From Darkness into Light - which is God

From Darkness into Light -  which is God

What we find without God is a world of darkness that is never cleared away from the sinfulness of man.  Even when a sinner repents he finds that somewhere deep inside there still appears as though something has corrupted the ability to get beyond the absolution.  What anyone may feel when the temptation to sin again becomes too difficult to ignore is like walking in the sunlight and suddenly the clouds of pleasure or a need to reach back to the old sin becomes the easy feeling without being obedient to righteousness.  

Don’t get me wrong; when we turn away from sin and seek the forgiveness of God he hears us, forgives each one and does not remember the reason we confessed.  However, as with the temptation for a child to open the cookie jar after being told to wait until the parents say it's ok to grab a cookie or two.  That’s the scenario for each of us to allow sin to open the path back to what enticed us in the first place.  

A solid bit of advice that all of us need to listen to is to stay away from whatever tempts us so as not to reach into the cookie jar that holds the very desires that encompassed our desires.  Then   it continues to stand before us like there is nothing better than partaking what holds our attention and seems to call our name every moment we avoid removing the pleasure we think we must have.

None of us is so strong spiritually that once we are forgiven our boldness says, “Now you are clean of whatever was wrong that sent you to confession; don’t worry you are free of your weakness.”  That attitude will become the one piece of timber thrown into the fireplace and start the fire all over again.  Saints know that is just what traps us to succumb to temptation; not to ignore the need to avoid sin, but to stay clear when our weaknesses may erase any glory that is the remedy for our souls.  

We’re all familiar with the parable regarding the woman caught in adultery.  Of course the charge by the Pharisees was to trap Jesus in saying something to accuse him of false teaching.  However, after telling the men who were ready to stone her to death that the ones without sin may cast the first stone.  After each one dropped their stone and walked away Jeus asked the woman, “”Has no one condemned you?”  She replied, “No one, sir.”  Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.  Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”  (Jn 8: 10 - 11).  

It is in this short phrase that applies to each person who is forgiven and mandated to not to sin anymore.  Let the Light shine in our life; Find the Light that is God that will never grow dim and wipe away the darkness of sin forever.

Ralph B. Hathaway