THE WORD THAT DEALS WITH DARKNESS

MF Blume
April 30, 2000 pm

Genesis 1:1-5 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
1Thessalonians 5:4-5 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.
John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

In Genesis, between verses 1 and 2 there is a gap of an untold amount of time.

We know this because we read about the period when the earth was void and without form in Jeremiah 4.

I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

Gold told Jeremiah that at the time the earth was void and without form, the condition was such that the mountains trembled, birds fled the heavens, the fruitful had been turned into a wilderness and cities had been broken down.

And it was said to be have been at the hand of God's fierce anger.
The same state of situations is also seen in Isaiah 14.

They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners

Someone was responsible for the Lord's anger in causing the destruction we read of in Genesis 1:2 and Jeremiah 4:23-26.

And this was at the time when the earth was void and without form.
Who was that someone?
Go back a few verses in Isaiah and read...

14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations

Lucifer!

Satan fell between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
And God's anger in casting Him to earth made the world a wilderness.
So in order for God to "re-create" everything again following Genesis 1:2, the first thing He did was speak forth light.
The world was covered in darkness.
God dealt with it by speaking forth light.

For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

When God made the earth He FORMED it.

We read in Genesis 1:1 that God created the earth.
But verse 2 says that it was without form.
How can it be without form when God FORMED it?
Something happened after God formed it.

A new Genesis has occurred in the New Testament since MANKIND became void and without form.

We read of it in John 1, where John begins with the same terminology that Moses used in Genesis 1:1.
And in order to deal with mankind's darkness, God again spoke forth light.
The Life of the Word was the LIGHT OF ALL MEN.

In this morning's service, we spoke of believers who are infatuated with good and evil since the eating of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis 3.

Preaching the Word of God is so important because we're spinning out tires when we're concerned about good or evil.
We're not accomplishing anything.
Without preaching, the knowledge of good and evil is such an obsession with the human race that we will continue thinking in those terms even after we are saved!
Paul found this dilemma in Romans 7.

And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death

The law of commandments, given by Moses, was supposed to give life.

Leviticus 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

A man would LIVE if he could fulfill all the commandments.

So, then, why did things go wrong with Paul's efforts to keep them?
Why did he find it to kill him rather than give him life?

For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me

It was since SIN WAS INSIDE HIM, that nothing he tried to do to keep law worked.

Read how many times GOOD and EVIL are mentioned in Romans 7.
Sin sin was involved, it threw a wrench into the whole picture.
If we had no sin, we could easily keep the Law.
But sin is involved and sin keeps this from occurring.

Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin

These verses show that we indeed do possess sin.

Since we have sin, dealing with good and evil cannot help us.
Its a worse scenario than simply resorting to the knowledge of good and evil in order to recover ourselves.
The soul that sins must "die."
That makes it a matter of life and death, not simply good and evil.

When God dealt with darkness over the world, did He say, "Let there be the knowledge of good and evil," in order to rectify it?

Did He say, "Do this and do not do that. This is right and that is wrong"?
NO.
He said, "LET THERE BE LIGHT."

In John 1 we read the following:

John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The LIGHT that God spoke forth in Genesis 1 was not physical light but was LIFE.

God looked at a mess of darkness and chaos, and His Spirit moved.
His Spirit alone is LIFE.
Light shines in darkness.
Light overpowers darkness.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not

When light shines to men, the only part that remains dark is that which does not comprehend the light.

They are closed to it.
Jesus is the LIGHT.
He is the WORD and He is the LIGHT.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

There is no condemnation if we hear Him.

We pass from DEATH into LIFE.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, 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

But if we reject the Light, then there is condemnation put upon us by ourselves.

He came to GIVE LIFE.

God separated the NIGHT from the DARKNESS when He spoke forth LIGHT.

We are children of light.
But if we focus upon what is good and evil rather than life or death, we accomplish nothing.
Many preach the knowledge of good and evil, and bring condemnation.
Even the Letter of the law was called the ministration of condemnation and brought death.
But the Ministration of the New Testament brought LIFE.

