God is spiritual and invisible. He exists in a realm which is generally beyond the capacities of the five human senses. We struggle to comprehend the grand mystery of the eternal and unchanging state of God because we interpret existence from a physical and visible perspective, one defined by laws and properties. Here are just a few to consider:

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 1:3

The Pauli Principle (Impenetrability) – Two objects cannot occupy the same space. Easily understood when your toe meets an unmovable object.

The Law of Gravity – Every mass in the universe attracts other masses. Or, for us Earthlings, what goes up must come down.

The Law of Entropy – Systems naturally progress towards greater disorder over time. Have you looked in your closet or garage lately? All that clutter and disorganization is entropy. It takes work to overcome the law of entropy, and if you stop, it wins.

The Law of Time – Events occur in sequence and result in a framework of past, present, and future. This law is so basic to our understanding that it is nearly impossible for us to think outside of it.

The spiritual realm is not governed by these laws. This is why we struggle to comprehend it. We try, but our attempts fall short. This is why many theologians struggle with the concept of miracles – they defy explanation because they don’t fit into the limitations of our physical laws. Average Joe Christian struggles with faith for the same reason. Joe Atheist refuses to even consider the possibility of the spiritual realm, while rejecting the instincts and observable evidence that tell him otherwise. Rejecting instinct is a hard way to live.

To understand who we are, our true and complete identity, we must open our thinking to the spiritual realm. If we don’t, we will value the physical over the spiritual, and life on Earth will make little sense.

Jesus spoke definitively on this topic in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). His entire teaching is a declaration of the difference between the spiritual and the physical – and the full elevation of the spiritual over the physical. Jesus was aligning our priorities so we could experience life to the full (see John 10:10). Here is an excerpt of the sermon found in Matthew 6:19-24 (words in parentheses are mine):

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth (physical), where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal (entropy). But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven (spiritual), where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal (no entropy in heaven). For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy (seeing the spiritual), your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy (seeing only the physical), your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God (spiritual) and money (physical).

That last sentence is the kicker. Jesus saw first-hand the value we place on the physical world – and the money required to own it. He warns us that only one realm can have our full allegiance. We will either value and serve the spiritual or the physical. That’s it. You can’t serve both. If you try, you will be lukewarm. Jesus had strong words on that topic. See Revelation 3:14-22. As we discussed last week, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose spiritual life over physical life. They chose well.

Jesus connects light to making the right choice. If you prioritize the Spirit, you will be full of light. If you prioritize the physical, you will be full of darkness. This is important because we were made by the God of life to live in the light.

In the beginning of our story (Genesis 1:1), God spoke the physical realm into existence – the heavens and the earth. It was shrouded in darkness until God spoke the words, Let there be light. At that moment, the physical became visible.

This light emanated from God, the source of all light. The sun, moon, and stars had not yet been created. This was the glorious and unapproachable light of God (see 1 Timothy 6:11-16). It is the same light John describes as he speaks of the city of God in Revelation 21:23: The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

John declared: This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

Life and light. These are the first two attributes of our heavenly Father. Made in his likeness and image, they are foundational to our identity.

What defines you: life and light or death and darkness? Be honest. How long will you suffer under the weight of death and darkness? How long will you reject your true identity? The life and light of God’s grace is pulling on you right now. It’s time to walk in the light.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. I John 1:5-7