Bible Ballistics: Is Anybody Watching?????? Vol 4 #11

There’s a lot of talk and concern these days about energy. Do we have enough to go around? Where will we get it? Wind turbines, coal, natural gas, and other options seem to be consuming people’s thoughts and energy. But where does energy come from? The Apostle John gives us some food for thought in 1 John 1:1-7, let’s examine it together today.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto 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 the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

John calls us to walk in the light? But what light? John says in verse 1 that the ‘light’ was from the beginning. We know from Genesis 1 that God (Elohim) was there, and we know that the Holy Spirit was there, where was Jesus?

Gen 1:1-3, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

God created all that is, we know that –and John tells us in his gospel as well as the 1^st letter he wrote, that Jesus was also there in the beginning. The 1^st chapter of Hebrews also speaks to this question. Genesis 1 says the Spirit ‘moved’ (KJV a word connoting movement, or hovering, kind of like a hen quivering her wings to gather her chicks). The Spirit moved, or hovered over the mass that would be made into the earth. The creative power (energy) of Jesus (with His Father) accomplished creation (energy)—being the defining element of all. Now, I know we’ve stirred up some of your ‘little grey cells’, so to speak, so let’s look at scripture and see what we can learn from the whole counsel of God.

Firstly, we know that the ‘light’ created on the first day was not the ‘sun’, as it was created on the 4^th day. So it seems that this first ‘light’ was the imparting of ‘energy’ to create what would follow. I think this is a parallel to the creative power that Jesus brings to bear on us when we are saved. He births us into the kingdom of God by His power, the power of His sacrifice. (See John 1:12-13 and note the word ‘power’)

Hebrews 1:1-3, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:”

God spoke to us through Jesus during His time on earth, but He existed before that. He was there at creation, “by whom also he made the worlds;” doing what He does –creating!! Physical and spiritually—Jesus creates life-energy!!! He is the one who is “upholding all things by the word of his power”. The source of energy that holds all things together.

John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

In John 1:1 and 1 John 1:1, the Apostle confirms the eternal nature of Jesus. He didn’t begin at the incarnation, for Jesus was always there. He simply took on flesh in order to become the sacrificial Lamb, in order to pay for our sin. He brought His ‘energy’ to bear on ‘sin’. Yours and mine.

Jesus, the “Word”, was in the beginning—with God, being God. How did God create all that He created, in what way? By “speaking”—by the ‘Word’—by Jesus. All things were made by Him—the Son.In HIM was life (energy), and the life was the ‘light’ of men. The light that shines in the darkness. But also true is the fact that men can be blind and refuse to see this light. Kind of like the phrase people use when a situation or topic is totally obvious but those present refuse to acknowledge it. We call it the “elephant in the room”—it’s there but no one wants to deal with it. Jesus is that way!!! He is the light; He shines in the darkness, yet men and women, boys and girls, refuse to acknowledge HIS light. Why? Jesus gives us that answer also.

John 3:18-20, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

And who is this light? Let’s make it plain, right from the mouth of our Lord.

John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (not just walk in it but also HAVE it—within)

 Jesus shines His light upon us, we can believe and be saved, and receive eternal life. Or we can reject Him, in word and deed (and either one is enough) and have the condemnation of death and hell, instead of life.

So, my questions are:

“Is anybody watching you?”

Are you watching Jesus?

Are you saved and walking in HIS light?

Has Jesus become your own personal ‘light of the world’?

Or are you contented in the dark.

Do you think no one sees?

May we follow Him and not only walk in the light but also exhibit that we “have the light of life”– before all those who may be watching YOU and ME.