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

If condemnation was the way to deal with sin, then there was no reason for Christ to come, for the Law was the ministry of condemnation, and it was already instituted before Christ came.

The law reflected God's Glory and was not as glorious as God, Himself.

For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious

Like the moon as opposed to the sun, the Law was less glorious than New Testament ministry.

The moon was called the lesser light that ruled the night.
It was LESSER light and LESSER GLORY.
The sun was the GREATER LIGHT that ruled the DAY.
The Law was lesser glory and the Spirit is greater glory.
Notice that the Hebrew day began with the EVENING first and THEN THE MORNING.
Sundown began the Hebrew day.
That is the reason we read, "And the evening and the morning were the first day," in Genesis 1.
This tells us a message.
If the NIGHT began the Hebrew day, and the DAYLIGHT came AFTER the night, the you could say the MOON RULED THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SUN RULED THE DAY.
That is the reason LAW came before NEW TESTAMENT.

And as the light of the moon may be bright, and there still be darkness all around the perimeter of the moon, whereas the sun shines and there is NO DARKNESS in the sky, so much greater is the ministry of Spirit as opposed to Law.

Ministry of Condemnation is ineffective in eradicating DARKNESS.

So, when we try to deal with the darkness in this world through the condemnation of the knowledge of good and evil, we are not accomplishing anything.

In fact, the spirits of darkness don't mind that at all.
The world doesn't altogether mind morality and the knowledge of good and evil.
There are radio shows that glorify morality.
But when you get into LIFE AND DEATH, which brings CHRIST into the picture, the world doesn't stand for that.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The darkness of the world is not affected by the knowledge of good and evil.

LIGHT deals with DARKNESS.
Preaching good and evil is not the answer.
It will still remain dark.
So we must leave the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil alone, and feast on LIFE.
THAT does a work!

Only Christ can deal with life and death.

There is too much good and evil being preached.
We need to understand good and evil, but that is not "the message."
The Message is LIFE.
Light and Darkness is not good and evil.
We do not read that GOODNESS is the light of all men in John 1:4.
We read that LIFE is the light of all men.
Who is the LIGHT?
Jesus.
Where does that leave Adam?
God sees only two people in this world.
ADAM AND JESUS.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive

And Jesus is the LIGHT/LIFE of all men.

Good was not an issue.

And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

He never came saying, "I am the goodness of the world."

He said, "I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD."

John 1:9

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Then He said:

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

He did say He was the GOOD SHEPHERD.

But He did not simply say He was the GOOD.
And even then, He said more....

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep

He made sure He stressed the matter of LIFE AND DEATH.

We are ineffective if we merely preach issues of good and evil.

Colossians 2:20

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men

Paul asked why the Colossians preached about issues of good and evil (Touch not, taste not, handle not).

He said it was of the world.
And we are supposed to be dead to the world.
DEAD.
It is a matter of life and death.

Colossians 3:1-3

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Do we read about treasures of goodness in us?

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

No.

We have the treasure of LIGHT in us.

Some churches watch visitors come and the first thing the members of the church often think is how badly that one is dressed, or, "That's not good, and this is good..."

God's people are poisoned with the knowledge of good and evil.
God was not too keen on Adam and Eve eating it.
It kills!
And this condemnation that results from those believers who criticize others with their knowledge of good and evil slays as much as the letter of the law killed.

If all that we talk about is social issues, then we are still caught up in the knowledge of good and evil.

People will get confused, because all religions deal with good and evil.
But when you preach life and death, that narrows it down to one.
CHRIST.
The cross.
People steeped in the knowledge of good and evil cannot perceive the cross.
"Life and death?"
"Dying and resurrecting?"
They ask us "What is the point?"
There are many paths if the issue is good and evil.
BUT ITS NOT THE ISSUE.
The issue is LIFE AND DEATH.

Salvation is not of works, because ADAM can mimic a good work.

The issue is being crucified and buried with Christ.
We're children of light.
Let's concentrate on giving light to the people in darkness.
NOT "GOOD AND EVIL."