“WE ARE LIGHT BEINGS” Part 1, JUNE 2018

        “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirit spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” Hebrews 1:7. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5: 16.

        “Ye are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5: 14. “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1^st Thessalonians 5:4-6.

As the subject of this study suggests, we are going to elaborate on the scripture texts quoted above; and look more closely on what light, in its true significance means. The term “light” as understood and used in the context of religion or our salvation at large can be understood from the scores of scriptures that lend merit and authenticity to the light of God that permeates each and every human being; and even the life of trees, animals, the fish of the sea, and everywhere life can be found.

        Look at the contrasting applications of light: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shinned in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2^nd Corinthians 4: 4-6. Thus, we can solemnly affirm that the work of the Holy Spirit (as the light of God) is to reveal the glory of the Father that shines from the face of Jesus Christ. Reverting to ancient times, we read the following: “O king, live forever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him (Daniel.) Daniel 5: 11, 12. So Daniel was found to be a man, full of light and understanding. Speaking of light in these terms, over several decades of church history, has provided humongous numbers of sermons, books, and television presentations. The bulk of those works are within the context of sinners coming out of darkness and embracing the light that the gospel produces. But in this study, we are going to take another step, and apply LIGHT, not only to our understanding, but applying it to our physical being.

        When I arrived in Baltimore from London, England, in 1969, I brought what I called “Body Felt Salvation” which was a new concept to the churches in which I ministered. As we proceed, we shall fill in the blanks and make it simple for all of us to understand; then we are free to accept the concept or reject it. I encourage you to spend much time reading, researching, and studying this subject; because of its import on our lives: especially because it defines who we really are. Many of the religious concepts that we embrace as adults, were fed to us back in Sunday school. For instance, there are entire families who profess the Baptist Faith. Others are Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics and such the like.

        For the most part, those who later in life embrace another faith, are usually branded with terms that are not endearing to say the least. There are those who will not settle for the old, old, story. In fact, they embrace the old, old story, but adopt a new way of telling it. There are those in secular life, who are constantly seeking to find out who they are, where they came from, and what is their purpose here on earth.

        From our vantage point, let us begin our research with the help of the Apostle Paul, reading from his letter to the churches in Corinth: relevant to the difference between the natural and the spiritual. “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.” 1^st Corinthians 15: 46. It is therefore correct and normal for us to use the natural as a template (cursor) for the spiritual. As a matter of practice, Christians rely solely upon the scriptures to show the path ahead, and to answer all their questions. Thus, it is ALL BY FAITH! But on the flipside of the coin, scientists work relentlessly to acquire visible, materialistic evidence to bolster their theories. 

For instance, we read in Job that God speaks in the thunder—that he sends the snow, the rain, earthquakes as it pleases him. As Christians, we read those truths, accept them as works of the Lord and move on. However, scientists insist upon detailing how the snow is formed; what causes earthquakes and violent volcanoes. They insist in having pictures, films, and even soil fragments to undergird their research. Like the scientists, we are going to use the scriptures to prove who we are, why we are, and what our Divine Purpose on earth is, as decreed by the Divine Master long before time began, or before the foundations of the earth were laid. 

We will highlight the prominence LIGHT has over us, through us, and its effect upon the entire creation, especially UPON ALL LIFE-FORM. I remember, some years ago, I settled down to watch a television program that highlighted the subject of light being in all life forms. They wanted to show before the naked eyes that the human body consists of light. In one part of the experiment, they used a knife to cut off part of a leaf. They then put the leaf under a special camera and it shows that light from the rest of the leaf was emitted to fill the part of the leaf that was cut off.

        In other words, under that special camera, the leaf was shown to be as complete as it ever was. To demonstrate how light is contained within the human body, they had two employees sit close together with their arms stretched out in front: close together, but not touching. They were told to hug and caress. At the beginning of the experiment, very small amount of light began to become visible between the two hands on the table. They were encouraged to get emotional as they embraced: and as they got more emotional the light that danced between them got brighter and brighter until it was plain to see the light emitting between the hands of both parties. Here is a case for us to consider as we proceed in this study. Looking at sermons and bible studies, we quickly see that much of the teachings of the Apostle Paul are embraced by the church at large; while at the same time nonbelievers are excluded. This happens even in scripture passages that MUST apply to everyone. Let us paint a large picture across the broad spectrum of the Christian landscape.  

