A Whole New Light

Brethren I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning.  The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.  Again a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you:  because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.  1 John 2:7-8

      Have you ever had your mind completely made up about something then prayed about it and came up with a whole new perspective?  If you have, then good for you!  I know I have!  Sometimes God has a way of opening our eyes and allowing us to see things in a whole new light-His light!      
     
      We know John is writing this letter to the new church; some that I’m sure were still struggling with Christ’s resurrection, death, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.  I believe John is telling them here that God’s word is still the same.   I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve heard where the preacher has started off with “I don’t have anything new, the message is still the same.”  If they said they had something new I’d be tempted to leave because God’s word hasn’t and won’t change.  

      So what was different for the churches John was writing to?  The word had come to life through Christ’s walk on earth.  The word was still the same but the light (Christ) had shined upon it giving it a whole new meaning!  They’d passed from the law to grace.

      Just to give one example, John says later:

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.  Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother…Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  (1 John 3:11, 12, 16) 

 “Love one another” had been taught from the beginning but Christ really shined the light on that one by giving His own life even when he knew we were sinners and would let Him down!  That definitely gives a whole new meaning to “love!” 

      I’ll leave you with what a quote from John Piper:  “Nothing is truly understood until it is understood in the light of God.”  How true that is!   Is there something in which you need a better understanding?  Then perhaps it’s time to get on your knees and have some light shined upon it!