“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.”
(2 Corinthians 4:6)
The same God who once spoke light into existence at the creation of the world has since been speaking light into the darkness of the human heart. Because just as darkness at the beginning of creation could not transform itself into light, so the human soul cannot reason, educate, or reform itself into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Light must come from the source of light, God Himself, for “God is light …” (1 John 1:5).
Visible creation may stir thoughts of a higher power or a divine order. But this is not the same as having a personal relationship with the glorious God of creation. For the soul can never truly see the glory of the Father until it sees it in the face of Jesus Christ. That is the apostle’s point in this text. God is known as He is only when He is known through Christ.[1]
Men may live for years unaware of the breach between themselves and their Maker. But when the gospel shines its light into their soul, that breach becomes blatantly evident. Only then can they begin to understand the full effects of sin and its consequences.
Only then can they understand that God designed in eternity past to reconcile sinners to Himself through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. And only then can they see that this vast breach created by sin can only be bridged by the God-man that stands between heaven and earth, mediating between holy God and fallen man.
Just as God is light, Christ also said of Himself, “I am the light of the world.” This light of the glorious gospel of Christ brings forth life where there was none. Those who once walked in darkness are completely transformed into children of light once the light of God and His Christ finds its way into their heart.
Indeed, just as one who is blind and has never seen sunlight cannot comprehend light through description alone, so no one can grasp the gospel’s “power of God unto salvation” until the God who is light shines into the heart.
Contemplations:
- My natural blindness. I know that without Your work in my own heart, Lord, I would still be in the dark. There were truths about sin, grace, and Christ that I could not see until You acted. Even now, I can easily drift toward thinking I understand more than I do. This is why I need Your light to continually shine in my heart, opening my eyes to Your truths.
- Seeing God only in Christ. The glory of God is not something I can know apart from Christ. If I try to separate them, I lose both. And yet how often do I think about God without looking fully at Christ, as though I could understand holiness, mercy, or truth apart from His face.
- The depth of my sin exposed. I admit that I underestimated sin before the gospel showed me its cost. I did not see the breach it caused or the weight it carried. Only when I saw Christ crucified did sin appear as it truly is.
- Dependence on grace, not insight. I often take credit for understanding spiritual things, and yet this passage confirms that I have no spiritual insight or awareness without the light of the gospel of Christ. So I need to remember that every step of clarity, growth, and understanding depends on You continuing to shine the light of Your truth into my heart.
Prayer (Confession)
Holy and gracious God, I come confessing that I was once a child of darkness, and that without You I would still be so. How often do I forget how helpless I was before You shined Your light into my dark soul.
I confess my blindness to the glory of Christ. I thought I understood the gospel, but I did not grasp its weight or beauty. Even now, I am ashamed to admit how easily I grow careless with what once astonished me. Forgive me for treating divine light as something ordinary when it cost You the blood of Your Son.
I confess that I did not want to see the depth of my sin or the seriousness of the breach between You and me. I preferred a lighter view of myself and a safer view of You. But Your gospel would not allow that.
I confess that I have acted as though insight came from my effort, my reading, or my discipline. This passage reminds me that I cannot see unless You give sight. I cannot understand unless You reveal. I confess how quickly I forget this and begin to trust my own clarity.
I confess my neglect of the means You have appointed. I have sometimes treated preaching lightly, as though the light it carries was optional or replaceable. Forgive me for every careless hearing, every distracted attention, every hardened response.
Shine anew into my heart, Lord. Not because I deserve it, but because You delight to give light. Expose what still hides in the dark. Heal what remains blind. Let the knowledge of Your glory in the face of Jesus Christ press deeper into my soul, reshape my desires, and humble my confidence. I confess my need for You to do what I cannot.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for 2 Cor. 4:6:
Gen. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:4; 2 Peter 1:19; John 8:12
[1] Jeremiah Burroughs, The Saints Happiness, (London: James Nisbet, 1867) 255
