Coastline between Long Beach and Santa Monica, California.
A ND THIS is the condemnation [Gk. fcmis], that light is come into the world, and men loved dark ness rather than light, because their deeds were neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:19-21). To announce such a subject is to call two strikes on the writer before he even begins, for who wants to hear about a crisis? For years now we have heard nothing but emergencies: national, military, political, economic! Since V-Day, our country has been on a vacation; “V” stands for vacation, as well as for victory. We are in a holiday mood. We are in the midst of a national let down. Part of that is the natural reaction from the stress and strain of war, but such reactions can be very dangerous. This vacation mood has got into the church. Christians are more interested in cars and clothes, radios and refrigerators, than in revival. They are more inclined to yawn than to pray. Instead of saying, "Amen,” the average church-goer is saying, “So what?” However, whether we like it or not, the Word of God sets before us a crisis, beside which all other crises are as molehills beside mountains. There is a crisis past; there is a crisis present; and there is a crisis to come. That crisis is “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Over nineteen hundred years ago, the world met this crisis, the test by which men are judged. Light came into the world, and ever since the world faced Christ, it has faced the crisis. “What shall I- do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” He, the Light of the world, has been showing us up. Did you ever overturn a large rock, and watch the creeping, crawling things underneath scurry for cover, when the light struck them? We do not know what is in a dark cellar until the light breaks in; then the snakes and lizards and vermin are revealed. We do not know what is in our hearts until we face the light in Jesus Christ. That explains why some people PAGE SIX
Here is a matter about which everyone must take action
evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
Vance Havner
do not come to church: they do not want the light turned on! If we really want to do God’s will, we wel come the light, but if we walk in darkness, we resent the light; we have photophobia—we fear the light. The idea that unsaved men are kindly disposed toward Christ is pure, unadulterated “ bunk.” The world hated Him when He was here and it still hates Him. People followed Him for loaves and fishes, but when they woke up to His real purpose, they forsook Him and fled. Not only does the light shine in the Person of the Sav iour; it shines in the Scriptures as well. “The entrance of thy words giveth light.” His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. This explains why some do not like straight preaching from the Word of God. They do not want the light turned on. Paul told Timothy that the time, would come when men would not endure sound doctrine. One. would think that, since the gospel had such influence during the days of Paul, the time would come when men would welcome sound doctrine, but Paul did not say that, and such was not the case then, nor is it the case today. Men live in dark ness and love it, because their deeds are evil. They will not come to the light lest they be shown up, as indeed they will, if they face the Scriptures. The light also shines in the saints: “Ye are the light of the world.” That explains why the world does not relish the presence of godly people. How many times we have found that when we mention the things of God in an ungodly gathering, it casts a chill over the meet ing! The light is turned on, and the creeping things scurry for cover! “I f we walk in the light . . . we have fellowship one with another,” but light and darkness have no fellowship. We need not expect to be popular T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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