All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. ”
John 3:20-21 NLT
“All who do evil…”
Now we know that man is not without sin (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 53:6, 1 John 1:8, Romans 5:12), and that this is not to say simply that there are those who are born good and those who are born evil from their mother’s womb (Psalm 51:5, Psalm 58:3, Ephesians 2:3, Romans 7:18). So this is not speaking of a certain people versus another in a physical sense or a genetic sense or of a certain lineage of peoples, but of a position of a man’s life in relation to God and God’s will (Galatians 5:17, Ecclesiastes 7:20).
See SINFUL NATURE
https://www.openbible.info/topics/sinful_nature
Even psychologists understand this underlying issue “within us”, that they might talk about in terms of “impulse control”, etc
Related Story: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201509/the-story-sin
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/self-control
“hate the light and refuse to go near it”
To be in darkness and to hate the light is a “familiar” place for mankind (1 John 1:5-7, John 11:10) — we each either are currently there or have been there before (Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:13, Acts 26:18) — because of the influence of sin (Ephesians 6:12, Mark 7:20-23) we have at times chosen to follow our selfish and sinful desires instead of what is good (James 4:17, 1 John 3:4-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Joshua 24:15)
See CHOICE, WILL
https://www.openbible.info/topics/choice
https://www.openbible.info/topics/free_will
Related Story:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choice
“for fear their sins will be exposed.”
Our sin is already known and seen by God (Psalm 90:8, 1 John 3:20, Isaiah 46:9-10), so this doesn’t speak of men hoping to hide their sins from God ( Isaiah 29:15), or of them fearing God ( Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 8:13), but fearing that others might know their sinful desires ( Matthew 10:28, Acts 5:29, Matthew 6:1-34). Confession to one another is a fearful thing to men who either A) only care about their reputation amongst men or B) are condemned by their own guilt and shame.
See PRIDE, SHAME, FEAR, HIDDEN
https://www.openbible.info/topics/pride
https://www.openbible.info/topics/shame
https://www.openbible.info/topics/hidden
Related story:
https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/a-dead-womans-secret
“But those who do what is right come into the light”
This does not say “those who do what is right get to then come into the light”, which would be a false, works based perspective ( Ephesians 2:8-9) — but it says as one continuous thought and identifier which is more along the lines of “those doing right are in the light” and “those in the light do right”.
See LIGHT, REDEEMED
https://www.openbible.info/topics/light
https://www.openbible.info/topics/redeemed
Related story:
“so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
The purpose of doing what God wants? Your calling and purpose as a Christian? For others to see — not see you so much, as to see what God is doing with you, in you, through you. To be a living testimony.
See TESTIMONY, SERVICE
https://www.openbible.info/topics/testimony
https://www.openbible.info/topics/service
Now knowing this, and believing this Word of God as truth — what should this mean for me today?
How should this apply to my daily life?
How should it impact my life, my faith, my testimony, my ministry, my love for God and for others?
Harold J. Ballinger 