First Things First Week 1: A Deep Dive into 1 John 1:5: “Called to Walk in the Light”
Have you ever wondered what it means to walk in the light? How does God’s light affect our lives and relationships? What are the dangers of walking in darkness? In this blog post, we will explore these questions and more, based on the verse 1 John 1:5, which says:
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”
This verse is part of a letter that the apostle John wrote to the churches in Asia Minor, where false teachers spread lies about Jesus. John wanted to reassure his readers that they had eternal life in Jesus and could know God personally.
One of the main themes of 1 John is that God is light, which means that he is holy, pure, righteous, and genuine. As the source of true light, God reveals himself to us and shows us how to live by exposing our sins and calling us to repentance.
But what is darkness? Darkness is not just the absence of light; it is a powerful force that opposes God and his purposes. A spiritual reality influences our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It is a moral condition that affects our relationship with God and others.
The Bible tells us that darkness has many forms and manifestations. It can be seen in:
– the lies and errors of false teachers who deny the truth about Jesus.
– the rebellion and disobedience of those who reject God’s commands.
– the hatred and violence of those who harm their neighbors.
– the greed and lust of those who love the world more than God.
– the pride and hypocrisy of those who claim to know God but do not live according to his will.
Darkness is not only something out there in the world. It is also something in here, in our hearts. We all have a sinful nature that is corrupted by darkness. We all have a tendency to do what is wrong and evil. We all need forgiveness and cleansing.
We cannot have fellowship with God or others if we walk in darkness. Fellowship means having a close, intimate, and loving relationship with someone. It means sharing life together in honesty, trust, and joy. It means caring for one another and supporting one another.
We can only walk in the light by confessing our sins to God and receiving his forgiveness through Jesus Christ. When we do this, we are cleansed from all unrighteousness and restored to fellowship with God and others. We must also walk in the light by obeying God’s commands and living according to his will. When we do this, we are pleasing to God and fruitful in our service.
Walking in the light also means loving one another as God has loved us. Love is the ultimate expression of light because God is love. Love covers a multitude of sins and builds up one another. Love does not harm or hate but helps and heals. Love does not envy or boast but rejoices and humbles. Love does not insist on its own way or keep a record of wrongs but bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
Walking in the light is not easy or natural. It requires constant dependence on God’s grace and power. It requires daily repentance and renewal. It requires constant vigilance and resistance against the temptations of darkness. But walking in the light is worth it because it brings us closer to God and others. It brings us joy and peace, glory and reward.
So let us walk in the light as He is in the light, knowing that He who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light will never leave us nor forsake us.