Children Of The Light

Children Of The Light The struggle of the children of the light versus the children of darkness has been played out time and time again in popular culture. In the books of The Lord of The Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote of twisted creatures such as orcs, goblins, and trolls, who come out at night and shun the light of day; in some cases even being killed by the light. In the books of Terry Goodkind, the enemy are called the children of the dark and serve the keeper, while the good are the children of the light and serve the creator. Sound familiar? Of course, what may be the most famous appearance of this struggle, comes to us from George Lucas and his Star Wars movies. The Jedi are a chosen people who are born with special gifts to help in the eternal struggle against the forces of evil. Their enemies are the Sith who get their power from the "Dark Side" of the force. Again, it's the struggle of good versus evil, light versus dark. This comes not from the minds of modern fantasy authors, but from the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world and we as Christians are the children of the light. Here are a few scriptures detailing this. Acts 26:17 - 18 I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. Thessalonians 5:4-5 But you beloved are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are children of light and of the day; we are not of night or of darkness. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal preisthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them saying, " I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." 2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:8-9 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. I came up with this lesson for two reasons. First of all; to remind us that we are children of the light because we do have knowledge of the Lord our God through the teachings of his son Jesus Christ. Second, many christians are quick to judge and put down the books and movies I mentioned as evil and glorifications of witchcraft and wizardry. That's not their purpose at all. They are presenting the eternal struggle of good versus evil; light versus dark, in a form that is easy for people to understand and and to put their hearts into. They are continuing the teachings of our Lord without anyone even realizing it. In closing, just remember; you are a follower of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You are Children of the Light. Pete 1-7-09