A Simple Commentary - John 1:9
That
was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. The
true Light is referenced in our subject verse. There are many lights in the
world, this is the true Light; Light here is another name of Our Lord Jesus
Christ. As the true Light our Lord came into the world to declare or reveal the
Father, verse 18. The three persons of the Holy Trinity are one God. (John
10:30 with I John 5:7) Therefore the Son, eternally “in the bosom of the
Father” and one with the Father in all counsels, decrees, covenants, and other
matters of absolute sovereign will and equal in essence, power, and glory with
the Father, and who is also a man; is uniquely able and sent to declare or
reveal God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The true Light, lighteth every man.
The light, which is from the true Light;
“shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” verse 5. The
objective light, shining out in this world from the true Light, is not
subjectively received in the heart of the unregenerate (the darkness). How then
can it be true that the true Light, lighteth every man? By every man, in this
verse the writer understands, that set of rational creatures of Adams race. These have light from the true Light. First,
there is the light of creation; (Romans 1:19-23) “Because that which may known
of God is manifest in them; (or to them) for God hath shewed it unto them. 20. For the invisible
things of him (the invisible things of God) from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, (by the things that
are made is meant the race of men) even his eternal power and God Head; so that
they are without excuse: 21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened. 22. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools, 23. And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.
There is also the light of natural
conscience; (Romans 2:11-15) this light is also from the true Light. “For there
is no respect of persons with God”. 12. For as many as have sinned without law
(the gentiles) shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the
law (the Jews) shall be judged by the law; 13. (For not the hearers of the law
are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14. For when
the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the contained in the law,
these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15. Which shew the work
of the law written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing them witness,
and their thoughts the mean while
accusing or else excusing one another;)
There is also the light of reason,
which is from the true Light. Hebrews 3:4 “ For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is
God. This light was given to be exercised on the light of creation mentioned
above. The light of reason is that light which renders man without excuse. For
the invisible things of God, (which invisible things are his eternal power and
Godhead) are clearly seen by men and are understood by the faculty of natural
reason; every house is built by some, but he that built all things is God. Man
is able by the faculty of reason to understand that God, his creator, is of infinite
power, eternity, and wisdom, and therefore is to be worshipped as creator and
God, but man holds that truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) that is natural
man desires to suppress the truth, which natural reason sets before him and
does not “like to retain God in their knowledge” and because of that “God gave
them over to a reprobate mind” or to a mind that is void of judgment (Romans
1:28). For “this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and
men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John
3:19).
Every man, (the writer understands
this term to be every rational and intelligent descendant of Adam); is made
responsible before God by the light that is afforded him as mentioned above. However,
it is true, that man’s responsibility does not indicate that man is able to
perform that for which he is responsible. The first man, as created, was in
himself able to fulfill his responsibility, but in his fall man lost that
ability, yet he remains responsible, (Genesis 6:5; 8:21)
Our Lord Jesus Christ said “that no
man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (John 6:65).
The reason that no man can come to Christ, or receive the light, is because of
an extreme perversity of the will of man brought on by our fall in Adam. The
Jews, the Apostles, the Prophets, were all men of like passions as we have,
Acts 14:15 James 5:17. The truths spoken to those men are generally true of all
the race. Our Lord said to the Jews “And ye will not come to me, that ye might
have life”(John 5:40). This is true of all men by nature; because of the
corruption of nature received in the fall. Men by nature cannot come to Christ,
because they will not come to Christ. The will of natural man is to will not,
to come to Christ. Mans will is subject to his fallen and ruined nature, and
the ruined nature of natural men has sin as a ruling principle, the ruling
principle of sin is manifest in this “Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God: for it is not subject to the law of God neither in deed can be) Romans
8:7. see also I Corinthians 2:14; Jeremiah 6:16,17, a host of other verses to
this purpose can be found in the scripture.
The invitation of the gospel
however is, whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely. How
then can that invitation be legitimate? Since no son or daughter of Adam can be
willing of his or her own self. The answer to this question is found in Psalms
110:3 “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,”.
Thy people; that is, those given an
interest in Christ before the foundation of the world; Ephesians 1:1-14; II
Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 1:9; Romans 8:29-39; I Thessalonians 5:9; Psalms
65:4; Isaiah 54:13; John 6:45, and a host of others.
Shall be willing, that is his
people shall be made willing by the infusion of a new principle of spiritual
life, that is they are given a new nature. The new nature is called the divine
nature in II Peter 1:4. It is not that men are given the essential nature of
God. Men are not made omnipresent, or omnipotent, or omniscient, men are not
given nor are they able to receive the essential properties of God. The new
nature consists in new inclinations, new aspirations, and a new bent of life to
that which is in a reverential awe, and respect of God, called in scripture the
fear of God, (Jeremiah 32:38-42; 31:31-34), (Ezekiel 36:25-27). The stony
heart, that is the stubborn heart that wills, to will not, is removed and a new
heart is given to the children of God in the new birth. This work of the Spirit
of God makes his people willing and obedient. Though the inward principle of
sin is not entirely removed, but weakened so that it is no longer the ruling
principle, (Romans 7:23)
Reader are you willing to come to
Jesus Christ for all of salvation, to be pardoned by his shed blood, justified
by his righteousness, clothed in his garment of salvation? Yours is not to determine
the eternal decree of God concerning you as to election but yours is to come to
Jesus Christ when you are made willing. For that is the day in which his power is applied to you; for all who are willing are
made so by the Spirit of the Living God. The will to come to Christ for all
salvation is the operation of his Spirit, it is the gift of God. The will to
come to Jesus Christ for all salvation is “not of blood” (that is, it is not
because of your blood line or family tree) “nor of the will of the flesh” (that
which we are in ourselves) “nor of the will of man” (whose carnal mind is
enmity against God, Romans 8:7) “but of God” [John 1:13](that is of the will of
God) who purchased salvation for his elect by the blood of his well beloved
Son.
The gospel invitation is whosoever
will let him come to Jesus Christ for life; but you may ask, how shall I come
to Christ? Come as you are, spiritually filthy with sin, to be washed in his
shed blood, guilty before God and confessing it, to be declared perfectly righteous
in the sight of God because of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to your
account through faith in his shed blood. Come to Christ empty of merit, or of
anything that you think should recommend you to God, trust the Lord Jesus
Christ with your eternal standing before God, he is worthy, and saves to the
uttermost all that come to God by him. But the fact is, that if you truly
desire to come to and to close with Christ, Dear Reader, you are already found
and apprehended of the Lord Christ, Philippians 3:12.
A.J.Ison
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