom of darkness, and turn towards the Kingdom of God. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14) Inviting Jesus to live in their life changes one from the desires of evil, as the Holy Spirit dwells within and brings the fruits of a righteous life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

God created with a purpose for all His creation, and for everyone, He has a purpose for their life. All are loved and cherished, essential and needed, and all will receive their spiritual rewards. Just faithfully walk in the path the Lord has set before you in loving kindness. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) His path is not the easy road, as the darkened world will reject, Satan will prevent, and the trials of this wicked world will distract you. Just focus on Jesus as He is the Shekinah Glory that shines out from within. “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

By His love for us, He sacrificed Himself that we can be free from the bondage of sin and death. Those forgiven much should love much, and also those who need what you have freely be given. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

The Christian needs to share the good news of our Lord and share the mighty work He has done for each of us. Tell them there is a way to be restored to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. They may not believe they may reject, and they may receive, but they will know there is a way. As we have learned, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

They are seeds of truth, which could come back and enlighten them in the hour of need, and the blessing of the Holy Spirit. It may not be for us to know the fruits of our labor in this world, as we are working in eternity, and the fullness of time reveals the truth. Someday when this journey is over and the eternal one has begun, we will see the spiritual family together. Then we will know that as it is written, love never fails. “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16)

Remember, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God, a place we will find peace, joy, and love, but we are still in this darkened world where there are trials and tabulation. Our fight is not against humanity as much as evil spiritual forces. Do not return evil with the evil we receive, but with the love God has given us. Fight only with the Sword of the Spirit, God’s Word. That is the good that leads to victory. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

Every gift that He gives us is good and perfect, always what is a need at the right time. We receive it through faith in His promises and live as in the confidence you have them, Amen. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, August 26, 2020