“God is Light” vs. “Physical Properties of Light”

 

“God is Light” vs. “Physical Properties of Light”

"God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)

"Again, Jesus said to them, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (John 8:12)

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14)

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) 

Aspect	God is Light (Spiritual)	Physical Properties of Light (Scientific)
Meaning	Symbolizes God’s holiness, purity, righteousness, truth, and revelation of life. God Himself is the source of life and truth.	A form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths around 400–700 nm, visible to the human eye, enabling vision.
Effect	1. Illuminates and exposes everything (reveals truth and sin). 2. Source of life and fellowship. 3. Cleanses, sanctifies, and guides in truth.	1. Provides illumination for sight. 2. Provides energy (e.g., photosynthesis). 3. Transfers energy and information (e.g., fiber optics).
Distinction	1. Spiritual and life-related, transcending material reality. 2. In the Bible, light symbolizes divine nature and revelation.	1. A created phenomenon in nature. 2. Measurable and analyzable under physical laws.
Examples	1. Moses’ face shone with light after meeting God (Exodus 34:29-30). 2. Paul was struck by a great light on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-5). 3. New Jerusalem: “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light.” (Revelation 21:23)	1. Sunlight sustains life on earth. 2. Optical phenomena: reflection, refraction, rainbow. 3. Laser applications in medicine and communication.
Application	1. Believers walk in the light (1 John 1:7). 2. Be transparent before God, confessing sins under His light. 3. Be the light of the world, testifying of Christ.	1. Illumination (lamps, LEDs). 2. Renewable energy (solar power). 3. Optical technology (microscopes, telescopes, fiber networks).

  

Key Points: 

•        The Bible reveals God Himself as Light, symbolizing holiness, purity, righteousness, truth, and life.

•        Physics describes light as an electromagnetic wave that enables vision and energy transfer.

•        The comparison highlights the spiritual meaning vs. scientific property, showing both the transcendence of God and the usefulness of physical light.

 

Conclusion:

• Spiritual light (God Himself) is eternal, holy, and life-giving.
• Physical light is created and limited but supports life and reveals God’s wisdom in creation.
• Together, they remind us that while science explains creation, only God Himself is the true Light of life.

 

The Golden Calf vs. The Golden Earrings

 

The Golden Calf vs. The Golden Earrings

Exo. 32:2-3 – “And Aaron said to them, ‘Tear off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.’ So all the people tore off the golden earrings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.”
1 Cor. 10:6-7 – “Now these things occurred as examples to us, so that we would not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Neither become idolaters, as some of them did; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.’” 

Item	Golden Calf	Golden Earrings
Meaning	The visible form of idolatry, man-made, replacing the worship of God.	Symbol of self-adornment, the root and hidden form of idolatry, representing self-centered pursuit.
Significance	Represents an explicit idol, directing people to worship the created rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:23).	Represents a hidden idol, pointing to the exaltation and beautification of the self, not yet public but already present in the heart.
Distinction	A formed idol, openly replacing God as the object of worship.	The preliminary form of idolatry, rooted in self-adornment and worldly culture, preparing for overt idolatry.
Explanation	Required skill, talent, and ability to fashion the gold into an idol (Exo. 32:4); reveals how human abilities are misused in service to idolatry.	The gold was originally intended for the building of God’s dwelling (the tabernacle, Exo. 25), but Satan usurped it for self-adornment.
Example	Israel, at Mount Sinai, made a golden calf and claimed to worship Jehovah with it (Exo. 32:5-6).	Israelite women and children wore golden earrings (Exo. 32:2-3), which represented self-adornment even before the idol was made.
Application	If we use God’s gifts—talent, knowledge, ability—to decorate our work or ministry for people’s admiration instead of God’s glory, we are making a golden calf.	Today’s culture emphasizes self-adornment. If we waste God’s grace on beautifying ourselves rather than for God’s purpose, we are forming golden earrings.
Relevant Scriptures	Exo. 32:4-6 – “He took this from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a feast to Jehovah.’ So the next day they rose early, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”	1 John 5:21 – “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” Exo. 33:5-6 – “For Jehovah had said to Moses, ‘Say to the children of Israel, You are a stiff-necked people. If for one moment I were to go up in your midst, I would consume you. Now therefore put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what to do with you.’ So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward.”

