The darkness that we were called out from is the very heart of what and who we were. People living in spiritual darkness ruled by a nature that loves darkness because our evil deeds relish the darkness of our souls and the darkness of our souls relish the darkness.
Therefore, we really do not, in our dark condition, see man as he really is.
Darkness is the inability to see: this may sound simple, but as a description of the human nature it has profound implications. Failing to see another human being means failing to understand that individual and not knowing what the real source of their difficulties are. In our darkness we cannot see it.
Our worldview, without Christ, is determined not by the light of absolute truth found in Christ but by the darkness of our own hearts and our depravity and our natural condition as haters of the Light. Having eyes to see we cannot see, in the natural or the spiritual sense.
What did you know and what truth did you really see until God called you out of darkness and brought you into His marvelous light?
The only honest answer is that you saw nothing and knew nothing in an absolute sense.
What you knew of man was distorted although even sinful men can recognize evil for example, but not in the absolute terms of God’s definition of evil.
What ever you saw or knew of God was distorted and overshadowed by human reason and making gods in your own image until God called you from that domain of darkness with a heart of stone and placed you in his kingdom of light with a new heart.
You may have known much about God but knowing him is a completely different thing.
Peter says we once were not a people of God but since we have received mercy we are the people of God. We need to cherish more and more of what that means.
O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found
And found in Thee alone,
The peace, the joy I sought so long,
The bliss till now unknown.
I sighed for rest and happiness,
I yearned for them, not Thee;
But while I passed my Savior by,
His love laid hold of me.
Now none but Christ can satisfy,
None other name for me;
There’s love, and life, and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus, found in Thee.
–Author unknown
As the people of God many will despise you and call you arrogant and call you bigoted and call you crazy to believe that you have some kind of right to be so exclusive about God.
But we have the sure word of God and a changed heart and the ministry of the Holy Sprit that proves who we are by God’s grace and mercy. We do not merely know about God – we know him through Jesus Christ our Lord and we know He knows us, intimately as his very own possession. To proclaim the excellency of our God should be the easiest and most joyous thing that we can do.
His name alone is excellent. We can speak of the excellencies of his grace, of his mercy, of his kindness, of his faithfulness, of his everlasting love and so much more.
