Why Is It Important to Walk in the Light You Have?

The Word of God admonishes us to walk in the light. But what does that mean? Well, have you ever groped around in the dark to find a light switch? As you carefully stepped, you were fearful of what might be in your path or of some unseen danger. You felt you would never get where you were going. But what happened when you turned on the light? Your fears were erased, your heart calmed, and you got your bearings back. The same is true in our Christian walk. When we grope around in the dark, it is a scary world out there. But when we walk in God’s light, He helps keep us on the right path! Two walks through life are available to men. There is the life and walk of darkness or the life and walk of light. There is a world of difference between the two. In fact, a person’s eternity is determined by which life and walk he pursues.¹ Walking in the light is a daily choice that we make. It’s a choice that confronts us on every corner of every block of planet earth. Why Is It Important to Walk in the Light You Have? That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life?

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How to Overcome Darkness by Following the Light of the World

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You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This weeks call is:

Decide to obey every verse of scripture that is real to you from God’s Word. If you walk in the Light that you have, more will be added to you.

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question: Share an example of how you walked in the Light of God’s Word. How did it impact your life? What changed for you? Please leave your response in the comments section below.

Episode Resources

You can find additional information on the subject of John’s Gospel in the resources listed below.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 37 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com.

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Podcast Notes

A Walking in the Light Conversation between Jesus and the Crowd

John 12:34–36 (ESV) — 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.

So, in this podcast, we are going to drill down a bit into the subject of light and darkness as Jesus expresses it here in John’s gospel.

Light and Darkness: A Familiar 1st Century Theme

Light and darkness, the good guys against the bad guys, isn’t that such a familiar theme?
It plays out before the inhabitants of planet earth scene after scene and story after story.
This is not just a modern theme but one that goes back to time immemorial — so surely back to the first century and beyond.
Take, for example, the Dead Sea Scrolls.
If you don’t know what the Dead Scrolls are, they are a group of ancient manuscripts found when a Bedouin shepherd followed a wandering sheep into a cave along the shores of the Dead Sea.
Seven major scrolls emerged from that initial find — that first cave.
After that discovery, more caves filled with scrolls were uncovered until there were eleven caves with approximately 1000 separate manuscripts unearthed.²
Scholars date some of the scrolls as far back as 300 years before Jesus was born.
One particular scroll called the War Scroll, located in cave one, is entitled ‘War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness.’
So a few centuries before Jesus, an ancient community of people, the Essenes, wrote out for us their version of the good guys against the bad guys.
The good guys in the war scroll were led by Michael the Archangel.
Satan or Belial led the bad guys.
Light is always associated with good and with God.
It’s counterpart ‘darkness?’, well, just the opposite.
Darkness is all about devils and deception.
Things haven’t changed much over the span of centuries.
As time marches forward into the abyss of eternity: light still means all that it ever has.
But light isn’t only symbolic of the good guys.
It also has other representations.
For example, light stands for truth.
Consider the golden lamp-stand in the Tabernacle.
It was continually fed with oil, and the light by God’s direction was never to go out.

1 Samuel 3:2–3 (ESV) — 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

The scripture says the Lamp of God, or the Menorah or the Golden Candlestick, had not gone out yet.
It was never supposed to go out in the first place.
There is a symbolic reason for that.
You know each of the tabernacle pieces is stacked packed with symbolism.
The Brazen Altar stands for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Then there is the Laver: it stands for being clean by the washing of the water of the Word, being sanctified in Jesus Name, all of which is outwardly expressed by water baptism.
The Table of Shew Bread represents the sustenance that comes by feeding on God’s Word – Jesus is the Word – the Logos of God.
You remember the scripture says, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone by but every Word of God.
That’s what the Shew Bread represents — every Word of God.
Then, there is the Altar of Incense.
What does it stand for?
It stands for praise; it stands for worship; it stands for prayer unto our father, God. Ark of the Covenant – represents the very Presence of God.
Then, of course, the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat – it represents the presence of God abiding with man.
Lastly, the Lamp of God stands for truth.
God’s truth.
Thy Word is truth, Jesus said.
Our nation understood the symbolic connection between light and truth.
Just take a look at Lady Liberty.
The torch in her hand stands for truth.
You remember the Psalmist David, don’t you?
He had plenty to say about light and truth.
Listen to God’s Word in Psalm 119.

Psalm 119:130 (NKJV) — 130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

The Hebrew word entrance is what we need to look at, and with that thought, here’s the definition of the day.
The word ‘entrance’ used by the writers of the King James, in the phrase, ‘the entrance of your Word’ means the act of opening something.
The ESV has it as the ‘unfolding of your Word.’
Now that gets us over to what Jesus was actually talking about in John twelve.
He said,

The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.