 

Key Points:

• Golden Earrings = Hidden form of idolatry, rooted in self-adornment.
• Golden Calf = Visible form of idolatry, worship of the created instead of the Creator.
• Principle: Idolatry often begins with self-adornment and ends in explicit worship of false gods.
• Warning: Our talents and resources, if not given to God, can be usurped by Satan for idolatry.

Conclusion: 

The golden earrings represent the subtle and hidden beginning of idolatry, while the golden calf represents its outward manifestation. God desires His people to use their gold—what He has given—for His dwelling and service, not for self-adornment or idols. Pure worship must be without mixture, wholly centered on God alone.

 

*Please refer to June 2025 Summer Training, General Theme: Experiencing, Enjoying, and Manifesting Christ (Part 3), Chapter 7: The Originator (Captain) and Forerunner of Salvation, Leading Many Sons into Glory by Entering Within the Veil and Exiting Outside the Camp.

"God Is" vs. "I Am Not"

 

"God Is" vs. "I Am Not"

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Item	“God Is”  (Believing God Is)	“I Am Not”  (Denying Self / Without Faith It Is Impossible)
Meaning	Believing God is: acknowledging the unique, eternal God — “I AM WHO I AM.” He alone is reality and Lord over all. Faith’s essence is to believe that He is.	Denying self: acknowledging man’s lack and temporariness, ceasing to be self-centered, and allowing Him to be everything. Faith naturally leads to self-denial.
Fundamental Distinction	Focuses on God’s existence and sovereignty; faith rests on the certainty that “He is.”	Focuses on man’s deficiency and crucifixion (“It is no longer I”); self-denial is the outcome and action of faith.
Examples	— Enoch was taken up by faith (Heb. 11:5); a God-centered spiritual walk. — Moses faced God’s name: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exo. 3:14).	— Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ… it is no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). — Jesus: “Deny himself and take up his cross” (Luke 9:23).
Practical Application	— In prayer and Bible reading, first acknowledge God’s “is.” Seek His will rather than relying on self. — In daily matters (shopping, marriage, work, service), use “He is” to test actions.	— Practice self-denial: ask “Is it me or Him?” and accept the reality of being crucified. — In relationships (marriage, service), lay aside self-glory and let Christ work and love through you.
Spiritual Result / Effect	— Brings God’s pleasure (Heb. 11:6); faith joins man to God, making Him the only reality. — Produces stability by anchoring hope in the eternal “is.”	— True freedom and unity (“It is no longer I, but Christ”); not limited by self in trials. — Purification and maturity in personal life and relationships (marriage, service).
Relation to Eternity	Only “I AM WHO I AM” is eternal and unchanging. All things are temporary; men and things will not last (2 Cor. 4:18; John 3:15–16).	Man’s temporariness drives self-denial. Realizing “I am not” sets hope in Christ’s eternal reality.
Key Scriptures (Expanded)	Exodus 3:14 “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.”’” Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” John 3:15–16 “That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”	Luke 9:23 “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

 

Core Point:

Faith has two inseparable sides: to believe that God is (the eternal, unchanging “I AM”), and to acknowledge I am not (denying self and ceasing from self-effort). True faith both exalts God and nullifies self.

Conclusion:

Only God truly is — the eternal “I AM.” Man, the world, and all visible things are temporary and fading. To believe “God is” means to rest in His reality and sovereignty; to confess “I am not” means to deny self and allow Christ to live in us. Together, this is the essence of biblical faith that pleases God.

 

*Please refer to the June 2025 Summer Training, General Topic: Experiencing, Enjoying, and Manifesting Christ (Part 3), Chapter 8: Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith

The Proper Way of Preaching the Gospel

 

The Proper Way of Preaching the Gospel

Heb. 11:1 – “Now faith is the substantiation of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

