God Is Light

The first two chapters of First John are committed to the principle that God is light. The full knowledge and understanding of God and man’s fellowship with God were not given to Moses and the prophets, but Jesus Christ came to reveal God and his will to mankind. The only begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, has declared the fullness of God, the truth, and the extent of blessings which God has reserved for his children. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5). The message refers to what Christ communicated to the apostles, who in turn would announce God’s message to the world. The Gospel is a message, a special and gracious announcement sent by God to a lost and dying world.

God is Light

This is the grand message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the great principle upon which the happiness of mankind depends: “God is light.” God is light, not “the light,” or “a light,” but light itself. God is the source and foundation of all light for the entire world. The first thing that God gave to the world in creation was light. “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light;” and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:2-4). Light is one of the purest and most useful items that God created for the benefit of mankind. As all material life and growth upon this earth depends upon light, so all spiritual life and growth depends upon God. What light is to the natural eye, God is to the spiritual eye. Jesus Christ is called “the true light” (1 John 2:8).

The nature of God is pure light! God is of a most pure, simple, holy, perfect and glorious nature. In the scriptures light represents purity, holiness, truth, knowledge, wisdom, prosperity and happiness. God as the source of all light is also the spiritual fountain of wisdom, purity, beauty, joy and glory for mankind. God is to the human soul, what the light is to the world; without light all would be dismal and uncomfortable, terror and death would universally prevail. The soul without God is full of evil, terror, and death.

There is “no darkness at all” in the nature of God. Darkness is used in the scriptures to imply all imperfections, error, untruthfulness, ignorance, sinfulness, misery, and death. The language is designed to guard against charging God with being the author of the sin and misery which exists on earth; whatever was the source of sin and misery, it was not in any sense to be charged to God.