That Life Is The Light Part 3

LESSON FOUR

THAT LIFE IS THE LIGHT

PART III

THE LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS

St. John 1:1-3

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

If the Word which was in the beginning was with God and was God, why is it that sometimes when we speak, minister or counsel the Word, there is no deliverance? If we are honest, there have been times we have spoken the Word, but people were not delivered.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and hid from God because they knew they were naked, what caused them to know they were naked? In counsel, how do we know when we have been exposed? Many were frightened to speak to the Apostle when first coming into this ministry. Some testified that they were afraid to look in her eyes because she could see the sin in their lives. That was the Spirit of God.

St. John 1:4-5

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

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

The light shineth means that light is still shining.

God’s Truth Is Light!

St. John 3:19-21

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

St. John 1:6-7

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

How many are bearing witness of the Light? God wants His people to know that they are not just bearing witness of the Light, but are living inside the Light as well. Let us keep in mind that the Light shines in darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not. Let us also keep in mind that when we first hear messages such as suffering and the mystery of iniquity, we comprehended them not. Keep in mind all those times we were in opposition to those messages and yet those messages began working on our flesh.

When first those messages came forth confronting us, our flesh was not ready to receive them. We did not want to hear that we were appointed to suffer and that it pleased God. We did not want to hear these things because we were still in darkness. But the Light came confronting us, sometimes in counseling sessions, sometimes from the pulpit. But we were in darkness so we comprehended it not. We even began to hate the one who brought the light. We despised the one the light used.

St. John 3:1-2

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

The essence of Jesus was so much more than just a teacher. Even Muslims and Buddhists believe Jesus was a teacher from God and are still comfortable believing this.

• When we disobey God we walk in darkness (obscurity).
• We must confront and deal with sin in our lives.

Many Christians are comfortable believing they are just teachers, evangelists or preachers from God. Nicodemus did not comprehend who or what Christ actually was. Therefore, Nicodemus preferred to believe that Christ was “just” a teacher. Because of who Christ really was is the very reason they sought to kill Him. He said His Father was God.

If we know our Father is God, then we should not be satisfied being just a good teacher. We have been teaching, preaching and praying for years, but people still are not delivered. God says we are a part of that light because we are in Him, and if we are in Him, then we can walk as Jesus walked. He walked as an answer to every problem and that is what we are. We have to shine in the darkness. God sent the One who always got the job done. GOD SENT THE LIGHT THAT WAS LIFE. When we allow the Light to shine and begin to talk, people will realize they are in darkness.

If we remain just good teachers, we will be just like the Pharisees, with a bunch of words not affecting anyone. The Light desires to preach and teach. The Light wants to use our body without us taking His glory or any credit for what He desires to do in the lives of His people. It is the Light who is all-knowing. Keep in mind that He knows what the people need to hear, we do not.

I. WALKING IN THE LIGHT

Man has never been able to deliver anyone. It takes the Light. Embrace that Light when it comes forth, harden not your heart and the Word guarantees a change.

Christ said to Nicodemus,

Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? (St. John 3:10)

Those born of the Holy Spirit are in God and can therefore walk as Jesus walked. Jesus was and is the answer to every circumstance, situation and relationship. Christ was saying that Nicodemus had been reading the scriptures all his life, yet did not know anything about being born again.

St. John 3:11

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

Christ was not teaching what Moses or Abraham taught Him, but He was teaching what He had experienced. He was teaching “that thing” that John said he had handled, touched and had seen.

St. John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God loved us so much that He gave us His only begotten Son. We needed to see that Light so God sent us His Son. We could never deliver anyone because we ourselves were dead. God showed us His heart and mind by putting the Light, that Life, in one man, Jesus.

St. John 3:17-18

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but through Him the world might be saved. We also know that some will still be condemned. So in order to be saved, we have to believe in the life Christ walked in, and not only in His death, but also in His burial and resurrection.