2 Cor. 4:13 – “I believed, therefore I spoke…we also believe, therefore we also speak.”

1 Peter 1:8 Although you have not seen Him, you love Him. Even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 

Item	The Proper Way of Preaching the Gospel
Meaning	- Proper gospel preaching is not persuading people with human logic but releasing the divine element received from the Lord. - The gospel is a transmission of life, like a heavenly current, injecting Christ’s faith into the hearers. - Faith is not man’s invention but Christ Himself as the precious faith infused into us (2 Pet. 1:1).
Method	1. Receive from the Lord first: Before speaking, be infused with the divine element. 2. Much prayer: Both the church and preachers must pray abundantly to be filled with God. 3. Attraction: The preacher must first be attracted by Christ to attract others. 4. Ministry of the word: Release the divine element rather than mere reasoning. 5. Spirit of faith: Speak by the spirit of faith (2 Cor. 4:13), allowing Christ’s faith to be infused into others.
Effect	- Hearers may outwardly disagree, yet inwardly touched by the divine current. - Faith will rise up within them as an unremovable element. - Even in weakness or denial (e.g., Peter), faith remains and leads to restoration. - The true result is people being filled with Christ, not merely convinced of a doctrine.
Examples	- Peter’s denial: Though he denied Christ three times, the Lord’s prayer preserved his faith (Luke 22:32, 61). - Personal experiences: Some reject outwardly yet inwardly cannot escape Christ until they confess Him as Savior. - Acts 2: Peter’s preaching at Pentecost caused people to be “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37).
Application	- Personally touch the Lord and be filled before preaching. - The church must pray much for gospel meetings to be attractive. - When ministering the word, release Christ, not arguments. - Trust that God Himself works by infusing faith into people. - In weakness, rely on Christ’s own faith as our living faith (Gal. 2:20).
Relevant Scriptures	- Heb. 11:1 – “Now faith is the substantiation of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” - 2 Cor. 4:13 – “I believed, therefore I spoke…we also believe, therefore we also speak.” - Luke 22:32 – “But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” - Luke 22:61 – “The Lord turned and looked at Peter…” - 2 Pet. 1:1 – “…to those who have received equally precious faith with us…” - Gal. 2:20 – “…the life which I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the Son of God.” - Acts 2:37 – “When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart…”

 

Key Points: 

l   Faith is Christ Himself infused into man as the precious faith.

l   Preaching requires much prayer and being filled with the divine element.

l   The gospel is a transmission of life, like a heavenly current.

l   Listeners may outwardly resist yet inwardly be attracted.

 

Conclusion: 

True gospel preaching is not by eloquence but by Christ’s faith and divine infusion, imparting an unremovable faith that brings people to Christ.

 

 *Please refer to the June 2025 Summer Training, General Topic: Experiencing, Enjoying, and Manifesting Christ (Part 3), Chapter 8: Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith

Jesus as the Author of Faith vs. Jesus as the Perfecter of Faith

 

Jesus as the Author of Faith vs. Jesus as the Perfecter of Faith

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

2 Timothy 4:7–8: “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day...” 

Category	Jesus as the Author of Faith	Jesus as the Perfecter of Faith
Theme	Christ initiates faith in us	Christ completes and perfects faith in us
Meaning	Jesus is the origin and source of our faith; without Him, faith cannot begin.	Jesus brings our faith to maturity and completion, leading us to glory.
Key Point	The beginning of faith comes from Christ’s work on the cross and His Spirit’s operation in us.	The finishing of faith is Christ’s continual supply, endurance, and ultimate perfection in believers.
Reason	Faith is not from human effort but is authored by Christ (Heb. 12:2a).	Faith needs to be perfected because believers are still being transformed until Christ’s return (Phil. 1:6).
Method	- By hearing the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17). - By receiving Christ as life (Gal. 2:20). - By new birth through the Spirit (John 3:5–6).	- By Christ’s intercession as High Priest (Heb. 7:25). - By His example of endurance (Heb. 12:2–3). - By His Spirit’s inward perfecting work (2 Cor. 3:18).
Example	- Abraham believed God’s promise; faith was authored in him (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:20–21). - The disciples followed Jesus at His call (Matt. 4:19–20).	- Paul testifies that Christ will finish the good work (Phil. 1:6). - The race imagery: finishing depends on Christ’s enabling (2 Tim. 4:7–8).
Application	- Depend on Christ as the source of faith daily. - Do not rely on self-effort but on His initiation.	- Trust Christ to bring faith to maturity. - Persevere, knowing He will complete what He began.
Related Scriptures (Expanded)	- Hebrews 12:2a: “Looking away unto Jesus, the author... of our faith.” - Romans 10:17: “So faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” - Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” - John 3:5–6: “Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”	- Hebrews 12:2b–3: “...and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such contradiction by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary, fainting in your souls.” - Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who began in you a good work will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” - 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.”

  

Conclusion: 

l   Jesus as Author shows that all faith originates in Him.

l   Jesus as Perfecter shows that the same faith will be brought to full completion in Him. Together, He is both the beginning and the end of the believer’s faith journey.

 

*Please refer to the June 2025 Summer Training, General Topic: Experiencing, Enjoying, and Manifesting Christ (Part 3), Chapter 8: Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith