Only those who are born of God, having received Jesus Christ, the True Light, will never surrender to sin but, by the authority given to them to become children of God, overcome the world and bear holy fruit.

 

Only those who are born of God, having received Jesus Christ, the True Light, will never surrender to sin but, by the authority given to them to become children of God, overcome the world and bear holy fruit.

 

 

 

 

“The true Light, which gives light to every person, was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the authority to become children of God—those who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:9–13).

 

 

(1)    When I read today’s passage, John 1:9–13, in both the Korean Bible and the Greek Bible, the first thought that came to mind was: “Why did the Apostle John call Jesus the ‘true Light’ [τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν (to phōs to alēthinon)] (v. 9)?”   Why, when speaking of Jesus Christ the Son as the “Light,” did he specifically add the word “true” (TRUE)?

 

(a)    The fact that the Apostle John does not simply say “light” in John 1:9, but instead uses the expression “the true Light” [τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, to phōs to alēthinon], carries profound significance.  Here, “true” means more than merely “not false.”  In John’s Gospel, it carries the distinctive sense of that which is ultimate, complete, genuine, and the true reality itself.

 

1.       The meaning of “true” [ἀληθινόν]

The Greek word ἀληθινός (alēthinos), meaning “true,” can, depending on the context, mean “true,” “genuine,” “real,” or “ultimate.”  Especially in the Gospel of John, this word is repeatedly used to point to the ultimate reality that is found in God.

 

For example, Jesus refers to Himself as the “true bread” (John 6:32). He also calls Himself the “true vine” (15:1). And Jesus calls the Father “the only true God” (Jn. 17:3).

 

Therefore, the expression “true Light” should not be understood simply to mean that every other light in the world is a “false light.” Rather, it means that Jesus Christ is the ultimate and perfect Light toward which all other lights were pointing.

 

2.       Because He is the “Reality” who fulfills the Old Testament “shadows” — the Old Testament background

 

Type and reality: The Old Testament contains many “types of light” that symbolize God’s presence and guidance.  These include the pillar of fire in the wilderness, the golden lampstand (menorah) that illuminated the tabernacle, and the Shekinah glory that filled the temple.

 

The reason: All these things were only “shadows” and “types” that anticipated the Messiah who was to come.   The Apostle John is declaring that Jesus Christ Himself is the true reality toward which all these Old Testament types were pointing—the original, archetypal Light, the True Light.

 

3.       Because He is the “only Light of salvation,” distinct from the world’s “counterfeit lights” — the historical background

 

The false lights of the world: The Hellenistic culture of that time was filled with ideas claiming that human reason, philosophy, or religious knowledge (Gnosticism) was the “light” that could save humanity.  Within Judaism, some also looked to works of the Law or even to a great prophet such as John the Baptist as a kind of messianic light.

 

The reason: In verse 8, the Apostle John clearly draws a line by saying of John the Baptist, “He was not the Light,” and then immediately introduces Jesus in verse 9 as the “true Light.”  The religions, philosophies, and heroes of the world are incapable of solving humanity’s fundamental problems of sin and death. They are, at best, “counterfeit lights” or “reflected lights.”  Jesus alone is the unique, original, and genuine Light who delivers humanity from darkness.

 

4.       Because He is not a created light but the “Light of the Creator” — the creation background

 

Created light versus the Light who is the Source: The light God created on the first day in Genesis 1:3, as well as the light of the sun, moon, and stars created on the fourth day, are all created lights that can eventually disappear or be obscured.

 

The reason: Jesus Christ existed before physical light came into being. Indeed, He Himself is the Creator who made those created lights.  John therefore uses the powerful description “true Light” to reveal that Jesus is not temporary or limited light but the original divine Light—the Light of God Himself—who has existed from eternity and gives life to all things.

 

Summary in one sentence:

 

The Apostle John declares Jesus to be the “true Light” because He is the one genuine Light of ultimate reality and the Light of the Creator, incomparable with the false philosophies of the world or the temporary shadows of the Old Testament, and because He alone fundamentally gives life to and saves the human soul. (Internet)

 

(2)    Second, when I read that Jesus—the one and original true Light who delivers humanity from darkness, fundamentally gives life to and saves the human soul, and is the Light of the Creator—is “the Light that gives light to every person” [τὸ φῶς ... ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον (to phōs ... ho phōtizei panta anthrōpon)] (John 1:9), two questions arose in my mind.  My first question was: Why does the Greek Bible say “every person” [πάντα ἄνθρωπον (panta anthrōpon)], while the Korean Bible translates it as “each person”?  My second question was: What exactly does the Greek word φωτίζει (phōtizei), “gives light/illumines,” mean, and how does the Apostle John use this word in the Gospel of John as well as in 1 John and Revelation?