Now in the Greek of the New Testament, the phrase ‘Walk while you have the Light’ is an imperative – that’s fancy talk for it’s a commandment.
Jesus’ commandment is to walk in the light.
Now, His commandment is also in the present tense — which means walk in the light that you have right now, in the present.
You could translate Jesus’ statement, ‘Walk WHILE you have the light’ as “walk AS you have the light,” that is, “Live and act according to the light that you have” (Weymouth).³
Knowing that, go back and reread the conversation in John twelve between Jesus and the Jews.
First, the Jews said to Jesus,

‘Hey Jesus, how can you say that you are the Messiah? Here you are talking about dying on a cross. The Messiah is not supposed to die. You are not making any sense Jesus.’

Jesus replied, addressing the thinking of the crowd.

Just Who Is the ‘Crowd?’

Now, let’s side-step from our main thought for a moment and talk about ‘the crowd’ for a moment.
Just who is the ‘crowd’ – who are these people?
This term, the ‘crowd’ keeps coming in the gospels — it arises in other places in John’s gospel.

John 6:2 (ESV) – 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

In John 6, ‘the nameless crowd’ was a needy crowd — they needed healing from God.
They hungered for the children’s bread.
With that thought, here’s the Bible background of the day.

The crowd is the gathering of the nameless common people of Palestine who provided an audience for Jesus’ public ministry. The crowd is the recipient of his teachings (see Teacher) and beneficiary of his healings⁴

So says the ‘Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.’
But now, if you skip over to John seven, this same ‘nameless crowd has a different composition.’

John 7:20 (ESV) – 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?”

This ‘nameless crowd’ was a critical crowd.
Go one chapter further, and you can see that this ‘nameless crowd’ is a vindicative angry crowd.

John 7:32 (ESV) – 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.

The point is that the crowd is not always the same.
In one portion of the Israelis landscape, say like Galilee, the ‘nameless crowd’ would constitute more common everyday farmers.
If you are near Jerusalem, where more of the scribes and Pharisees hung out, ‘the nameless crowd’ would have had a different makeup and temperature.
Let’s get back to the discussion at hand.
The ‘crowd’ is not understanding Jesus ‘If I am lifted up’ crucifixion statement.
Does Jesus get into some back and forth debate – you know, a good rousing vein-popping discussion?
No, in fact, what He does is what He has done on several prior occasions — He ignores the question.
I mean totally doesn’t even address it.
But, in the dust of His avoidance, Jesus leaves for us a super-powerful timeless lesson that applies to everyday life.
Jesus is saying, ‘Look, you have a lack of understanding dilemma.’
‘There will be many things in life you don’t understand.’
You won’t know what’s going on.
The fog of ignorance will surround you and block your vision.
There it is, man — you don’t have the answers; lack of understanding is staring you in your face.’
What do you do when you don’t know what to do?
How do you proceed without insight — or navigate without direction?
Does your lack of understanding give you a place to complacency?
No, ‘follower of Jesus,’ in your ignorance, you still have a responsibility.
Walk in the light.
That is, walk in the light that you do know.
Do the things that you know to do.
Light has fallen on your path in days past.
God’s glorious revelation has sparked and inspired your heart.
Walk-in that — if you dropped it or forgotten it — go back and pick it up again.

Hebrews 2:1 (NKJV) — 1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.

The word ‘drift away’ is one word in Greek.
It means to disbelieve gradually or slowly, conceived of as being carried along due to a water current.
In his commentary on the New Testament, Wuest has the following to say, and with that thought, here’s the quote of the day.

The words ‘we drift away’ is a combination of the verb “to flow,” and the prefixed preposition, “alongside.” Together, the word was used of the snow slipping off from the soldiers’ bodies, and of a ring slipping from the finger.⁵

Proverbs 4:20–21 (ESV) — 20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.

This Old Testament version of what we just read in Hebrews 2:1 — the ‘lest we drift away’ matches the ‘let them not escape from your sight.’
It’s the same thought — the same thinking.
Jesus hits on the same thing in His teaching – walk in the light that you have – don’t let the Word slip away – don’t let it fall off you like snow falling off of a bush.
Wuest has another tremendous comment.
I want you to hear it.

The nature of the sin of Adam was a careless, indifferent attitude towards the commands of God.

Romans 5:19 (ESV) — 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

The particular word which is translated “disobedience” in Romans 5:19 means literally “to hear alongside,” thus, “a failing to hear, a hearing amiss.” But this failure to hear is due to carelessness in paying attention to what God had to say. Back of that, carelessness is the desire to have our own will.[ibid, 51.]

You can readily see the point here of walking in the light you have: don’t be careless — don’t let the Word you now slip away, fall away, drift away.
We must all walk in the light of what we do know and don’t get so hyped up about what we don’t know.
And with that thought, here is the illustration of the day.

One gentleman said the following. ‘I don’t understand electricity, but I’m no fool—I’m not going to sit around in the dark till I do. I don’t understand the thermodynamics of internal combustion and the hydraulics of an automatic transmission either, but I’m no fool—I’m not going to stay in one place until I do. The truth is that I don’t understand a great deal of the things that are part of my everyday life, but I make them a part of my life anyway.’ The same is true of salvation. No one will fully understand how God could become man, how he could die, how his death could be the basis for our forgiveness, how he could give you and me a new life, and all of the other aspects of salvation. But only a fool would ignore such a great opportunity just because he didn’t understand it.⁶

So, there are some things in life, and about life, and other people you are not going to understand.
Our response cannot be to go into shutdown mode.
Walk in the light – walking is a verb.
Walking implies motion — it means movement.
Jesus did not say, ‘sit in the light.’
He said, ‘Walk in it.’
That means we must be actively using the revelation that we do have.

