[Note: The following is a devotional that was written by my mom. It was taken from her blog.

Today's postmodernism would have us to think there are many "lights" out there, and we can choose whatever we like to believe, since there is no truth, only your own "truth" that you choose. Anyone that would take just a small moment to bring that to its logical conclusion would be able to see how absurd a thought that is. But our hearts are deceptive and we love to deceive ourselves in order to lull ourselves to sleep. Ignorance is bliss only for a time, until truth wakes us out of our slumber... too late for some.

What is the "true light?" The book of 1 John tells us of that only true light, that light we need to see in ourselves if we are truly born again, and that light that we will have fellowship with in God and with His children.

Darby, on 1 John 1...

"There were many pretensions to new light, to clearer views. It was said that Christianity was very good as an elementary thing; but that it was grown old, and that there was a new light which went far beyond that twilight truth. The Person of our Lord, the true manifestation of the divine life itself, dissipated all those proud pretensions, those exaltations of the human mind under the influence of the enemy, which did but obscure the truth, and lead the mind of men back into the darkness whence they themselves proceeded."

Just as in our day, those in the first century already were saying they had "new light" and Christianity was "outdated" and needed something new. There were Gnostics who claimed a greater or new knowledge or light. Satan's deceptions are never new, they are always old ones revisited. The Bible... His revealed Word, still is as relevant to our day and still has the truth of His Gospel, the only Gospel that saves, and any word outside of that claiming to be His, is a false word added to or taking away from His truth.

1 John 1:1-3 (1) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life, (2) (for the Life was revealed, and we have seen it and bear witness, and show to you the everlasting Life, who was with the Father and was revealed to us), (3) that which we have seen and heard we declare unto you, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

This Word was declared to us in written form, through His holy apostles, by whom He chose to do so, and who were eye witnesses. Today we have those who think they can know Him aside from that Word given from God Himself, and claim to have spiritual knowledge of God apart from it. They claim the Bible is no longer relevant. What is of God never ceases to be relevant. It never ceases to be just as effective for all as it was in the beginning. God has no new thing. His Gospel is for all time, and never changes. Nor is His Word the word of men, but it is of God. How then can we ignore it, take it for granted, refuse to believe it or obey it? Only by convincing ourselves through deception, because of the hardness of our hearts, that it is somehow not His true Word. We convince ourselves we can go by just the “Spirit of God” to lead us, but that true Holy Spirit has already chosen to reveal Jesus to us through His Word, and faith in that. If we reject His Word, we reject Him. You cannot divide one from the other. He never acts contrary to His written Word. If you believe a spirit that tells you to, you are listening to a different spirit than the Spirit of God.

1 John 2:24 (24) Therefore what you heard from the beginning, let it abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you will abide in both the Son and in the Father.

There is one Gospel, that never changes, just as God Himself never changes, and only that Gospel will save.

Darby…

"That life which was with the Father had been manifested to the disciples. Could there be anything more perfect, more excellent, any development more admirable in the eyes of God, than Christ Himself, than that Life which was with the Father, manifested in all its perfection in the Person of the Son? As soon as the Person of the Son is the object of our faith, we feel that perfection must have been at the beginning."

"The life has been manifested. Therefore we have no longer to seek for it, to grope after it in the darkness, to explore at random the indefinite, or the obscurity of our own hearts, in order to find it, to labour fruitlessly under the law, in order to obtain it. We behold it: it is revealed, it is here, in Jesus Christ. He who possesses Christ possesses that life."

1 John 2:3-5 (3) And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments. (4) He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.

There are serious consequences for believing the wrong “light.” It isn't something to be taken lightly. The wrong thing is not light at all but darkness. Many prefer the darkness because of something they cannot accept about the true light. It exposes something inside themselves they do not want to believe, or part with, or adhere to. Rather than seek God for understanding, they would rather form their own so-called "light" that agrees with their thinking... bringing God down to their level of understanding rather than be brought up to His where there is true light and life. This is what the emerging church leaders seek to do today. They want to form their own god, their own Jesus, and their own bible. They claim the old is irrelevant or just ideas of men. They reject its infallibility, so they consider their own word and thoughts more infallible I guess, and that they are wiser than God. That somehow we can depend on our own "inner light" claiming it is from God, when really it is from the one who appears even in our inner thoughts as an "angel of light" that is truly darkness.

One thing about truth, that all the world will eventually find out, is that not believing it doesn't keep it from being truth. If I'm sitting on a train track, and someone tells me I have to get off because the train is going to run me over, and I decide I don't want to believe that... it sounds too awful to me, and I want to sit here, so I get angry with the person who warned me, and I just won't believe it, it won't keep me from being hit by the train when it finally comes and runs me over. So rather than deny truth because it is unpleasant to us, we need to know it, and to act according to it. If we choose not to, or just to ignore it, we WILL pay the consequences and lose out on what we were intended to have in Him and all the blessings of knowing Him and walking in that light He has given us. We'll miss out on all He wants to reveal of Himself to us and receive from Him and all the glory He intends for us to have in Him for all eternity. How foolish!

1 Peter 1:23-25 (23) having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the living Word of God, and abiding forever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of men as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls out, (25) but the Word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the Word preached as gospel to you.

If we have not been born again of that Word, then we have not been born again of God. We have instead received corruptible seed that will perish. How important that we know the true light, and are not given to another! How important that we take heed to this! There is nothing else in all the earth that is so important as this.

2 Peter 1:16-21 (16) For not having followed fables having been cunningly devised, but becoming eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus Christ, we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord. (17) For He received honor and glory from God the Father, when was borne to Him a voice from the excellent glory, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (18) And we heard this voice being borne from Heaven, being with Him in the holy mountain. (19) We also have a more sure Word of prophecy, to which you do well to take heed, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Daystar arises in your hearts, (20) knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture came into being of its own private interpretation. (21) For prophecy was not borne at any time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke being borne along by the Holy Spirit.

Tell yourself it's only words of men, but deceive yourself then by accepting your own thoughts, feelings or words or that of another as more infallible than His own, and you will never know the true light. Why is it every other religious word of man or religious book is accepted by the world, but the Word of God is hated, banned in many countries and feared so much? It's because it is like a two-edged sword that pierces, exposes our hearts, minds, and evil thoughts against God. It hurts. But it has to in order to show us how sinful we are in the sight of a Holy God, in order that we might also see how much we need to be saved from, and the perfect salvation out of His love, through His own blood that He wrought for us. We have to die in order to live. We have to turn from that sinful nature, acknowledging the hopelessness to save ourselves and turn to His salvation alone for us. We have to give up pride in ourselves, love for ourselves, and holding onto our "light" so-called for His light alone, which is true light. It's only that light that can save us. Satan is still the "angel of light" that appears to men's hearts and minds today, with an appeal to them that they can be a god to themselves.

John 3:17-21 (17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. (18) He who believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed. (21) But he who practices truth comes to the Light so that his works may be revealed, that they exist, having been worked in God.

Father help us not to fear coming to Your Word--Your light for our path, when it hurts us, when it confuses us, when we see our failure to live up to it, but instead enable us by Your grace to accept Your light that exposes our hearts, humbling us; and come before You, willing to be brought to the cross, and there be raised up with You to newness of life, where we can have the fellowship with You in that light. In Jesus name!