 

(a)    Question 1: Why the Greek “every person” [πάντα ἄνθρωπον] is translated “each person” in the Korean Bible

 

Here πάντα (panta, “every/all”) is the singular masculine accusative form of πᾶς, and ἄνθρωπον (anthrōpon, “person/man”) is likewise singular. 

 

Therefore, although it can literally be translated “gives light to every person,” its natural sense is “each and every person,” “one person at a time,” or “every individual person.”  The important point is that the Greek does not use πάντας ἀνθρώπους (pantas anthrōpous), the plural expression meaning “all people,” but rather the singular πάντα ἄνθρωπον (panta anthrōpon).

 

Therefore, the Korean translation “gives light to each person” does not weaken the original text.  Rather, it naturally brings out its individual and distributive sense: “every person,” each individual without exception.  In other words, πάντα ἄνθρωπον does not speak merely of humanity collectively; it includes each individual person, one by one, without exception.

 

Therefore, “each person” and “every person” are not opposing translations here.  He gives light to each person → and consequently the expression encompasses every person.

 

However, one point requires caution.  The statement in verse 9 that the Light “gives light to every person” does not itself mean that every person will ultimately be saved.  The immediately following verses, 10–11, state that the world did not know Him and that His own people did not receive Him.  Verse 12 then says that the authority to become children of God is given to those who “receive Him,” that is, “those who believe in His name.”

 

Korean Bible translations such as the Revised Korean Version render this expression “each person,” and this translation contains significant theological and pastoral considerations.

 

Guarding against misunderstanding as Universalism:

If the expression is understood simply as “He gives light to all people,” there is a danger of falling into the mistaken doctrine of universal salvation—the idea that the whole human race will automatically and unconditionally be saved.  Yet the Gospel of John immediately presents a clear dividing line between those who reject the Light (v. 11) and those who receive Him (v. 12).

The personal and individual application of revelation:

I am not lost as an anonymous individual within the enormous mass called “all humanity.”  Jesus, the true Light, does not merely shine indiscriminately upon humanity as one enormous collective body.  Rather, He comes to each individual person on earth, confronting and illuminating that person’s inner being and soul personally, intimately, and one-on-one.  The Korean translation “each person” emphasizes this spiritual reality.

 

Lesson: The true Light of the Lord is not merely a spotlight directed toward the masses.  It is an intensely personal and intimate Light that calls my name today and shines into the deepest recesses of my heart.

 

Therefore, John’s emphasis can be understood as showing us both the universal shining of the Light and the differing responses of human beings to that Light.

 

(b)   Question 2: The meaning of “gives light” [φωτίζει (phōtizei)] and its context in Johannine literature

 

The basic meaning of this word is: “to shine light upon, to illuminate, to make bright, to enlighten.”

 

In John 1:9, it is in the present active indicative, third-person singular.  Therefore, rather than referring merely to a past event in which the Light shone once, it expresses the essential and continuing activity of the true Light: He is the Light who continually gives light.

 

This connects beautifully with the expression in verse 5: “The light shines in the darkness”
[τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει (to phōs en tē skotia phainei)] (Jn. 1:5).  And also with verse 9: “the true Light that gives light to every person” [τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον (to phōs to alēthinon, ho phōtizei panta anthrōpon)].

 

If φαίνει (phainei) in John 1:5 emphasizes the fact that the Light shines, then φωτίζει (phōtizei) in verse 9 may place somewhat greater emphasis on the Light’s action of illuminating its object.  Thus we can think of the distinction this way: φαίνει → the Light shines. φωτίζει → the Light illuminates what it shines upon.

 

The lexical form of the Greek word φωτίζει (phōtizei) is φωτίζω (phōtizō).  It means more than physically turning on a light in a dark place.  It carries the powerful sense of awakening the inner person, exposing and revealing a hidden reality, and spiritually enlightening someone so that he or she can understand.

 

The Apostle John uses this word and its related root, φῶς (phōs, “light”), throughout the three works he wrote—the Gospel of John, 1 John, and Revelation—with a consistently profound redemptive-historical significance.

 

①   Its meaning in the Gospel of John: “The Light that exposes reality” — the standard of salvation and judgment

 

In John 1:9, φωτίζει (phōtizei, “gives light”) is in the present tense.  It signifies that Jesus, the true Light, continually shines upon human souls and exposes the darkness of sin that fills them.

 

When the Light shines, human beings respond in two ways.  They either fear having their sins exposed, reject the Light, and flee into darkness—judgment—or they honestly confess their sins before the Light, receive the Lord, and come alive—salvation.  Thus, in the Gospel of John, this concept points to the ministry of the Lord’s Word and revelation, which exposes the true spiritual condition of human beings and leads either to life or judgment.

 

②   Its meaning in 1 John: “The inner Light that enables us to recognize truth and love”

 

Although 1 John predominantly uses the noun φῶς (phōs, “light”) rather than the verbal form φωτίζω, the essential meaning remains the same.  Within the context of 1 John 1:5—“God is light”—and 2:9–11, this Light signifies the divine spiritual power that illuminates believers inwardly, enabling them to live in genuine fellowship and practice brotherly love.  When the Lord’s Light shines into my heart, I come to recognize that I have been living in the darkness of hatred.

 

Only then are my perception and spiritual eyes opened so that I can truly love my brother.

 

③   Its meaning in Revelation: “The victorious and consummate Light that rules the entire universe”

 

In the concluding chapters of Revelation, chapters 21–22, the imagery of light reaches its glorious fulfillment in the language of final victory.

 

Revelation 22:5 says: “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.”

 

Meaning: In the new heaven and new earth, there will be no need for created lights such as the sun and moon.  This is because God and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, will themselves perfectly and eternally illuminate and rule over all the saints and the entire universe with the original divine Light that proceeds from themselves—the True Light.  The Light that began shining into the darkness in John 1 [φωτίζει (phōtizei)] reaches Revelation as the consummate Light that completely eradicates darkness and reigns over the world forever.  What a majestic declaration!

 

Summary of the meditation and lesson:

 

The true Light, who is the Creator, does not merely shine upon humanity as a collective mass. He comes personally to “me, one individual person, today,” and carefully illuminates my soul.  The Light that begins in the Gospel of John by exposing the reality of my sin and saving me, passes through the love described in 1 John, and finally becomes the victorious Light that will rule us eternally in the new heaven and new earth of Revelation.

 

Before the grace of the Lord’s delicate and continual φωτίζει (phōtizei, “giving light”) that shines upon me today, I desire to expose my shameful self completely and walk as a child of Light.

 

(i)                 Here, as I meditate on how the present-tense Greek word φωτίζει (phōtizei, “gives light”) in John 1:9 signifies that Jesus, the true Light, continually shines upon the human soul and exposes the darkness of sin within it, I am reminded of Ephesians 5:11 and 13: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (v. 11), and: “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible” (v. 13).  The reason these two verses came to mind is that the Korean word translated “rebuke” can be expressed in English as “expose”—to rebuke by bringing something hidden into the open.  The Greek word translated “expose” in verse 11 is ἐλέγχετε (elenchete), an imperative meaning “expose,” “reprove,” or “bring to light.”  It goes beyond merely verbally rebuking someone.  It carries the powerful sense of dragging hidden sin or falsehood out of darkness and bringing it completely into the light so that it is exposed for what it truly is. (Internet)

 

·         The φωτίζει (phōtizei, “continually gives light”) of John 1:9 and the ἐλέγχω (elenchō, “expose/reprove”) of Ephesians 5:11, 13 are like companion words that powerfully describe the spiritual reaction and phenomenon that occur when Light confronts darkness.  When the Light shines (phōtizei), sins and shameful realities that have been hidden in darkness inevitably become visible and are exposed (elenchō).  The following summarizes three aspects of the profound relationship between these two passages and the great spiritual lessons they give us. (Internet)

 

a.       The essential relationship between John 1:9 and Ephesians 5:11, 13

 

The nature of Light is to “expose”: The primary characteristic of light is that it enables us to see things as they truly are.  Because Jesus, the true Light, continues even now to shine upon our souls, all the works of darkness are exposed one by one by the Light, just as Ephesians 5:13 declares.  Before the Light, no hypocrisy or hidden sin can remain concealed.

 

The theological connection with John 3: Interestingly, in John 3 the Apostle John uses the same Greek word ἐλέγχω (elenchō, “expose/reprove”) found in Ephesians, confirming this relationship: “For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed [ἐλέγχω].” (Jn. 3:20)  Thus, both John and Ephesians testify to the same spiritual reality: Wherever the Light comes, spiritual surgery begins, exposing the true nature of sin.

 

b.      Three powerful lessons this relationship teaches us

 

①   “Exposure and reproof are not judgments intended to kill me; they are the beginning of salvation intended to give me life.”

We are deeply afraid of having our sins and faults exposed in broad daylight (elenchō).  But the latter part of Ephesians 5:13 proclaims a remarkable reversal: “Everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

 

When the ugly filth and sin hidden in darkness are dragged beneath the Light of Jesus, the true Light, and completely exposed, they do not remain in darkness but are transformed into light—into healing and re-creation.  The Lord’s Light is not a Light intended to humiliate us.  It is the Light of Life, intended to remove the toxins of hidden sin and fundamentally restore us to life.  The person who willingly receives exposure and reproof comes alive.

 

②   “Remaining silent about the works of darkness is not the posture of a child of Light.

 

Ephesians 5:11 commands: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them [ἐλέγχετε, elenchete].”  Believers today are tempted to compromise with the sins of the world or to remain silent under the attitude that “it is better not to make trouble.”

 

But those who possess the true Light must go beyond merely rebuking with words.  Through honest and distinct lives, we must live in such holy contrast that the impurity and darkness of the world are exposed and put to shame.  The very existence of a believer should become a measure of spiritual brightness that exposes the darkness of the world.

 

③   “I must expose myself daily to the continual illumination of the Word.”

 

Just as “gives light” (phōtizei) in John 1:9 is in the present tense, we must not become complacent simply because we repented once in the past.  Every day, we must honestly expose our inner thoughts, motives, words, and secret habits before the powerful searchlight of God’s Word.  Having the darkness of my soul exposed and washed away daily by the Lord’s Light is the disinfecting and cleansing process of the wounded areas of my soul.  This is the life of sanctification.

 

Final application of today’s meditation to myself:

 

“If I hide it, it rots; if I bring it into the light, it comes alive. Today I will open the basement door of my soul and receive the True Light.”

 

Could there be a “dark basement” in one of the rooms of each of our hearts, with its door firmly bolted so that the Word of the Lord cannot enter?  If there is stubbornness, hatred, or a secret sinful habit that we have hidden while saying, “Lord, please do not interfere with this area,” then today, holding firmly to the lesson of Ephesians, we must throw it into the Light.

 

When we honestly confess before the Lord, “Lord, expose this darkness within me with Your Light and cleanse and restore me completely,” I believe that darkness will disappear and our souls will be filled with perfect freedom and the Light of Life. (Internet)

 

(3)    Third, after John 1:9 says that Jesus, the “true Light,” was “coming into the world” [ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον (erchomenon eis ton kosmon)], verse 10 says that “He was in the world” [ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν (en tō kosmō ēn)].  I became curious about the significance of this progression itself.

 

(a)    The structure in which the Apostle John first declares in John 1:9 that He was “coming into the world” and then immediately says in verse 10 that “He was in the world” contains the great mystery and spiritual solemnity of the Incarnation: God the Creator fully entered human history and time.  The significance and spiritual depth of this passage can be considered in three dimensions through the participial construction and change of tense. (Internet)

 

1.       The “movement” of descending from heaven’s throne — verse 9: “coming into the world”

 

Meaning in the original language: The word ἐρχόμενον (erchomenon, “coming”) in verse 9 is a present participle.  It vividly portrays Jesus, the true Light, coming toward this dark and limited created world in which humanity lives and ultimately entering within its boundaries.

Meaning contained within it: The Light did not merely watch humanity from a distance or send us a signal.  It reveals the absolute love and determination of the Creator, who personally enters the actual arena of human life—the “world” in which humanity breathes—in order to save us.

 

2.       The historical reality of “remaining” within the same human limitations — verse 10: “He was in the world”

 

Meaning in the original language: The word ἦν (ēn, “was”) in verse 10 is in the imperfect tense.  It indicates that Jesus did not pass briefly through this earth like a ghost.  Rather, He remained within a particular period of history and continually lived among human beings.

 

Meaning contained within it: The eternal and infinite God clothed Himself in a human body subject to the limitations of time.  He experienced hunger, weariness, sorrow, and pain as we do.  He truly dwelt and remained among us as a human being within history.

 

3.       The double placement of the word κόσμος (kosmos, “world”) and the emphasis on tragedy

 

The Apostle John repeatedly uses the word κόσμος (kosmos, “world”) in verses 9 and 10, producing an enormous spiritual impact upon his readers.

 

Meaning of “world”: In the Gospel of John, “world” can refer both to the created world made through the Word and to fallen humanity—the realm of darkness that, because of sin, resists and rebels against God.

 

The mystery of the connection: When verses 9–10 are read together, an astonishing paradox appears.  The Creator, the true Light, personally came into the world—the dwelling place of those who rebel against and reject Him—and even remained in the midst of that world of darkness and lived among them.  This intentional literary and theological arrangement intensifies the tragedy expressed in the latter half of verse 10: “Yet the world did not know Him.”

 

Summary in one sentence:

For Jesus to have “come into the world and been in the world” means that the Light of the eternal Creator personally broke into the history and limitations of sinful humanity that rebelled against Him (v. 9), and then quietly remained in the midst of that darkness in true human form and lived among us (v. 10).  This is the grace of the perfect Incarnation. (Internet)

 

(i)                 As I meditate here on the grace of Jesus’ perfect Incarnation, I receive the lesson that we, too, as children of Light, must imitate the humble incarnate Jesus.  Rather than fleeing from this sinful and dark world that rebels against Jesus, we should quietly remain in its midst, walk with Immanuel God, and reflect the character and love of Jesus, the Light, into the world through our lives.

