No darkness at all exists in Christ, our Lord.
Today we will dig deep into a few illuminating verses about God’s light.
Let’s start digging.
Scripture – 1 John 1:5-7
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 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 cleanses us from all sin.
ESV
Observation
John makes it very clear that what he is about to share did not originate from him.
He is passing on what he heard himself, making it very credible.
This is not a chinese-telephone scenario.
He, along with others heard this message and thus is passing on truth.
The truth: “God is light”
This proclamation represents the absolute and incorruptible nature of God’s holiness.
Light here represents His character.
He is the light that is essentially indescribable, uncontained and from whom all life sustains.
“and in Him is no darkness at all”
One can be immersed in total darkness, and we all experience this at some point.
In the physical sense, we know that the very presence of light, cancels out the absoluteness of darkness. But even the smallest flicker of it renders darkness ‘incomplete’.
Light by it’s own definition means no darkness at all.
“LIGHT is the purest, the most subtle, the most useful, and the most diffusive of all God’s creatures; it is, therefore, a very proper emblem of the purity, perfection, and goodness of the Divine nature.”
Adam Clark 1835
On a spiritual level, we who have experienced darkness understand the immeasurable value of light since it frees us from despair.
The truth John exposes us to here then is that, God being light, is holy and perfect.
The light of God is the essential cure for the downcast soul.
That there is no darkness in God isn’t something debatable for the believer.
He simply cannot exist in but rather devastates darkness.
Darkness cannot touch or alter Him but He can alter/transform and obliterate it.
And our need for Him to do this can never be overstated.
Those who walk in darkness
1John 1:6 speaks to the truth that everyone one of us, believers and non-believers alike are free to determine which path to walk on.
Some may trod the dark path in ignorance or by stubborn choice.
And, even those who have chosen the path of salvation, can veer off onto the path of darkness.
Their salvation can still be intact but their fellowship with God is clearly compromised during these periods.
John speaks plainly about the implication here. We cannot pursue fellowship with Christ and knowingly continue in sin.
You see, when we allow the light of God to come in and transform us, the Holy Spirit convicts us (believers) unto righteousness. [See John 16:8]
We lose the appetite for things of the flesh that was once there.
That therefore means that if we see ourselves still being a slave to any particular sin, we must acknowledge that we are lying to ourselves about the pursuit of fellowship.
Walking with God in fellowship doesn’t mean we are elevated to a level of absolute perfection.
It doesn’t mean we never ever sin but it does mean we do not live in sin.
A porn star for example, cannot claim fellowship with Christ as his/her current reality.
That would be a clear lie even if fellowship is an ultimate goal.
A worship leader on the other hand, can be in fellowship with God and speak dishonestly or commit whatever other infrequent sin.
This misstep doesn’t diminish his/her fellowship but rather, be an indication to them to abide.
Fellowship is fundamental for a few reasons:
- it keeps us accountable
- makes us grow in spiritual maturity
- allows us to glean more about Christ
- activates the promises of God here on earth
- leads us into holiness
No Darkness
“But if we walk in the light” – Paul essentially clues us in to the truth that fellowship is the cure for escaping darkness.
So those walking in darkness need only to choose to surrender to God’s light.
And true pursuit of Him, true fellowship of Him comes from seeking Him (See Matthew 6:33) daily.
You see, some believers stumble into seasons of darkness perhaps because, while they seek the blessings of Christ, they fail to seek the Blesser.
When we seek Christ, that is, to truly seek the person of Christ, His light enters and again, where the light of Christ enters, darkness has no place.
Every one of us must crave the person of Christ more than we crave the things of the flesh.
It is here now, while we live, that we must purpose to move towards the Light.
Fellowship with one another
When we walk in the light, we ought to naturally find ourselves in fellowship with other people.
Mending and maintaining good relationships matter.
Harboring unforgiveness compromises this.
When we choose to let unforgiveness stain our relationships, we are essentially choosing to remain in darkness.
This is why we need to ask the Holy Spirit to teach us how to be un-offendable.
Walking with Jesus will propel us to stay in the light.
His light enables us to let go and forgive.
Fellowship with Him manifests in us seeking peace with people.
It enables us to honor them whenever we can and to let go of perceived hurts.
Those in fellowship with Christ will love people well.
How well we are able to love and how quickly we forgive are excellent markers for those who are walking in the light.
Affirmation
I walk in the light with Christ and I release those who have wronged me from the burden of any unforgiveness.
I live free of that burden myself as I abide and bask in the light of my Lord and Savior
SAY OUT LOUD
Prayer
Yahweh, You are Love and You are Light. Thank You for sending Jesus to be the light of the world. Thank You too for Your Word which is a lamp for my feet, enabling me to walk in Your Light. Holy Spirit, create in me a clean heart I pray. Uproot all semblance of unforgiveness in me so there is no chance for the enemy to bring darkness into my life. Help me to exude the light of Christ and to love people well. Make me delight in serving and adding value to the lives of those around me. Empower me I pray to plant seeds of love and influence people to see the awe in You. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
Song Choice
Today we will let the wedded Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes minister us in this beautiful song.
Let us let His Light in as we worship.
Enjoy