“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4)

Willful Ignorance

The folk wisdom adage “There are none so blind as those who will not see” has been around for centuries in different forms. Jonathan Swift, born in the 18^th Century, was best known for his satirical works and is the person most often given credit for the source of this axiom in his book Polite Conversation. The source for his statement "people’s willful ignorance" is found in the Old Testament by the prophet Jeremiah when he declared:

“Hear now this, O foolish and heartless people, who have eyes and see not; who have ears, and hear not.” (Jer 5:21)

The failure in the Garden casts in God’s creation a darkness powered by human sinfulness. Ever since that fateful day, the darkness of sin has been an anathema to humanity; plaguing all who have lived or ever will live to a life of stumbling in darkness.

How is the Darkness of Sin Removed?

The darkness of sin is only dispelled by the light of God and the light of God is Jesus. When a sinner is ushered by the power of the Holy Spirit into the Gospel of Jesus, the darkness of sin is removed. Yes, we still sin, but now have the power and righteousness of God indwelling in us that cast the darkness of sin out of our understanding.  

Jesus was straightforward with His claim when He said, “…I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (Joh 8:12) The clarity of Jesus on the issue of the power of darkness should leave little doubt for the follower of Jesus about the power sin has on our worldview.

Shipwrecked on the Craggy Shores of Sin

Without a doubt, the most deceived and often conned people in the world are the born-again followers of Jesus who choose to ignore what God has said about sinful activities and ignore what they already know about the power that sin exercises in their lives. Many lives of truly born-again people have been left shipwrecked on the craggy shores of sin.

The lost lives in the darkness of sin and stubble fall prey to the darkness created by sin. The redeemed of God have been transported from the darkness of this world into the glorious light of God.

Jesus holds the power to create an island of light in the midst of the darkness; allowing for the followers of the Gospel’s message to have the light of God direct their journey through the darkness of sin. The Apostle John makes this observation about the deity of Jesus:

“And this is the message which we have heard from him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1Jn 1:5)

The lost in this world are blinded by God’s light and cannot understand His righteousness. In the first chapter of the book of John, we find these words:

“And the light appears in darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not.”

The word ‘apprehended’ is understood to mean to eagerly seize or possess.

The Apostle Peter, addressing the scoffers who deny the authority God holds over the people who do not seize the power of the “light of the world”, said “For this they willingly are ignorant” of the power of God to hold them to account of rejecting the light. Peter explains the grace of God toward sinners with these words:

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2Pe 3:9-10)    

As a follower of Jesus, to choose to live a sinful lifestyle is to be indeed numbered among the “There are none so blind as those who will not see” crowd. Live in the light of God and see sinful activities as the darkness of the world that have a season of pleasure but end with swift destruction.

God has given you a promise that He will receive you into His grace regardless of the darkness you have allowed in your life:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9)

Call out to God for His forgiveness and He will give you back the light you need to live in this sin-darkened world.