We men love to think of ourselves as light-seekers, brave souls on the noble quest for the naked truth. But in Jesus, the Truth (John 14:6) gives us a hard dose of the naked truth to wake us from our fantasies: “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19).

Our noble quest is put to the test when the Truth seeks us out. It turns out that we do not seek true light. What we seek is glory, pleasure, and worship for ourselves (John 5:44; 2 Timothy 3:4). Created as moons we seek to be suns and our foolish minds are darkened (Romans 1:21). And if the light that is in us is darkness, how great is our darkness (Matthew 6:23)! As the real Light shines, the naked truth about us is exposed and we flee to the darkness to conceal our evil.

But here is the astounding, wonderful news for us dark-dwellers: The Light is love (1 John 4:8)! The Light is shining to save us, not condemn us (John 3:17)! Jesus, the Light of the world, does not want us to remain in darkness but to have the light of life (John 8:12). He came to deliver us from the domain of darkness and transfer us to his kingdom of undying light (Colossians 1:13). He came to become the darkness of our sin for us so that in him we might become the light of God’s perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). He came that we might live unashamed in the light.

Are there things you are concealing in the darkness, afraid to expose to the light? Do you fear God’s condemnation? Do you fear the collapse of the reputation you have crafted?

Do not be afraid. Let Jesus’s perfect love for you cast out your fear (1 John 4:18). His word to you is this: “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46). Jesus offers you complete forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9) and eternal life (John 3:16). All darkness offers you is destruction.

Come to the Light and really live.