The practicality of Christianity—in being credited with the righteousness of Christ—teaches us to humbly acknowledge our need for continued character development by the power of His Spirit.

These things, in the context of our opening verse, show the world in a state of darkness, in great need of the Spirit of God to move upon it.

God’s sovereignty over all was well-emphasized in Hebrew culture: all things that come, good and bad, are from God. They were taught of His love and desire to bless, His encouragement to be obedient, and also the connection between disobedience and calamity.

The sun, moon, and stars are rich with symbolism. They represent the people of God shining for Him in a dark world.

Like the growing concentric circles from a pebble tossed in a lake, multitudes departed from the apostolic gospel. Bible teachings were perverted. Tradition and scholastic teachings led to corrupted doctrines.

God wants to save everyone, but people render themselves vulnerable to deceptions if they reject a teaching from the Lord, as this opens the door to a counterfeit teaching.