 

a.       The spirituality of “remaining,” not escaping: planting the flag in the midst of the world

 

Redefining the place where we live: The more evil and corrupt the world becomes, the more we may be tempted to retreat into religious walls in order to preserve our holiness, or to distance ourselves from the people of the world while condemning them.

 

Concrete practice: Yet the spirituality of the Incarnation means willingly walking into the midst of the dark world—our workplaces, homes, and society—and quietly remaining there.  We need a change in perspective so that we no longer regard the workplace where we breathe and labor merely as a place where we earn money, but as the mission field where Jesus has intentionally placed me to embody His presence.  The deeper the darkness, the more the place where I remain is precisely the place where Light is needed most.

 

b.      Walking with “Immanuel,” not isolation: guarding the inner sanctuary

 

Building a spiritual defense: The reason the Lord could remain in the dark world without becoming assimilated into its darkness was that He remained perfectly connected to God the Father.  Likewise, if we are not to be swept away by the sins and values of the world, we must continually remain conscious of the Lord who is Immanuel—“God with us.”

Concrete practice: Even in the midst of intense work and conversations in the world, cultivate a routine of “arrow prayers” (short prayers) that keeps the antenna of your inner being tuned toward the Lord.  When you are treated unjustly, when temptation comes, or when you do not know what decision to make, continually confess inwardly: “Lord Immanuel, I believe that You are here with me right now. Please give me Your heart.”  In this way, walk step by step with the Lord.

 

c.       The love of “reflection,” not condemnation: opening a breathing space through Christlike character

 

The mission of the mirror: Just as the moon cannot generate its own light but illuminates the dark night sky by reflecting the light of the sun, we must become mirrors that reflect the Lord’s character and love instead of responding to the world in the same harsh and selfish manner.

 

Concrete practice: When everyone in the world fiercely pursues personal advantage, quietly accept loss and yield.  When everyone is gossiping behind someone’s back, remain silent or speak about that person’s good qualities.  When you hear hurtful words, do not retaliate with hatred but embrace the person with gentleness.  Through this reflection of a distinct and holy character, people in the world can witness the reality of the living God in the midst of darkness.

 

Final commitment for today’s life:

 

“Lord, I will not cry out in despair simply because the world is dark. Just as You came to this earth and remained here, I too will quietly remain in the midst of the darkness where You have placed me today, walk with You, Lord Immanuel, and become a mirror of Your Light.” (Internet)

 

(4)    Fourth, I want to meditate on the words: “the world did not know Him” [ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω (ho kosmos auton ouk egnō)] (John 1:10), and: “His own did not receive Him” [οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον (hoi idioi auton ou parelabon)] (v. 11).  Why did the world neither know nor receive Jesus Christ, the “true Light” (v. 9)?  Of course, if one does not know Jesus Christ, one cannot receive Him.  I believe John 3:19 explains the reason: “…the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil…” [τὸ φῶς ἐλήλυθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον καὶ ἠγάπησαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι μᾶλλον τὸ σκότος ἢ τὸ φῶς (to phōs elēlythen eis ton kosmon kai ēgapēsan hoi anthrōpoi mallon to skotos ē to phōs)].  I want to meditate, reflect, and apply this more specifically.

 

1.       The two stages of rejection seen through the original language

 

In verses 10 and 11, the Apostle John progressively intensifies the degree of rejection, exposing the tragedy of humanity.

 

Stage 1: The world’s ignorance (v. 10) ➔ “did not know Him” [οὐκ ἔγνω (ouk egnō)]

 

Here, ἔγνω (egnō, “know”) does not refer merely to an intellectual lack of information.  It signifies relational and personal failure to know.  Although all things were made through Him (v. 3), the created world had completely lost the spiritual perception necessary to recognize its own Creator and Lord.

 

Stage 2: The rejection by His own people (v. 11) ➔ “did not receive Him” [οὐ παρέλαβον (ou parelabon)]

 

An even more painful tragedy than the rejection of the world is that although He came to His own possession—His own land—His own people, who had received special covenantal privilege, did not παρέλαβον (parelabon) Him—that is, they did not personally welcome Him to their side and receive Him into their lives.  Instead, they actively shut the door against Him.

 

2.       Why did they love darkness rather than Light and reject Him? — a specific meditation on John 3:19

 

John 3:19 exposes the reason: “People loved darkness rather than Light because their deeds were evil.” 

 

Fear of having one’s true condition exposed: As in the concept of ἐλέγχω (elenchō, “to expose and bring to light”) in Ephesians 5:13, when Jesus, the true Light, comes near me, the sins, hypocrisy, greed, and shameful realities I have hidden become completely exposed in broad daylight.  Instead of repenting of their sins, human beings chose to push the Light away and hide in darkness in order to conceal their evil deeds.

