"In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." (1 John 1:1)
All the light that men have is the life of God. "That was the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world." (John 1:9)
God's life shines. " God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) "God has shined in our hearts to give the light." (1 Corinthians 4:6)
Men, unconsciously to themselves, recognize that the light of the world is the life of God, by avoiding the light when they do evil deeds. There is something about the light that makes the daytime out of harmony with the spirit of wrong-doing. Impure thoughts and motives feel, in the light, as in the presence of a strong, repressing influence. Speaking of evil-doers, murderers, thieves, adulterers, despoilers of the poor, Job says, "They are of those that rebel against the light." (Job 24:13) "Everyone that does evil hates the light." (John 3:20)
The light is life. The life comes to all men from God as freely as the light does. If a man allows the life of God to control him, his deeds will be good. Only as God's life is allowed to appear are the deeds such as not to be ashamed of.
Wicked men do good deeds sometimes. That is due to the fact that all those particular instances they do not resist the life of God; whereas, in many other things they do resist it. When a good deed is done, it will bear bringing to the light. "He that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:21)
The life was the light. Sometimes men get fresh light, and it calls them to new experiences. They question with themselves whether they can obey the light or not, and often decide that it requires too much of them. This is because they forget that the light is the life.
The light that reveals new truth is the life and power of the thing revealed. Whenever one sees a new duty to be performed, that which reveals it is the strength and life required to discharge it. Some people have questioned for years whether they should keep the Sabbath of the Lord, hoping some day to receive power to do so, but the light that brought the knowledge of the truth to them was the life that would have made them able had they received it. Said Christ, "I know that His commandment is life everlasting." (John 12:50)
We need not look to the future with forebodings of failure, questioning in our hearts if we will be able to walk in the light unto the perfect day. We shall never receive any light that is not life. God is light, and as we receive more light it will only be receiving "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of our understanding being enlightened that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (Ephesians 1:17-18)
If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we will have fellowship with Him, (1 John 1:7) and our path will shine more and more with the light of life, for it is His will that we should have life, and have it more abundantly. Although the light condemns evil, it is never sent for condemnation, but, that men might be saved. God does not use His knowledge to condemn us, but "By His knowledge shall my righteous Servant justify many." (Isaiah 53:11)
Without the light we should see nothing of God's works, but the more light we get on them, the more we see "His everlasting power and divinity," and recognize the love that is expressed in the work of creation.
So the more the light of life shines in our own hearts, the further will we be removed from any thought of condemnation or fear. Our prayer will be: "O send out your light and your truth: let them lead me." (Psalm 43:3) "The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." (Numbers 6:25-26)--Present Truth, July 28, 1898.