Light Judgment

“This then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19 CSB)

We’ve heard of astronomical terms like “light speed” and “light year.” But have you heard about “light judgment?”

Jesus spoke with Nicodemus one dark night about spiritual matters like being “born again” and like how the Spirit of God works. While these were spiritually basic concepts, Nicodemus did not comprehend at that time what Jesus was talking about. Toward the close of their conversation Jesus then spoke about judgment and light. He told Nicodemus that a judgment had been pronounced on this world, and it was essentially a “light” judgment.

Jesus said that the light has come into the world. This was the light of His life. Then Jesus said that people loved darkness rather than the light though, because the light exposed their evil deeds. People who live a life apart from God do not like to acknowledge the evil they do because they basically prefer that kind of life, thinking that they have a life of freedom to do whatever they want to. When the light suddenly shines brightly into their lives, they want to turn the light off because when the light shows up how evil their deeds really are, it hurts. So, they want to get rid of the light quickly.

Those who come to the light and seek to live their lives by the truth will embrace the light, however. They see what evil does and how it hurts people and enslaves them, and they decide they want to get rid of the evil in their own lives by living in the light rather than in the darkness. These are the people who come to experience genuine freedom. The darkness no longer dominates their lives. So for them the light judgment passes over them and can no longer hurt them because they have embraced its truth.

We thank You, Lord, that Your light has come into our lives and set us free. We pray for those who prefer the dark, and we ask that Your light will continually shine into their hearts, so they may come to know the truth that will set them free. Amen.