 

The stubborn desire for “me” to remain the master rather than the Light: The Jews of Jesus’ day deeply cherished their religious privileges, their sense of righteousness based on the Law, and their worldly messianic expectations of political liberation.  When Jesus, the true Light, came and confronted them with the need to repent and exposed the inadequacy of their self-righteousness, they refused to deny themselves.  They rejected their Creator and ultimately crucified Him.

 

3.       Reflection and concrete application to my own life: “Is there also within me the stubbornness of ‘His own people’—a desire to push away the Light and hide in darkness?”

 

When we read this passage, it is easy to blame only the Jews of that time or the unbelieving world.  But even within those of us who profess faith in Jesus, a fierce battle takes place every day between our love for Light and our love for darkness.  I want to apply this specifically to my life today.

 

Application 1: “When hurt feelings and condemnation arise—expose myself to the Light first”

 

When I begin to hate someone in daily life, become irritated because things do not go my way, or feel hurt and resentful, I am tempted to choose the way of darkness.  I must stop “hiding in the darkness” by meditating on the other person’s faults and using them to justify my hatred.  At that moment, I need to stop and immediately come before the Lord, who is Light, and allow the evil motives in my own heart to be exposed: “Lord, I have loved the darkness of my pride more than the Light. Have mercy on me.”

 

Application 2: “Break completely with secret habits of sin”

 

When I harbor secret sinful habits, greed, or worldly anxieties that no one else knows about but I do, my soul becomes increasingly dark, and the Word of the Lord—the Light—no longer enters my ears clearly.  If I am not to become spiritually blind like the world that neither knew nor received the Lord, I need today to confess honestly the dark areas of my life and make a decisive commitment to cleansing by bringing myself fully into the purifying Light of the true Light.

 

Application 3: “Embrace the Lord’s heart when I am rejected”

 

When we live incarnationally in the world and share the gospel and love with others, the world may misunderstand and reject us just as it rejected John the Baptist, the apostles, and the Lord Himself.  At such times, we should not lose heart.  Remembering the pain of the Creator who “came to His own” and yet was rejected, we should continue faithfully to embrace souls, cultivate their hearts, and serve as faithful channels of the gospel. (Internet)

 

(a)    Here I came to think that if we do not know Jesus Christ, the true Light, we cannot receive Him as Lord and Savior; and also that if we do not receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we cannot truly know Him.  I want to meditate more specifically on the relationship between knowing and receiving and receive the lessons this relationship gives us.

 

(i)                 The statement: “If we do not know Jesus, we cannot receive Him; and if we do not receive Him, we cannot truly know Him” describes one of the central mysteries of the Christian faith—the organic, cyclical relationship between knowledge and faith.  In Scripture, “knowing” (knowledge) and “receiving” (relationship) are inseparably connected, each deepening the other.  The specific meaning of this paradoxical relationship and its lessons for us can be considered in three dimensions. (Internet)

 

a.       Prior knowledge: We must be told before we can receive Him — Knowledge ➔ Receiving

 

Specific meaning: In John 1:10, the first step in the world’s rejection of the Lord was:

“The world did not know Him.”  Unless people first hear the message of the gospel and intellectually understand at least who Jesus is and why He came to this earth, they cannot even recognize Him as the Savior whom they are called to receive.

 

Spiritual lesson: This is why the Apostle Paul also says: “And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Rom. 10:14)  This is why we must become like John the Baptist in our generation and diligently proclaim and make known the gospel of the Lord.  People must know in order to have the opportunity to receive.

 

b.      Experiential knowledge: Only after receiving Him do we begin to know Him “truly” — Receiving ➔ Knowledge

 

Specific meaning: Knowing information about Jesus in our heads is not enough to say that we truly know the Lord.  Only when we “receive” Him, as verse 11 speaks of receiving—welcoming Him into the innermost room of our lives, entering into a Lord-servant relationship with Him, and beginning to live in the same house with Him—do we begin to know His love, character, and work experientially with our whole being and soul.

 

Spiritual lesson: There is a world of difference between knowing a prospective spouse’s profile from a matchmaking agency—height, occupation, age—and marrying that person, sharing life together, and coming to know the person’s breath and character intimately.  Likewise, only those who receive the Lord as Savior and walk with Him through suffering and ordinary life come to the true experiential knowledge of who Jesus Christ really is.

 

c.       The virtuous cycle of faith: the never-ending wheel of knowing and receiving

 

Specific meaning: The Christian faith has a holy cycle: Knowing ➔ Receiving ➔ Deeper Knowing ➔ More Complete Receiving.

 

At first, I learn the gospel and receive Jesus as my Savior.

 

As I live having received Him, I come to know more deeply the Lord who is at work in my life.

