2 Corinthians 4:6

‘Seeing it is God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness”, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.'

And what has brought them to such ‘slavery'? Why should they delight in being slaves to God? It is because of the fact that the great Creator who once said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness', has shone in their hearts to give ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' This links what they have experienced with God's purposes in creation (Genesis 1:2), with the coming King (Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 9:6), with the covenant (Isaiah 42:6) and with world salvation (Isaiah 49:6).

And those who see that light no longer cry that it may be veiled. As they look at the face of Jesus Christ (as once Israel looked on the glory on Moses' face) they see there the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, a knowledge that far surpasses all other knowledge, and their hearts are won for ever. They see God and their hearts are totally captured. And they go on and on looking at Him in worship and adoration.

‘Light shall shine out of darkness.' This is not a direct quote from Genesis 1:3, although that must be seen as in the background. It is indeed not a direct quote at all, but a summing up of what God has revealed in His word. We may consider for example Isaiah 9:2, ‘the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light', the light of the coming royal child of Isaiah 9:6; or Isaiah 42:6 where God's coming Servant is to be ‘for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles' who are in darkness; or Isaiah 49:6 where the Servant is again to be ‘for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be My salvation to the end of the earth'. This is the light which God causes to shine out of darkness.

‘The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' Herein is the Gospel, that men are so changed by the work of God within that they gaze on His glory revealed in the face of Jesus Christ. Others may speak of their spiritual experiences, even of their spiritual manifestation, but if they do not lead to this they are nothing. To be truly saved is to be taken up with Christ as true God and true man, and to recognise that the fullness of God is revealed in Him. He is the image of the invisible God, and all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him in bodily form (Colossians 1:15; Colossians 2:9).