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” 1^st Peter 2: 24, 25. It is clearly understood that Peter wrote this epistle to the church; so, applying it as such is correct. But look more closely at the contents of this passage. First of all, it speaks of Christ bearing our sins in his body on the tree. Yes, he died upon the cross bearing our sins in his body. The question becomes: whose sins did he bare in his body? If it meant that only those who become believers in Christ do have their sins pardoned, it would mean that every time one comes to Christ, he would need to be nailed to the tree another time. A more universal understanding of this verse is that once and for all, Christ took all sins of all peoples on earth in his body on the tree. Listen to Paul’s conclusion on this matter. “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.” Hebrews 10:11, 12. By this, we understand that the sacrifice of himself on Calvary took care of the “sin question” and in that light, when Peter said that he took our sins in his body on the tree, he meant the sins of the world. Let us cite one more case to bolster the subject before us. Paul wrote saying: “As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” 1^st Corinthians 15: 49. Again, it is customary for this verse to be used in churches; and it is always applied to Christians. But Paul inferred that everyone who was born in the image of the earthy, is guaranteed to also bear the image of the heavenly. That issue is already settled by the Creator himself. From the moment of birth, that little infant is given the guarantee mentioned above. The verse does not come with pre-requisites and pre-determined conditions as a means of putting on the heavenly image. All of these measures, conditions and ultimate results were already factored into the main structure of man’s redemption, without any participation or promise of conformity on his part.

        God does not offer options for man to participate in his own redemption. It is either “totally of God” or man’s rejected efforts. While we continue to look at the “natural aspects” of our association with light, I recently came in contact with an article that may serve us well in getting a more enlightened understanding of our association with light; and how it affects us in real time. The caption in the article in large bold letters said: “YOUR BODY LITERALLY GLOWS WITH LIGHT.”  It goes on to say: The human body literally glows, emitting a visible light in extremely small quantities at levels that rise and fall with the day. Past research has shown that the body emits visible light, 1,000 times less intense than the levels which can be seen with the naked eye. In fact, virtually all living creatures emit very weak light.  

To learn more about this faint visible light, scientists in Japan employed extraordinarily sensitive cameras capable of detecting single photons. Five healthy male volunteers in their 20’s were placed bare-chested in front of the cameras in complete darkness in light-tight rooms for 20 minutes every three hours. The researchers found the body glow rose and fell over the day, with its lowest point at 10 A.M. and its peak at 4 P.M., dropping gradually after that. These findings suggest there is light emission linked to the body clock, most likely due to how metabolic rhythms fluctuate over the course of the day. Faces glowed more than the rest of the body. This might be because faces are more tanned than the rest of the body, since they get more exposure to sunlight. End of the report! What we have learned from Divine Principles, and now from science, is that the human body is not simply flesh and bone and blood. I love to examine what scientists bring to the table: I love to read their many conclusions arrived at from long hours and determined experiments—in which failure is not an option. While many argue against science and think it works in opposition to the scriptures, so far, I have found that there is a profound correlation between the scriptures and the findings of many scientists.  

(Both seem to arrive at the same conclusion—one by research and the other by faith in the written words of scripture and the spirit of revelation by the Holy Spirit.) However, in the end of our research, the truth from both the spiritual and the natural comes breaking through in full color. To fully grasp the truth in our composition as human beings and our purpose in the Creator’s grand design, we must go back to where it began. At the top of our research, we came across an account that opens the curtains that offers a greater source of understanding. We are told: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1: 17. The word “FATHER” has a profound meaning to us. Jesus used the term “OUR FATHER.” The word FATHER among other things also means STARTER—so we all started in him and by him. That is why Paul freely mentioned to those who were worshipping “the unknown god” that he should not be unknown to any of us; because we are the “off-spring of God.”

        Let us not forget that the Lord said to a young man: “Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5. This is the STARTER (our FATHER at work.) Just how far back is our relationship with our FATHER? The Psalmist puts it this way: “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.”  It is quite clear from scripture that the “Father of lights” was personally engaged in who we would be, and who we would be in the earth. When the Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus, he asked what was their reason: was it for any of the good works that he did? They replied saying, for a good work we do not stone the, but for blasphemy in that you being man makest thyself equal with God, saying that God is your Father.  

But Jesus was right! And he began the sample of his prayer with the words “OUR FATHER.” For good measure, take another look at how the Jews reasoned and understood the words of Christ. “Therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. That is the underlying truth in the concept and utterance of the term “Our Father.” If you call God your Father, you automatically make yourself equal with God. We do not, upon our pride or self-indulgence take to ourselves “equality with God.” It is not by our own invention that we claim equality with God. It is not an elevated position that we claim. Paul puts it this way: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (His next of kin.) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver-etc.” Acts 17: 28,29. If the people in Athens knew that they were God’s off-spring, they would not liken God to wood and stone made by man’s hands. 

 The truth that we are the offspring of God cannot be swept under the rug or be deleted from the Christian faith. We did not invent the idea, and like Lucifer determined that he would be like the Most High. We do not seek to make ourselves like HIM: rather, he determined to reproduce himself in the earth: we as his offspring—his children. Take a look at your offspring (your children) and determine for yourself: are they inferior to you? Are they any less than you are? In fact, you smile and almost glow in the fact that they are so much like you. How does God and Christ regard this truth? Is God embarrassed to call us his sons and his daughters? When Christ takes a census of his earthly family, here is what the result is like. “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Hebrews 2: 10, 11. Thus, we stand side by side with Jesus Christ as brethren and as the offspring of God, and Christ is not ashamed to call us “brethren.” It is written: “And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” Hebrews 2:13. NEVER LOOSE THAT TRUTH!! 

Royce O. Kennedy