 

As I know Him more deeply, I come to trust Him enough to receive Him more fully into even those dark areas of my life that I have not yet surrendered to His lordship—my finances, my future, and my children.

 

The essential lessons this relationship gives us — reflection and application

 

①  We must guard against both conceptual faith based only on information and blind faith based only on emotion.

 

A person who possesses much biblical knowledge only in the head can easily become a cold religious person who lacks the joy of receiving Christ and the transformation of life.  Conversely, someone who claims to have received the Lord merely through intense emotion without knowledge grounded in the Word can easily be led astray by heresy or become a blind believer tossed about by feelings.  We must stand firmly upon sound knowledge of the Word while maintaining a balanced, personal fellowship in which we receive the Lord into our daily lives.

 

②  Every morning, we should welcome the Lord with new knowledge and renewed receiving.

 

Applying this to my life today: Do not treat receiving the Lord as merely a past event that happened once and ended.  When I wake up this morning, I should ask to know the Lord more freshly through His Word than I knew Him yesterday.  And in the new problems and encounters I will face today, I should faithfully receive Him into my life moment by moment, praying: “Lord, please be my Master in this situation as well.”

 

“Lord, I want to know You. But beyond knowledge that remains only in my head, may my experiential knowledge of You deepen day by day as I receive You as King into the actual places of my life.” (Internet)

 

(5)    Fifth and last, as I meditate on the words: “But to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the authority to become children of God” [ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ
(hosoi de elabon auton, edōken autois exousian tekna theou genesthai, tois pisteuousin eis to onoma autou)] (Jn. 1:12), I especially want to meditate on the relationship between: “those who received Him” [ὅσοι ἔλαβον (hosoi elabon)] and: “those who were born of God” [ἀλλ’ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν (all’ ek theou egennēthēsan)]—those who were “born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man” (v. 13).

(a)    Here, the relationship between “those who received Him” (v. 12) and “those who were born of God” (v. 13) represents one of the high points of Johannine theology, showing how human faith and responsibility and God’s sovereignty and grace come together in the mystery of salvation.  At first glance, verse 12 may seem to emphasize human action—“a person must receive Him”—while verse 13 appears to emphasize God’s sovereignty alone—“one must be born not by human will but by God.”  This can appear contradictory.  But when we examine the meaning of the original language more deeply, these two verses have a remarkable relationship that explains the beginning and completion of salvation.  The specific relationship and its spiritual lessons can be summarized in three ways. (Internet)

 

1.       The relationship in the original language: “Receiving” (v. 12) is the outward evidence of “new birth” (v. 13)

 

The mystery of cause and effect: Verse 13 declares that the mysterious spiritual birth by which people receive the true Light and become children of God does not come through physical ancestry, human passion, or human intention, but that they are: “born of God.”

 

Specific relationship: Human beings do not receive Jesus, the true Light, through their own wisdom and ability.  Because God first comes to our souls and breathes new life into us—regeneration, verse 13—our spiritual eyes are opened, and only then are we able, with our will and whole person, to receive Jesus as Savior—verse 12.  Thus, if the event of being “born of God” in verse 13 is the invisible spiritual cause, then the act of receiving and believing in verse 12 is the necessary result through which that cause becomes visible in life.

 

2.       The relationship between status and authority: The one who “receives” is given the “legal right/authority”

 

The meaning of authority [ἐξουσίαν (exousian)]: The Greek word ἐξουσία (exousia), translated “authority” in verse 12, can refer to legitimate qualification, lawful right, or a spiritual privilege bestowed by a king.

 

Specific relationship: As verse 13 teaches, human effort or ancestry cannot become a passport or qualification for becoming a child of God.  A change of status takes place only when God gives us birth as His children.  When those who are born of God receive the Lord and believe in His name, the Lord officially and lawfully grants them all the inheritance rights and spiritual privileges—exousia—that belong to children of the King who rules the universe.

 

3.       Three powerful lessons this relationship gives us

 

①  The assurance of salvation does not originate in me but in the eternal faithfulness of God — the lesson of verse 13

 

If my faith and act of receiving Christ in verse 12 originated entirely from my own reason, emotions, or human will in verse 13, then whenever my emotions waver or I become discouraged, my salvation would also have to waver.  But the believer’s salvation did not begin with human will or ancestry.  It began with God sovereignly giving me new birth.  Therefore, no storm in this world and no weakness of mine can cancel God’s act of making me His child.

 

②  “Receiving” is not a passive attitude but the exercise of the authority to live every day as a child of the King — the lesson of verse 12

 

The word ἔλαβον (elabon, “received”) goes beyond simply holding out empty hands and passively “receiving.”  It can carry the sense of actively taking hold of what is given.  Those who are born of God are no longer defeated people crushed beneath sin and darkness.  Every time we pray and every time we live in this world, we should live by the spiritual authority given to the King’s children, resisting the powers of darkness and walking in victory.

