Children of Invariable Light

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17 KJV).

This writing was prompted by these wise words of Michael Scott Jr (in a Facebook post, gently edited), “Night is not a true state, because the sun never goes down.  Night is caused by the earth turning away from the sun.  Turning causes the illusion that the sun is no longer in the sky.  When you elevate out from the earth's atmosphere the sun is seen as ever present.  Your true spiritual state is being in the Light and one with the Light.  Don't allow the changing situations (revolving, turning) in everyday life make you think the Son has gone down.”

Mr. Scott’s words evoked this response from me: “Indeed, we are children of light—and about our Father—it is declared of Him that He is “the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17 KJV).  Thus, as His children, we also ought to reflect ‘no variableness, neither shadow of turning,’ but rather, be ‘steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 15:58)—something only possible when we are open and focused on the Son-Light of Jesus perpetually.  ‘Look unto me, and be ye saved’ (Isaiah 45:22) says the Lord always; other versions say ‘Turn to me.’  In other words, look and stay looking and turn and stay turned; stay fixed upon the Father of lights and be sunny always!”

Invariable (no variableness) means “never changing; constant,” and as God’s children, we are made in His image to project an unsullied reflection of Jesus Christ’s pure white Light (albeit framed by the thick—and even felt—darkness of our body of death that yet enwraps us and overwhelms us until that glorious day arrives when “mortal shall have put on immortality”—1 Corinthians 15:54 KJV).  Indeed, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory and majesty of God [clearly revealed] in the face of Christ.  But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.  We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed; always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown in our body.  For we who live are constantly [experiencing the threat of] being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced in our mortal body [which is subject to death]” (2 Corinthians 4:6-11 AMP).

If we understand that the word “evil” in Scripture simply means “bad,” as pertaining to the idea of decay or spoilage, maybe we can begin to understand what “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27) really means.  We all, until such a time as our “evil” decaying bodies are redeemed back to a state of decay-less immortality, are unclothed and therefore naked.  Thus our evil bodies are bodies broken down and out of their designed form; we were meant to emanate a luminosity of glory based on the accumulative effect of billions of cells in harmonious agreement with the Father of lights.  But now, man in decay only emanates darkness and chaos; because man’s glory is a dependent glory, man independent of God and His glory is left only to glory in his own shame (however much he is deluded into thinking his light is glorious).  “If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”— (Matthew 6:23)—is a remark Jesus made to those whose eyes were evil; all eyes not fixed on “The true Light, which lighteth every man” (John 1:9 KJV) is darkened (and therefore—if used in this darkened state to perceive truth and wisdom—whatever truth and wisdom arrived at is doubtless fallacious and delusional).  Many are those who overcome temptation, not by struggle and victory, but by placation and compromise; this creates an “earthly, sensual, [and] devilish” wisdom rather than a “pure...peaceable, gentle, [and] reasonable” wisdom from above that is “full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, [and] without hypocrisy” (James 3:15 KJV; 3:17 NASB). 

    

“Who among you is wise and intelligent [enlightened]?  Let him by his good conduct show his [good] deeds with the gentleness and humility of true wisdom.  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant, and [as a result] be in defiance of the truth.  This [superficial] wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly (secular), natural (unspiritual),even demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [unrest, rebellion] and every evil thing and morally degrading practice.  But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits.  It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals]” (James 3:13-18 AMP).

Regrettably, there are those who callus their conscience instead of tenderizing it and thereby dull their hearing instead of sharpening it.  By not obeying their conscience (and especially informed by the Word of God), and particularly to the extent that the pangs of guilt fade away, they make themselves apostate.  As we are so carefully admonished, “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.  But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ SO THAT NONE OF YOU WILL BE HARDENED BY THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN” (Hebrews 3:12-13 NASB).  Indeed, in deceitful delusion many continue in their service to God devoid of the Spirit; they think they are giving service to God when in fact they are merely glorying in their shame and making themselves God’s enemy rather than His friend.  Like Samson yesterday—after he slept in the lap of harlotry—and “wist not that the Lord was departed from him” (Judges 16:20), so, many of His unfaithful and sleeping children today are rousing themselves too late.  The Philistines (representing flesh) gouged out Samson’s eyes, bound him with bronze chains, and made him grind out grain in the prison-house.  Being overcome by flesh ultimately BLINDS US, BINDS US, AND GRINDS US, and in such a way that it happens almost imperceptibly right beneath our noses and certainly before our eyes (are removed from us).  The “deceitfulness of sin” apostatizes us in deepening layers of callousness until our tender conscience turns to stone.  In this astonished state (silent and unmoved as stone) one misses not only the near imperceptible still small voice of God speaking to them inside their conscience, but they also miss the significance of God’s creation being disturbed by the mere nearness of its Creator as He passes by it (though He is not IN the storm-winds, earthquakes, and fires, they are still indicators of His powerful and omnipresent existence).

“You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.  For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’  Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:8-17 NASB).

“Let me say this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot share in the Kingdom of God, nor can something that decays share in what does not decay.  Look, I will tell you a secret—not all of us will die!  But we will all be changed!  It will take but a moment, the blink of an eye, at the final shofar. For the shofar will sound, and the dead will be raised to live forever, and we too will be changed.  For this material which can decay must be clothed with imperishability, this which is mortal must be clothed with immortality.  When what decays puts on imperishability and what is mortal puts on immortality, then this passage in the Tanakh will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.  “Death, where is your victory?  Death, where is your sting?’  The sting of death is sin; and sin draws its power from the Torah; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah!  So, my dear brothers, stand firm and immovable, always doing the Lord’s work as vigorously as you can, knowing that united with the Lord your efforts are not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:50-58 CJB).

Indeed, only “united with the Lord” is our “efforts...not in vain.”  CHILDREN OF INVARIABLE LIGHT are only those “united with the Lord,” and only those thus “united with the Lord” are properly reoriented and transformed to the effect of emanating glory instead of shame.  It was to the lukewarm lazy Laodicean that the Lord said, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and THAT THE SHAME OF YOUR NAKEDNESS WILL NOT BE REVEALED [emphasis mine]; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:17-19 NASB).  And this scenario is epidemic today!  Too many are oblivious to their responsibility and duty; yes, salvation is free, but not in the normal sense of human reasoning.

A decree has issued forth from the lips of the Lord that “the soul who sins dies” (Ezekiel 18:20 ISV); another decree issued forth from the lips of the Lord is “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13 NIV).  Both decrees stand, and only seemingly in a diametrically opposed direction.  The solution is to violently take heaven by force rather than die in fear and resignation.  The prototype is seen in the book of Esther.  An inalterable decree went out that allowed anyone who hated Jews to kill them on a certain date; another inalterable decree went out later that allowed those same Jews to fight back and rather kill their haters.  The result: “On the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them” (Esther 9:1 NASB).  Satan thought he killed mankind at their inception (but a Lamb slain before the foundation of the world preempted that); nonetheless, in time, another Man came and reoriented mankind back to life.  CHILDREN OF INVARIABLE LIGHT cannot be stopped—even by the threat of death or death itself!  “NOW [emphasis mine] it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:11-12 KJV).