Tag Archives: children of darkness

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Illuminated by the Spirit

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“That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

God has granted you the ability to understand the truth and live accordingly.

In the natural realm, darkness can be a debilitating and frightening thing. The story is told of a missionary who was on board ship one dark night when suddenly he was awakened by the frantic cry of “Man overboard!” Immediately he arose from his bunk, grabbed the portable lamp from its bracket, and held it at the window of his cabin.

He couldn’t see anything, but the next morning he was told that the flash of his lamp through the porthole emitted just enough light to enable those on deck to see the missing man clinging to a rope. They rescued him seconds before his strength would have given out. The light had shone just in time to save the man’s life.

In the spiritual realm, darkness is even more devastating because it represents sin with all its disastrous consequences. First John 1:5-6 says, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

Unbelievers are characterized as children of darkness. They are enslaved to Satan, the prince of darkness, who blinds their minds so they don’t see the light of Christ’s glorious gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). They love darkness and reject light because they don’t want their evil deeds to be exposed (John 3:19-20).

Christians, however, have been called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). That refers to God’s taking the initiative to save us. As an unredeemed sinner, you could never have turned from darkness on your own because you had neither the ability nor the desire to do so. God had to grant you saving grace and the illumination of His Spirit so you could recognize truth and respond accordingly.

That blessed privilege is known only to Christians. What a joy—not only to recognize God’s truth, but also to walk in it daily!

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for illuminating your mind and enabling you to see spiritual truth. Pray diligently for others to be so illuminated.

For Further Study

Read 1 John 1:5—2:11. Contrast the children of darkness with the children of light.

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Illuminated by the Spirit

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John MacArthur

“That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

In the natural realm, darkness can be a debilitating and frightening thing. The story is told of a missionary who was on board ship one dark night when suddenly he was awakened by the frantic cry of “Man overboard!” Immediately he arose from his bunk, grabbed the portable lamp from its bracket, and held it at the window of his cabin.

He couldn’t see anything, but the next morning he was told that the flash of his lamp through the porthole emitted just enough light to enable those on deck to see the missing man clinging to a rope. They rescued him seconds before his strength would have given out. The light had shone just in time to save the man’s life.

In the spiritual realm, darkness is even more devastating because it represents sin with all its disastrous consequences. First John 1:5-6 says, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

Unbelievers are characterized as children of darkness. They are enslaved to Satan, the prince of darkness, who blinds their minds so they don’t see the light of Christ’s glorious gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). They love darkness and reject light because they don’t want their evil deeds to be exposed (John 3:19-20).

Christians, however, have been called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). That refers to God’s taking the initiative to save us. As an unredeemed sinner, you could never have turned from darkness on your own because you had neither the ability nor the desire to do so. God had to grant you saving grace and the illumination of His Spirit so you could recognize truth and respond accordingly.

That blessed privilege is known only to Christians. What a joy—not only to recognize God’s truth, but also to walk in it daily!

Suggestions for Prayer:  Thank God for illuminating your mind and enabling you to see spiritual truth. Pray diligently for others to be so illuminated.

For Further Study: Read 1 John 1:5—2:11. Contrast the children of darkness with the children of light.

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Illuminated by the Spirit

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

In the natural realm, darkness can be a debilitating and frightening thing. The story is told of a missionary who was on board ship one dark night when suddenly he was awakened by the frantic cry of “Man overboard!” Immediately he arose from his bunk, grabbed the portable lamp from its bracket, and held it at the window of his cabin.

He couldn’t see anything, but the next morning he was told that the flash of his lamp through the porthole emitted just enough light to enable those on deck to see the missing man clinging to a rope. They rescued him seconds before his strength would have given out. The light had shone just in time to save the man’s life.

In the spiritual realm, darkness is even more devastating because it represents sin with all its disastrous consequences. First John 1:5-6 says, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

Unbelievers are characterized as children of darkness. They are enslaved to Satan, the prince of darkness, who blinds their minds so they don’t see the light of Christ’s glorious gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). They love darkness and reject light because they don’t want their evil deeds to be exposed (John 3:19-20).

Christians, however, have been called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). That refers to God’s taking the initiative to save us. As an unredeemed sinner, you could never have turned from darkness on your own because you had neither the ability nor the desire to do so. God had to grant you saving grace and the illumination of His Spirit so you could recognize truth and respond accordingly.

That blessed privilege is known only to Christians. What a joy–not only to recognize God’s truth, but also to walk in it daily!

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for illuminating your mind and enabling you to see spiritual truth. Pray diligently for others to be so illuminated.

For Further Study:

Read 1 John 1:5þ2:11. Contrast the children of darkness with the children of light.

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Alistair Begg – Closed in

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And the Lord shut him in.  Genesis 7:16

Noah was shut in away from all the world by the hand of divine love. The door of God’s electing purpose separates us from the world, which lies in the wicked one. We are not of the world even as our Lord Jesus was not of the world. Into the sin, the folly, the pursuits of the crowd we cannot enter; we cannot play in the streets of Vanity Fair with the children of darkness, for our heavenly Father has shut us in.

Noah was shut in with his God. “Come into the ark,” was the Lord’s invitation, by which He clearly showed that He Himself intended to dwell in the ark with Noah and his family. In this manner all the chosen live in God and God in them. Happy people to be enclosed in the same circle that contains God in the Trinity of His persons–Father, Son, and Spirit. Let us never be inattentive to that gracious call, “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.”

Noah was so shut in that no evil could reach him. Floods simply lifted toward heaven, and winds helped him on his way. Outside the ark all was ruin, but inside all was rest and peace. Without Christ we perish, but in Christ Jesus there is perfect safety.

Noah was so shut in that he could not even desire to come out, and those who are in Christ Jesus are in Him forever. They are there forever because eternal faithfulness has shut them in, and infernal malice cannot drag them out. God closes, and no man opens; and when in the last days as Master of the house He shall rise and close the door, it will be futile for mere professors to knock and cry, “Lord, Lord open for us,” for that same door which closes in the wise virgins will shut out the foolish forever. Lord, close me in by Your grace.