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Walking in the Light – Part 1

Yochanan Aleph (1st John) 1:5
And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, that Elohim is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

One of the characteristics of YHWH is that He is light.  In essence this means that He is truth.  So when the passage above and others teach us that there is no darkness in Him, it is telling us that there is nothing false or untrue in Him.  This is an important concept that is essential for our walk in Him.  If we are going to walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him, then we also must not have anything in us that is false or untrue.  We must be the mirror image of His Son Yeshua.  This only happens if we die to self and to our self-will.

In this study we will be looking at light and darkness or truth and error.  In part two we will be examining a different aspect of the mature talmid (disciple) as he walks through the darkness.

Ma’aseh (Acts) 26:18
“To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Elohim, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Me.”

These words are recorded as being spoken by Yeshua to Shaul.  In these words Yeshua teaches us that we are to turn from the darkness and away from the power of Satan; and in turning away from error and sin we are to turn fully to YHWH our Elohim in order that we may receive forgiveness of sins and become a part of His people who have an inheritance.

The implication in this passage is that if a person does not turn away from darkness and away from Satan, then he will have no inheritance.  And if one has no inheritance, then he has no eternal life, for this is what is primary in one’s inheritance:  eternal life.

B’reshit (Genesis) 1:3-4
3 And Elohim said, “Let there be light;” and there was light.
4 And Elohim saw the light, that it was good; and Elohim separated the light from the darkness.

Elohim put a separation between the light and the darkness.  In fact, verse four actually teaches us that it is Elohim Himself who is the boundary between the light and the darkness.  If a person is still in the darkness into which we are all born, then in order to enter into the light one must pass through Elohim.

In this case this boundary is actually Mashiach Yeshua; and even more specifically, His Blood.  His Blood stands as a boundary between those in the darkness and those in the light.  And if a person desires to be a son of the light, then he must first pass through the Blood of Mashiach Yeshua and be covered and cleansed with and by His Blood.

Our Creator put in nature a twice daily reminder of this truth.  For a few moments during the rising and setting of the sun, there is redness in the sky.  This is to remind us that if we are to pass from the darkness into His light, then we must pass through that veil of red, His Blood; for He is that which separates the darkness from the light.

Shemot (Exodus) 14:20
and it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness, yet gave it light by night; and the one came not near the other all the night.

When YHWH led Israel out of the bondage of Egypt He did so by the use of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  When Pharaoh realized what he had done in letting the Israelites go, he hotly pursued them until he caught up with them.  Upon catching up with them, YHWH moved His pillar of fire so it stood between Pharaoh and his army and the Israelites.  The children of darkness were on one side of this pillar and the children of light were on the other side; once again teaching us that it is YHWH Himself who stands as a boundary between the darkness and the light.

Yochanan (John) 3:19-21
19 And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
20 For every one that does evil hates the light, and comes not to the light, lest his works should be reproved.
21 But he that does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in Elohim.

Evil hates light.  Evil seeks to dwell in darkness.  Evil loves the darkness for it hides its unrighteous deeds. 

In western thought the pursuit of perfection is paramount to the point that if one cannot do something perfectly, he does not do it at all.  However, this is a foreign concept in Scripture.  Scripture actually teaches us that it is through obedience that perfection comes.  Obedience does not come through perfection as many who live according to western standards think.

As verse 21 teaches us above, if we do the truth, then we will come into the light.  It will be while we are still in the darkness that we will begin to do the truth.  It is the doing of His truth while in the darkness that will lead us into His light.

Matithyah (Matthew) 4:16
the people that sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up.

Here is the reality of this passage.  Just because light shines on a person does not mean he will come into the light, for if he does nothing but sit in the light while it is shining on him, then he has done nothing to get out of the darkness.  And if a person does nothing to get out of the darkness, then he remains in death.

Once a person begins moving toward the light, he must continue to move toward the light.  If he stops moving toward the light before leaving the darkness, then what good has any of his moving towards the light brought to him?  None!  In order to have light and life, then we must always and ever be moving towards the light of Mashiach Yeshua.

Yochanan (John) 8:12
Again therefore Yeshua spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he that follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Yeshua is the light of YHWH in this world.  If we follow Yeshua as our Mashiach now, then we shall not walk in the darkness of sin and error in the world to come.  While in this life, we will continue to strive not to have error or sin; but the reality is that in one’s weak human flesh, there will still be errors, mistakes, and sins that he will commit from time to time. 

However, it is true that there will come a time as we continue to walk towards His light that we will actually enter into its fullness.

Yochanan (John) 12:35-36
35 Yeshua therefore said to them, “Yet a little while is the light among you.  Walk while you have the light, that darkness overtake you not; and he that walks in the darkness knows not where he goes.
36 While you have the light, believe on the light, that you may become sons of light.”  These things spoke Yeshua, and He departed and hid Himself from them.

In a prophetic manner after speaking these words of truth to His talmidim, Yeshua hid Himself from them, teaching them that He was soon to be hidden from them as He ascended to the Father.  He is still hidden from His talmidim.  We must walk towards His light by faith, for we cannot do it by sight as He is not here and we cannot see Him with our physical eyes.

Yochanan (John) 12:46
“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me may not abide in the darkness.”

Unless we willfully choose to turn and face the light we cannot see clearly or correctly.  Once we have turned to face the light in order to move towards that light, Yeshua our Mashiach will begin to show us who we are, what we are, and where we are going.  He will show us those things in us that are not pleasing to Him so that we may change them in the light of His word.

Romans 13:12-14
12 The night is far spent, and the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy.
14 But put on Adonenu Yeshua Mashiach, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

Light is our armor.  Light is His truth.  When we walk in His light and truth, then we are protected from the attacks of the evil one.  In order to walk in the fullness of His light, we must put away the desires of the flesh.  He who pursues the lusts of the flesh, which are many, is still walking in darkness and the light is not in him.

Yochanan (1st John) 2:9-11
9 He that says he is in the light and hates his brother, is in the darkness even until now.
10 He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and knows not where he goes, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

There is no room in us to hate a brother in Mashiach for any reason.  If a brother has wronged us, then we are to go to that brother and make it right.  Or, if a brother has sinned, then we must approach that brother in great fear and humility and love in order to restore him.  If we do not do these things, then we are hating our brother.  And one who hates his brother is walking in the darkness regardless of the words that make boastful claims as to walking in His light.

Yochanan Aleph (1st John) 1:6-7
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not do the truth;
7 but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Yeshua His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Please notice that saying we have fellowship with Mashiach and yet walking in darkness and doing the deeds of darkness, is lying and is not doing the truth.  It is important to understand that if we are going to walk in the light, then we must be doers of truth.

If we desire to be cleansed of all sin and unrighteousness, then we must walk in the light.  And to walk in the light means that we must keep, hear, and obey His commandments, His Torah, and His Voice.

Luqa (Luke) 11:34-35
34 “The lamp of your body is your eye; when your eye is single, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness.
35 Look therefore whether the light that is in you be not darkness.”

Whether a person is walking in the light or he is walking in the darkness, it is no one else’s responsibility except his own.  Each person is responsible for where he is walking.  No one makes another person walk in the darkness of error and sin.  Likewise, no one can force another person to walk in His light.  And Yeshua our Mashiach certainly will not force another to walk in His light.

In part two of this study we will examine the actual journey from light to darkness.

ABBA YHWH, please continue to shine Your light upon us that we may continue walking toward Your light; in the name of Yeshua our Mashiach.  

Amein and Amein.

Zerubbabel ben Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
zerubbabel@onetorahforall.com

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go to Walking in the Light - part 2