Is "The Light" Innate in Us?

The answer to this question, in spite of countless cinematic masterpieces, evocative song lyrics, pithy platitudes, our own high regard for ourselves, and endless public school positive affirmations that “the light” does indeed originate in us, is “No.”

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:4-6

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

From Finding Dory to the Star Wars franchise, from children’s books to self-help books, from New Ageism to Atheism, the sad reality is that “the light,” humanly translated into the language of self-esteem and “peace on earth,” has, is and always will be, darkness.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2

“For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD almighty

will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 3:19-21

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” John 8:12

Notice that the above verses state that Jesus is the light, who has come into a dark world. We can enter into His light and no longer walk in darkness.

It follows that if Jesus came into a dark world, and people still choose to stay in that dark world, that He did not turn the dark world into light. The dark world still exists. Jesus exists within that darkness. The only light available in that darkness—in that dark world—is the light of Christ.

It also follows that those who choose Him, and therefore, His light—the only light that brings people out of darkness—must continue to exist upon that dark world, only now to live in that world within the light of Christ.

I make this point because many non-believers mistakenly conclude that Christianity promotes a “never suffer again” proposition. And so people who make a profession of faith often disown that profession when the “never suffer again” bubble pops.

What they didn’t understand is that though we are saved in Christ and live in His light, we do it while still materially living in a fallen world.

How do we know this? From the prayer of Jesus Himself in John 17:

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of this world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:17-21

The glory of God, then—the peace on earth, good will toward men; the loving others as our selves—is this:

Upon this dark world Jesus has come, to bring good news to the poor, freedom for the captives, recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of His—the Lord’s—favor (Isaiah 61; Luke 4:18-19).

Who are the poor? All of us because we all live in the poverty of darkness.

Who are the captives? All of us because we all live captive to the darkness.

Who is blind? All of us because the god of this age has blinded us.

Who are the oppressed? All of us because we all live in the oppression of darkness.

What is the year of God’s favor? The light of Christ entering into that darkness and rescuing us from it: not from the world, but from the darkness that is the world, and the darkness that is us without the light of Christ.

“As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

Here is the joy and glory of Christmas, the coming of the light of Christ:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:

‘Wake up, sleeper,

rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.’” Ephesians 5:8-14

These words are spoken to the physically alive, who must, as Jesus clearly and compassionately taught Nicodemus, die and be born again in the Spirit of Christ (John 3).

The idea of a secular, “inner light,” as beautifully and artistically presented as that may be from a humanistic perspective, is only a façade; a sad joke played on a people who so want to convince themselves that they, in their own humanly-bred, self-aggrandized, inner-striving for independence, can be their own light. A people who, through a fairy tale of their own imagining, can pretend that if they just “believe in themselves,” then everything will be all right.

This is no light. It is a counterfeit.

“I am the light of the world,” says Jesus. 

Find Christ and we find the Light.