People of Light
1 John 1:5-7 (NIV) 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin.
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night after a storm knocked out your power? The darkness is disorienting. You stumble around the room, hands extended, trying to find your phone or a flashlight, anything that might allow you to shine a little light.
As small as a phone’s flashlight is, that’s all it takes to overpower the darkness of a pitch-black room.
While he doesn’t name himself, we’re confident this letter was written by Jesus’ disciple, John. He was leading churches in the city of Ephesus on the coast of modern-day Turkey. We don’t know all of the details, but it’s clear from the letter that some people
were causing trouble in these churches by teaching things about Jesus that weren’t true. John is writing to set things straight.
He begins by reminding his church, and us, that God is light. That metaphor is used throughout the Bible to describe God. He is pure. God is holy. There is no darkness at all in God. No sin. No hint of evil. No injustice. He is perfect.
The troublemakers claimed to be with God, but were walking in darkness. One scholar translated verse 6 as, “living habitually in darkness.” It’s the choice to not follow God, but do your own thing, i.e., sin. The word “walk” in verse 6 is a present tense word, which
means it’s a continuous process. You can’t continue in darkness and remain connected to God.
There is hope!
John wrote that if we walk (continuously) in the light, meaning following God, we will have a relationship with Him, and Jesus will forgive us. We will be clean. God loves you, and he wants to have a relationship with you. He wants to forgive you. God isn’t “out to get you.” God is “out to save you.” His door is open. His love is real.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I am grateful that we can find no darkness within You. You are good and pure. But You are also kind and loving. Thank You for forgiving us, and for making a way for your imperfect creation to be made pure. Amen.