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What Is God?
Brian Mashburn
January 24, 2010
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What Is God?
I have often said that “love” is the only noun that made it into Scripture with enough clout to be worthy of ending the phrase “God is…”. There are dozens of adjectives used - describing God. But only the word “love” is used as a synonym for God.
I stand corrected. I found 3 more that made the cut. And John uses one of them in today’s text.
“God is light,” he says, in 1 John 1:5.
Interesting. Throughout scripture, you find that light shines in the darkness, that it can be seen by those living in darkness, but that darkness itself can’t understand it. It says that your whole body can be full of light, that a light is meant to be seen and help people to see.
It says that light came into the world. It says there are people in the world who hate the light. But it also says that there are people of the light, who are witnesses of the light, and testify concerning the light. Light is something that is given and enjoyed, it can be walked in, and when it is trusted, scripture says that you may be sons of light.
Further, there is a teaching of Jesus that says that those who live in truth live in light. And another where he says he came into the world as a light. And another when he says that he is the light.
Why? Why such varied and powerful use of the word “light”? Why does it get special status as one of the precious few words that get to occupy a sentence equating it with God?
The answer is simple. Darkness. Light is the only solution to darkness. And that is why God sent Jesus. To remove darkness from humanity in every way that you can imagine.
Be encouraged by John today. The smallest, tiniest light can not be overcome by the darkest, blackest, most oppressive darkness.
And God is no small, tiny light. He is light. In Him there is no darkness at all. And that is where He wants you…in Him.