³ And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness did not comprehend it. Man is filled with darkness that chains down the light of Christ, which is in every man that comes into the world. John 1:9. The light shines in the darkness to try to reason with us, but man does not understand that it is Christ within us, gently trying to show us a better way — with no threats, with no coercion — just gentle reasoning in hope that we will respond to the truth and depart from evil. Men do not understand this gentle persuasion; men have not even been taught by religion to expect to be reasoned with occasionally in their lives. So men do not comprehend what the light is, and they ignore its gentle counsel. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:4-5. When men die and are judged, those words of anonymous reasoning from the light of Christ they ignored will be remembered, and men will be judged by those words, John 12:47-48; and they will be ashamed they ignored the gentle pleadings of their loving creator.

Every man starts in spiritual darkness, walking in darkness, without the guidance of God's light. The light shines in the darkness, exposing our sins. After obedient repentance and after many revelations of hearing His word within our hearts, God causes his light to shine out of darkness to give us the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. George Fox explains this light further in his writing The Light Explained:

This the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the world, which light shines in darkness, and darkness knows it not.

Now mark, it is there. What? Does it shine in darkness, and yet darkness does not comprehend it? Is this not the state in which the world did not know him, and the Pharisees did not know him, though the Kingdom of heaven was within them, Luke 17:21. And light shined in darkness, and darkness comprehended it not; here is the unconverted state. So he came to his own, and his own received him not; light shines in darkness, and darkness comprehends it not. For once you were darkness said the Apostle, Eph 5:8. but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light. Now mark, there was a time of darkness, but now they were light in the Lord. Now here were the converted and the unconverted. These were to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. The light shines in darkness, though darkness does not comprehend it, and you were at sometime darkness, and light shines in darkness, and darkness does not comprehend it; this defines the unconverted state, and the converted estate.

God has commanded light to shine out of darkness, and has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now mark, here is light that shines out of darkness. God had commanded it to shine out of darkness. What? Was it not there before? Now it has come forth; before it was in darkness, light shined in darkness, and God has commanded it to shine out of darkness, and before you were darkness, but [now] are the light of the Lord, which light that shines in the heart, gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God; here is the converted state. Now while light shines in darkness, and darkness does not comprehend it, there is the unconverted state, 2 Cor 4:4-6, John 1:5.

The apostle was sent to turn people from the darkness to the light, from the power of Satan to God. Now this was the state of preaching to them while they were in darkness, whom the God of the world had blinded their eyes. They preached so that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine in them. Mark, shine in them. Therefore the god of the world has blinded the eye of the mind, and to such the Gospel is hidden. For darkness cannot comprehend the light, while the god of the world has blinded your minds. Therefore the Apostle was sent to turn them from darkness to the light, light shines in darkness. So the god of the world has blinded them, lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine in them. Now where it shines in the heart, it gives the knowledge of the glory of God, where it comes forth. And where it shines in darkness, and darkness comprehends it not, there is the god of the world that has blinded the mind, and to such the Gospel is hidden, which is the power of God; and the light of the glorious Gospel is not comprehended, which is the image of God; and it does not shine in them, to give them the light of the knowledge of God. Now as such are turned to the light, the eye comes to be opened, and from the darkness these come; and these come from the power of Satan, the god of the world, that has blinded their eye, that the light of the glorious Gospel shines in them, to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. To such the Gospel is not hidden, by the manifestation of the Truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. Now here is the state not turned from the darkness to the light, and their eye is not opened; then the god of the world has blinded them. Such are in the unconverted state. To the unconverted, the Gospel is hidden, though light shines in darkness, and the god of the world blinds their minds. So this is the time those, who are darkness, are not yet turned from the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend the light. Now where God has commanded the light to shine out of darkness; (mark, out of darkness), such come to be turned from the darkness to the light, such witness conversion, and the image of God shines in them.

George Fox further wrote, "Thirty minutes in the light is worth a lifetime."

The darkness of Christendom does not comprehend or explain the light. Christendom does not understand anything about the light; none of the wicked shall understand. Dan 12:10

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