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NT Darkness to Light: The Gospel of Regeneration
Initial Salvation – The Gospel of Promise “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Acts 26:18 |
If NT regenerate Christians can turn back to and experience spiritual darkness, popular religion would exclaim, “how can it be?” “Was it not the gospel promise that we would be turned from darkness to light?” Indeed it was, and is, thus we have been born again and made “meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,” because, God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:12-13). We have become the children of God, or children of Light, because “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), and “in Him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Verily, in God’s Kingdom “there shall be no night there,” “for the glory of God [will] lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof,” therefore all of those that “are saved shall walk in the light of it” (Rev. 21:23-25)! In this way we have become, by Spirit, nature, and law: “the children of Light” (John 12:36, 1 Thess. 5:5). In other words we are, “the children of the Day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thess. 5:5). This is initial salvation, as it is at the first experience, empowered by binding promises, but will you know that there is a present progressive necessity to keep your first faith in the gospel of grace, so that you do presently and progressively abide in the Light of God, otherwise you will return back into the darkness of carnality, the Godless world, and its ruling unholy angels will be the spirits of your communion?
Present Progressive Salvation - The Gospel by Command
Your regeneration was by the power of God when He did effectually call you with the gospel call, and the power of this PAST TENSE experience should be walked out at present, presently and progressively in your today. Thus, you “should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light” (1 Peter 2:9). Henceforth you must “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23), and therefore, “as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him” (Col. 2:6) – and He is Light! “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end” (Heb. 3:14). Now, if there were no possibility to fall from the gospel-empowering grace of God, then there would be no possibility to fall into darkness, to walk in darkness, to dwell in another reality than what is purchased, performed, and promised in the gospel. The NT Churches were evidently in danger of falling into, and often in need of recovery from, darkness! The gospel of promise, which regenerated souls from darkness into light, is also presented by a command which I call – The Gospel by Command. Look at the gospel by command and reckon it into your theological persuasion. Look how the apostles acknowledged their regenerate brethren to be in damnable spiritual conditions, conditions which were upon them because of a slipping out of saving faith in the gospel promises. The apostles commanded the slipping saints to walk out in and lay hold upon the gospel promises: -->
Present Progressive Salvation - The Gospel by Command
Your regeneration was by the power of God when He did effectually call you with the gospel call, and the power of this PAST TENSE experience should be walked out at present, presently and progressively in your today. Thus, you “should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light” (1 Peter 2:9). Henceforth you must “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23), and therefore, “as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him” (Col. 2:6) – and He is Light! “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end” (Heb. 3:14). Now, if there were no possibility to fall from the gospel-empowering grace of God, then there would be no possibility to fall into darkness, to walk in darkness, to dwell in another reality than what is purchased, performed, and promised in the gospel. The NT Churches were evidently in danger of falling into, and often in need of recovery from, darkness! The gospel of promise, which regenerated souls from darkness into light, is also presented by a command which I call – The Gospel by Command. Look at the gospel by command and reckon it into your theological persuasion. Look how the apostles acknowledged their regenerate brethren to be in damnable spiritual conditions, conditions which were upon them because of a slipping out of saving faith in the gospel promises. The apostles commanded the slipping saints to walk out in and lay hold upon the gospel promises: -->
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“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:8-11).
“Walk as men” – 1 Cor. 3:3) “Walketh in Darkness” – 1 John 2:11 “Abideth in Death” – 1 John 3:14 “If ye live after the flesh ye shall die” – Rom. 8:13 “Arise from the dead” – Eph. 5:14 “Walk… not as fools, but as wise” – Eph. 5:15 |
According to Romans 13:11-14, if you do not “put on the armour of Light,” which is to abide in the Light, then you are not putting on Jesus Christ Who is eternal life (1 John 2:11, 3:15, 5:11); you are in darkness instead of light, which is to say, in other terms, that you are sleeping. To put on Christ is to put on the armour of Light, which is Jesus Christ, and if this is not done, then you have not obeyed the gospel which is by command – “awake out of sleep!” Those that sleep do sleep in the night, and we are called to be awake! According to Ephesians 5:8-17, sleeping is to be dead, a fool, and in a damnable condition, which would be, like as Romans 13:11-14 would agree, a Christless condition. Therefore a sleeping Christian who is, by gospel promise and initial salvation – “now light in the Lord” – but at present walking in darkness, he is denying the gospel of God. What is the gospel by command? It is, “Walk as Children of Light” (Eph. 5:8). Those who do not are “dead” “fools” (Eph. 5:15-17). Need I remind you of the woeful cries which were shouted to the Savior – “Lord, Lord, open to us” (Matt. 25:1-13)? A Christian that walks in darkness “abideth in death” rather than the light, and thus Christ (1 John 5:11-12), the One and only Dwelling Place of “eternal life” (1 John 3:14-15), is not abiding in him. This spiritual condition is a walking in carnality, in foolishness, in darkness, in death, and in blindness…does all of this sound familiar? “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:10-11).
By birth and gospel promise we are in the Light, but if we turn to darkness, we are in danger of eternal judgment and excommunication (2 Cor. 6:14, 1 John 1:5-7). We are therefore, as Philippians 2:15-16, under the damning “rebuke” of God because we are not “blameless,” because we should rather “shine as lights in the world holding forth the word of life.” If this is our condition, as Philippians 2:15-16 warns against, then on the final Day of Judgment we will NOT be reckoned as children of God, or otherwise put, “children of Light.” Now can you tell the plain meaning of the following passages?
By birth and gospel promise we are in the Light, but if we turn to darkness, we are in danger of eternal judgment and excommunication (2 Cor. 6:14, 1 John 1:5-7). We are therefore, as Philippians 2:15-16, under the damning “rebuke” of God because we are not “blameless,” because we should rather “shine as lights in the world holding forth the word of life.” If this is our condition, as Philippians 2:15-16 warns against, then on the final Day of Judgment we will NOT be reckoned as children of God, or otherwise put, “children of Light.” Now can you tell the plain meaning of the following passages?
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“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” -2 Peter 3:10-14
“Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.” -John 12:35-36 “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that Day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation,” -1Th. 5:4-8 “For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” -Mark 13:34-37 “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when He will return from the wedding; that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” -Luke 12:35-40 |
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The Gospel By Promise (FINISHED IN THE PAST)
God tells you what He has done. How He walked. ~ Imputed Righteousness (Rom. 8:10, Eph. 2:8-9, 1 Cor. 6:11)~ 1) Light
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The Gospel By Command (AT PRESENT)
God tells you what you must do, in Him & through Him. How you must walk, in Him & through Him. ~Works Righteousness (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Eph. 2:10)~ Walk: Col. 2:6, Gal. 5:16, 25, Eph. 4:17, 5:8, 1 Cor. 3:3, 1 John 2:6 1) Light
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