Walking in the Light of Healing

Healing is one area, it seems, where some have let the truth of God’s Word depart from their eyes.
Can I tell you, healing scriptures must be a constant area of focus.
It’s amazing how much sickness and disease factors into the human experience.
Constant exposure to disease should mean constant Word – constant Bible hearing – continual scriptural engagement.
Keep after the Word.

Proverbs 4:20–23 (ESV) — 20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Don’t Throw Away the Light You Have

A word of caution here – some have literally thrown down their Bibles and walked off because a loved one that they were talking to God about it died of a sickness.
They didn’t understand what happened to them — maybe it was a friend, a parent, a child, a close family relation — why did they die?
They struggle to understand.
But, you must know that the road to healing has pothole type obstacles — road hazards if you would — that must be overcome before the manifestation comes.
Obstacles imply adjustment.
The person who is sick is the one who needs to adjust.
Ask the Lord to help you here — ask Him to show you what you need to correct.
The road to healing is seldom an expressway.
It is a highway strewn with obstacles.
But, there is a way through the junk.
God’s Word declares it.

John 14:6 (ESV) — 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matthew 8:17 (ESV) — 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) — 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

So again, live and act according to the light that you already have.
When you don’t know what to do, do what you already know to do.
Obviously, you cannot walk in the light of what you do not have, what you do not understand — you can only walk in the revelation you do have.
Do you know about the importance of God’s Word in your life? — then engage it.
Walk in the light of that truth.
Are you cognizant of the value of living a prayer dependent life as a Jesus follower? — then, don’t lay that discipline aside.
Walk in the light of that discipline.
Do you understand why there is no peace in the Middle East, or why there is racial discrimination on planet earth, or why you didn’t get the promotion you rightfully deserve, or why God allows a certain man to be in authority on a national level but not another, or why such and so person died?
Do you have all of those answers?
Jesus told the crowd that day, ‘You don’t understand my mission, you don’t know what my purpose is — you don’t understand the scriptures in this area nor the power of God — but there are some things you do know.

Micah 6:8 (ESV) — 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

When you don’t know what to do – do justice – do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.
Stumped by a situation? Act in kindness – love people anyway.
And most of all toward God, humble your heart – don’t rise in arrogance.
Pride cuts off revelation – it disconnects you from any chance of understanding.
The word of God is so:

James 4:6 (ESV) — 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

That’s precisely what Jesus said.
Listen to Him again as we get ready to close.

The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

Working with the light keeps you clear of darkness.
I am telling you, you don’t want any of that darkness business — it’s no fun.
With that thought, as we get ready to close, here’s the illustration of the day.

Making decisions in the dark can lead to some regrettable consequences. Back in the days before electricity, a tightfisted old farmer was taking his hired man to task for carrying a lighted lantern when he went to call on his best girl. “Why,” he exclaimed, “when I went a-courtin’ I never carried one of them things. I always went in the dark.” “Yes,” the hired man said wryly,” and look what you got!”⁷

Are You Hungering after God?

_______ __
References:

Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Practical Illustrations: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2001), 146. ↩
M. O. Wise, “Dead Sea Scrolls,” ed. Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 137. ↩
Leon Morris, The Gospel, according to John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), 533. ↩
D. F. Watson, “People, Crowd,” ed. Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 605. ↩
Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 10 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 50. ↩
Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 318. ↩
Source unknown, Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002). ↩

emeryhorvath.com

Equipping people to pursue God's glory

Why Is It Important to Walk in the Light You Have?

Podcast: Light on Life Season Seven Episode Forty-Seven

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

Click Play to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in Stitcher Radio

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Decide to obey every verse of scripture that is real to you from God’s Word. If you walk in the Light that you have, more will be added to you.

Join the Conversation

Question: Share an example of how you walked in the Light of God’s Word. How did it impact your life? What changed for you? Please leave your response in the comments section below.

Episode Resources

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

A Walking in the Light Conversation between Jesus and the Crowd

Light and Darkness: A Familiar 1st Century Theme

Just Who Is the ‘Crowd?’

Walking in the Light of Healing

Don’t Throw Away the Light You Have

Listen to the Audio

Click Play to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in Stitcher Radio

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Decide to obey every verse of scripture that is real to you from God’s Word. If you walk in the Light that you have, more will be added to you.

Join the Conversation

Question: Share an example of how you walked in the Light of God’s Word. How did it impact your life? What changed for you? Please leave your response in the comments section below.

Episode Resources

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

A Walking in the Light Conversation between Jesus and the Crowd

Light and Darkness: A Familiar 1st Century Theme

Just Who Is the ‘Crowd?’

Walking in the Light of Healing

Don’t Throw Away the Light You Have

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