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THE
NEW LIFE by
John Marshall
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Chapter
1 • FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Paul makes clear
that those who are in this world of darkness walk according
to "the evil ways of this present age": they are
the victims of the thinking and the mode of living of their
age. This is particularly true today, when there are so many
"modern" views of religion, of God, and of superman.
This is emphasized in a powerful figure of speech which Paul
uses when he describes the people of the world walking "according
to the prince of the power of the air": they breathe
the atmosphere of the trespasses and sins of their age; they
are under the influence of the unseen power of evil which
saps their lives until they are overcome by the death in which
there is no thought and no hope. How realistically and tragically
true this is of our own age!
As judge of all Jesus judged the "prince" of this
dark world whose people, he said "believe not on me";
and Paul described "the prince of the power of the air"
as "the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience".
That is the effect of this spirit of evil; it makes people
disobedient to God' it makes them ignore Him in order to go
their own way 'This was the sin of Israel, and it is the sin
of the world today. God sees all this and any who will not
come out of the world to the light die in darkness, for as
it is said: "He that believeth not (R.V. obeyeth not)
the son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on
him."
The World of Light
Jesus came as the light of the world in order to create more
light to illumine the darkness, and to his followers he said:
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Thus the believer enters not only into a new life of fellowship
but a life full of light. But it has its responsibilities
and its difficulties, for we may have left in the dark world
many friends whom we esteem, some for whom we may feel great
affection.
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References
Eph 2v2, John 3v36, Matt 5v16
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Chapter
1 • FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Our personal judgments
in these matters, however, must be tempered by light, not by darkness.
Too often we are prone to make our judgments on purely personal
and not on spiritual grounds. To say that a friend in the world
leads a good Christian life because he (or she) leads a strongly
moral life is to base one's judgment on man's view and not on God's.
It is this judgment "of the flesh" that sometimes leads
a brother or sister to marry out of the Faith. The assumption is
that he (or she) "leads as good a life as I do". It is
forgotten that a "good" life must also be an obedient
one to God.
Paul will have none of this kind of reasoning: he is straightforward
and blunt in what he writes: "Do not unite yourselves with
unbelievers; they are not fit mates for you. What has righteousness
to do with wickedness? Can light consort with darkness? Can Christ
agree with Belial, or a believer join hands with an unbeliever?"
This may seem to be a "hard saying" but this is how God
sees, and reveals to His servants, the situation of those in the
world. Thus there is all the more reason why young (and older) brethren
and sisters should let their light shine strongly in all circumstances,
and right at the beginning of any friendship. The power of light
can achieve wonderful results. And God does care for His own. But
we must always face courageously the implications of our call. Ultimately
undue friendship with the world is unfaithfulness to God. James
calls it "adultery".
In the new life we have to face sacrifice, and at times the cost
may be heavy, but has it ever been otherwise? It has been so from
the murder of Abel to the blood of Christ: and still it goes on.
It was because of the joy that was set before him
that Jesus endured; and it is for the same joy that we must take
up (carry) our own crosses and follow him.
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References
2 Cor 6v14-15 NEB, James 4v1-5
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