Compelling Love

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, who stepped down into darkness to open our eyes to the beauty and wonder of God’s love.  John 3:16 declares,“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.  He is the good shepherd who gives his life for sheep.  He rose from the dead, and is alive forevermore. He is the true light for all who follow Him, as He said after refusing to condemn the woman caught in adultery:

John 8:12 (NKJV)
¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” 

In John 10, Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, and also predicts his resurrection.

John 10 (NKJV)
¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵ As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
¹⁷ “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus tells the disciples, “You are the light of the world.” He encourages them to let their light shine, for the glory of God.

Matthew 5 (NKJV)
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

John 1:9 describes Jesus as the light shining in the darkness, “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”

John 1 (NKJV)
¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

In Colossians 1, Paul prays, “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”.

Colossians 1 (NKJV)
⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

1 Peter 2:9 declares, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

He calls us to “walk in the light as He is in the light.”

1 John 1 (NKJV)
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. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Paul declares in Romans 5:5, “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”  Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Oswald Chambers writes, “Jesus Christ became Incarnate for one purpose, to make a way back to God that man might stand before Him as He was created to do, the friend and lover of God Himself.”

Philippians 2 describes Christ’s humbling and His exaltation:

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Tim Hughes captures the inspiration of this scripture in the following song.

Here I am to Worship
(Tim Hughes, 1999, inspired by Philippians 2)

1. Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You

Refrain:
Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

2. King of all days oh, so highly exalted
Glorious in Heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor

[Refrain]

I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
(Repeat 3 times)

[Refrain, 3 times]

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, 4/14/2019, https://compellinglove.net/

Photo credits:
(1)  https://thebereanmanifesto.podbean.com/e/ep36-john-812/
(2) https://mybible.com/covers/303
(3) https://www.bereaproject.org/verse-of-the-day/2015/11/9/colossians-113-14
(4) https://nancyaruegg.com/tag/2-corinthians-46/
(5) https://biblical-christianity.com/lessons-from-the-transfiguration