Contrasts

“Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”
(Isaiah 50:10, ESV)

When I took a course in photography, I remember learning something about contrasts. We could take a photograph and through various processes of exposing the films could make a photographic print with complete contrast. The result was a picture that was only black and white. This technique produced a very interesting image and this type of image shows us the total contrast that light has with darkness.

The verse in Isaiah shows this type of contrast. Spiritually speaking there are those who walk in the light and those who walk in darkness. It is a stark contrast and it is impossible to be in both the light and the darkness at the same time. Those who are in the light are those that fear the Lord and obey Him. Those who are in darkness do not fear the Lord and do not obey Him. It is clear. There is no middle ground. There are those in the light and there are those in the dark.

This call went out to the nation of Israel. There was a faithful remnant that walked in the light and there were many who did not. The call was for those who were in darkness to leave it by faith and enter the light. They were to trust in the Lord and rely on God, and in doing so enter the light.

The amazing thing is that God had called the nation of Israel and made them His people. They were special people, chosen by the Lord to be a testimony of His greatness. However, they could only display this as they walked in the light, providing the stark contrast to ways of the other nations that walked in darkness. What was their problem? They forgot their identity. They forgot their God.

As believers in Christ, God has brought us out of the darkness into the light. This is a statement of fact. It is our identity. Look at Paul’s words.

“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:8, ESV)

Look at Peter’s words.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

These are clearly statements of fact. By His sovereign grace the Lord has given us a special identity. We “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” We “are light in the Lord.”

The issue for us is to reflect our high calling, to realize our identity, and to walk accordingly. A businessperson must act like a businessperson. A salesperson must act like a sales person. A soldier must act like a soldier. Paul continues in the Ephesian passage to tell us that children of the light are to act as children of the light.

“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8, ESV)

Contemplate your awesome identity in Christ as a child of the light. When we realize who we are we will stand in stark contrast to the darkness around us and thus glorify our Heavenly Father.