I John 5:10-12

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

II. BELIEVE AND OBEY

God has already brought us as far as He is going to take us. Our obedience and belief have to take us the rest of the way. We have to believe that we are to live and walk just like Christ and we must believe this by obeying, by doing what we say we believe. This is the only way. If we do not believe this, then we are already condemned. We think that the condemnation only takes place at the great judgment, but condemnation can come when we are unable to get God to move.

Remember the disciples when they perverted the gift, God condemned them (St. Matthew 17:19; St. Mark 9:28). He took the gift away, which is the other side of condemnation.

We cannot be anything Christ was when we walk in condemnation. We cannot become the answer to everyone’s problems when we walk in the flesh. We have the words of life, can teach and preach life while people are dying all around us and we cannot heal them because we have not embraced that Life. We have been condemned.

God could not trust us with His power because we were walking in the flesh.

I John 5:13-16

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

Believe – 1. To accept as true or real. 2. To credit with veracity. 3. To have faith or confidence: TRUST. 4. To have confidence in the truth, value, or existence of something.

(Webster’s Dictionary)

When we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We as ministers are supposed to be able to dispense life. How can we be any other wise minded? Yet right now we are at the threshold of being able to give life and still there are some who have not decided whether they want to be in the Spirit or in the flesh. Many cannot make up their minds if they want to go all the way. This is not the time to be complacent.

Christ came not only to show us “That Life” but to give it to us as well. When we see and touch “That Life” but refuse to walk in that Life, we are condemned. People will continue to be blind, sick and die around us because we have chosen to walk in our flesh. As long as this is the case, we will never be able to petition God for anyone.

For us to continue walking in the flesh after receiving the message on walking in the Spirit, where else can we go? What are we looking for now? God has shown us how to walk in sonship and desires that we do so.

St. John 3:18-19

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Christ has come into the world to disciple us and give us life, but we would rather be discipled by the world (the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life). We have seen, handled and tested “That Life,” but many love darkness rather than light. When we choose to walk in the way of the world, we are condemned.

Our flesh is going to die anyway, but who we really are does not have to die with the flesh. Our flesh is finally coming into subjection to the Word that has been coming forth. We just need to rest in the Spirit by agreeing with our death that occurred at salvation.

That same Life we read about in Christ is now working in our members. Many are walking in a way they never thought they could walk, because “That Life” is working in their members.

We have been charged to show men this life. This is why the apostles said that the same life they saw and handled they showed us.

This life is not in messages or in the pulpit but in our walk. It is a “sure” walk, one without stumbling where men and women walk in the power of God. It is not something we have to think about for when we wake up we are in it.

We could not live or walk holy, but “That Life” can. If we only embrace “That Life,” we will live and walk holy just like Christ. All we have to do is walk in that finished work and be witnesses of what happened in our lives.

God bless you,

Apostle Michael Thomas

LESSON FOUR

THAT LIFE IS THE LIGHT

PART III

SUMMARY

1. John the Baptist came to bear witness of the true light.

2. God wants His people to know that we not only bear witness of the light but are living inside the light as well.

3. Jesus is the only light in this dark world.

4. Salvation can only be obtained through Jesus Christ.

5. We walk in darkness when we disobey the Father.

6. We have been commissioned to show men the life of Christ.

THE FAITH LIBRARY

SELF-EVALUATION X

LESSON X

The purpose of the Self-Evaluation is to help you examine yourself with the principles taught in this lesson. You must always examine your response to every circumstance, situation and relationship with which you are faced, no matter how small or insignificant it seems.

Name ___________________________ Date _____/_____/_____

Teacher _________________________ Location ________________

[ ] Check here, if correspondence student.

REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

• OLD TESTAMENT
• NEW TESTAMENT

GLOSSARY

NOTE: These glossary terms have been taken from The Banks’ Expository and have been added to this study guide. Some of the terms have been derived to govern an in-depth understanding of this teaching. Others have been adopted from various sources and are used in confirmation of revelations received from God.