 

③  We must recover thorough humility and unconditional gratitude.

 

I did not come to believe in and receive Jesus and become God’s child because I was intellectually superior or morally excellent.  As verse 13 declares, it was because God had mercy on me and gave me birth from above.  All my boasting disappears, leaving only amazement and gratitude for grace.  When this humility of salvation fills us, we do not condemn souls whose hearts are still hard and rough.  Instead, like John, we can faithfully serve as bridges through which the gospel reaches them.

 

Final application of today’s meditation to myself:

 

“Regardless of my emotions or circumstances, I am a most precious child who has been born with the life of God, the King of the universe.” (Internet)

 

(i)                 As I meditate here on the words “those who were born of God” (John 1:13), I am also reminded of 1 John 3:9 and 5:1, 4: “No one who is born of God continues to sin” (1 Jn. 3:9), “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (5:1), and: “Everyone born of God overcomes the world” (5:4).  In terms of spiritual sequence, I think the order is: (1) 1 John 5:1 → (2) 1 John 5:4 → (3) 1 John 3:9.  What is the central doctrinal meaning—or the essential message—that the same author, the Apostle John, intends to communicate to us through his statement “those who were born of God” in John 1:13 and through these three passages in 1 John? 

 

·         The central doctrinal meaning proclaimed by the Apostle John throughout the Gospel of John and 1 John is that: “The beginning of salvation (new birth), its continuing process (victory), and its fruit (holiness) all necessarily flow from the divine life implanted in us by God.”  It is a doctrine of sovereign grace and the certainty of salvation.  Following the spiritual sequence above, this great relationship can be explained in three stages. (Internet)

 

a.       Stage 1 — 1 John 5:1 ➔ The starting point of salvation: divine life implanted by grace alone [“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…” (1 Jn. 5:1)]

 

Meaning and doctrine: Human beings do not first, by their own wisdom, believe that Jesus is the Christ and thereby cause themselves to be born of God.  Rather, within the Greek context, God first gives us birth through His sovereign grace—regeneration—and as a result we confess Jesus as Savior and receive Him (Jn. 1:12).

 

Connection: John 1:13 declares that this mysterious spiritual birth comes not from blood, the will of the flesh, or human will, but solely from God.  The identity and evidence of that spiritual birth are manifested in the confession: “Jesus is my Christ.”

 

b.      Stage 2 — 1 John 5:4 ➔ The process of salvation: the authority of God’s children that overcomes the world [“For everyone born of God overcomes the world…” (1 Jn. 5:4)]

 

Meaning and doctrine: Within the soul of the person born of God flows God-given spiritual life and authority capable of overcoming the sinful world system and the powers of darkness.  Here, “overcomes” is in the present tense, indicating the continuing reality of overcoming.  The believer has received the status and assurance necessary to continue overcoming while living in the midst of this world—the very arena of incarnational life described in John 1:10.

 

Connection: This shows how the authority of God’s children given to those born of God in John 1:12 actually operates in daily life.  God’s children are not people who must remain crushed and defeated by the world.  Through the power of the true Light who has already overcome the darkness in John 1:5, they are people who overcome the world.

 

c.       Stage 3 — 1 John 3:9 ➔ The fruit of salvation: a holy life freed from the dominion of sin [“No one who is born of God continues to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; and he cannot continue in sin, because he has been born of God.” (1 Jn. 3:9)]

 

Meaning and doctrine: This verse does not mean that believers become morally perfect beings who never commit a single sin or make a single mistake while living on this earth.  In the original-language context, the expression “does not sin” is in the present tense and means that a person born of God cannot continue living habitually in sin as a slave under sin’s dominion.  Why?  Because “God’s seed”—Greek σπέρμα (sperma), described here figuratively as divine DNA—remains alive within that person.

Connection: This is the final and clearest fruit of the spiritual birth proclaimed in John 1:13. The person who has truly been born of God cannot remain indefinitely in sin and darkness (John 1:5), because of the divine life implanted within.  As Ephesians 5:13 teaches, whenever sin enters, such a person is drawn again before the Lord, the true Light, where that sin is exposed and cleansed, and the person is progressively led along the path of holiness.  This is a powerful assurance of sanctification.

 

The Apostle John’s final central declaration to us:

 

The believer’s salvation is not something fragile that began with human decision or ancestry.  It is the work of eternal life implanted within us entirely by God’s sovereign grace.  Therefore, those who are born of God believe in Jesus Christ as Savior (the beginning), overcome the world through the authority given to them as God’s children (the process), and, because God’s seed abides within them, do not ultimately surrender themselves to the dominion of sin but bear holy fruit (the conclusion). (Internet)