We know that it's impossible, in the natural world, for darkness and light to occupy the same space at the same time. The same holds true in the spiritual realm and in the minds and hearts of human beings. You cannot be filled and directed by both darkness and light at the same time. You will choose to obey either light and truth or darkness and error.

But there is more at stake here than simply being right or wrong about some things. Spiritual darkness is evil itself. It opposes God and truth and life. It destroys all that is pure and innocent and good in the world. Yet it only promises pleasure and entertainment and satisfaction.

Spiritual darkness reveals and expresses itself in many ways in our modern society. But more important, it has powerful allies in every human life. The body itself, and even the human mind, already trained in the past by the desires of the body and the customs of this world, is a natural ally of darkness. Why? Because the human flesh has only the wish to fulfill all its cravings and desires, and it willingly follows anyone and anything that promises to grant such fulfillment.

Spiritual darkness does not fulfill anything, ultimately, except death — both physical and spiritual. It makes many promises to lure human attention away from the light, away from God's help and rescue. But it has only one goal: total and eternal destruction of the human life.

For example, see what the apostle Paul writes to the ancient believers in Rome, late in the first century: "those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law — indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:5-8, NRSV)

It would be impossible for anyone born into this world to escape the wiles and deceptions of darkness had God not provided us with a Savior. God sent His own Son to save us, to rescue us from the delusions, the enslaving powers and the ultimate destruction of darkness. Jesus lived among us and taught us the truth about God. (Read His teachings in the Gospel accounts of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.)

But Jesus did far more than simply tell us the truth. He lived it out. And then He even gave up His own perfect life in order to die in our place. He suffered and died on a cruel Roman cross for our sins and shortcomings. He paid the price for all our wrongdoings.

Still, He did more. After 3 days, Jesus Christ came up out of the grave, defeating death and leading all who hope in Him to eternal victory and life.

So we are set free, even to this day, when we trust in Jesus, placing our lives in His hands.

How do we know He did all these things?

Well, we have the solid testimony of God's Spirit in the writings of the Holy Bible. And we have the experience of life itself.

For a great collection of material of the resurrection of Jesus, visit Christian Answers.


Of course, real Christians already know that Jesus Christ is risen. They have the witness of the Holy Spirit within, and the powerful testimony of the Scriptures to confirm their convictions.

Millions of lives all around the world have been powerfully transformed by the Spirit of God as a result of men, women and children believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And that living testimony is already powerful evidence that Jesus Christ really is all that He says He is. To this very day He raises the dead to life again, cures many diseases, and saves all who place their hope in Him.

But there are still those in every generation who cannot bring themselves to believe the good news. Remember the time in Scripture when Moses sent out the 12 spies to look over the land of Promise? Joshua and Caleb brought back a true report, and all of the spies helped to bring back the physical evidences of how fruitful and blessed the land was. (See the core of the story in Numbers 13:21 thru 14:10.)

But the people, including 10 of the spies, could not believe that God would given them the land. Only the tiniest minority trusted what God had said, and could see the hand of God already powerfully at work. The New Testament letter to the Hebrews has much to say about the unbelief of the people who refused to believe God in the wilderness.

Scripture says:
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (Hebrews 3:19-4:2)

And just before that the Scripture says: "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb 3:12,13)

And by this we see the real reason why people fail to believe God's promises. They fail because of sin. For if a man refuses the warnings of God, and refuses the truth of God that reveals God's will for daily life, then how can he believe the promises of good things to come for those who obey? Sin is the deadly enemy of faith. And faith in God is the deadly enemy of sin.

Scripture has more to say about these things:

In the Gospel of John:  "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." (John 3:17-21)

And again, in Galatians, the Bible says to the believer:
Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious:   fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.   By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.   And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)

Mark those, then, who do not and who cannot believe what God says in the Bible. For we know that the Scriptures are inspired by God's own Spirit, just as He says in 2 Timothy 3:16,17. And if the Bible is given to us by God, then all who reject it or who refuse to submit to the rule of God only show who and what they really are.

As the Scripture says:
"Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you." (1 John 2:22-26)

But for all who believe the Good News of Jesus Christ, we rejoice in His resurrection from the dead, and in all the promises of God. Amen.

If you have not fully trusted in Jesus, you can find more help here.
 

Christian Believers

You can also find more helpful materials as you look around on this site.   But the greatest source of help will be the Bible, which is God's own Word.  Other Christians are also a big source of help.  When you visit with people who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, they can share with you, pray with you and help you find the information you need.  

Where can you find such people?  One good place is the local church.  Christians often meet for worship, prayer and group study.  Find a church that believes the Bible, and you will find people who know the Lord.  Ask God to help you find real Christian believers to meet with.

Trust in Jesus today and follow Him with all that is in you. His eternal and perfect light will push out the powers of darkness — enabling you to have a life that is truly filled of life and light and truth.

Jim