Living in God's Light
Living in the Light • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Light and Darkness in Scripture
Throughout Scripture, light is often contrasted with darkness and both terms are often used beyond their normal understanding in the physical realm to serve as symbolism for spiritual truths.
Light is Good and darkness is bad.
Light results in:
sight
understanding
peace
life
Darkness brings:
disorientation
confusion
fear
anxiety
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
life
13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
salvation
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
Word of God
23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
presence of God
23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.
wickedness
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,
judgment
21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.”
death
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Light is good
Gen 1 - did God use the idea of light to help communicate something (metaphor) or did he create light as constant communication?
There is always a danger in taking a metaphor used in scripture and either applying current understanding to it (example?- light as matter and wave?) or spinning it out further than the original authors intended (my word vs Gods Word)
With that said, Scripture uses the imagery of light quite often and with a survey of scriptures use of light, we can see the importance the concept of light and darkness had in the ANE and in first century.
We can also see how authors used the concept to teach truths about God and how we should live as believers.
For example,
1 John 1:5–10 (ESV)
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. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
John is probably writing against Gnosticism - which said the light of knowledge in each of us is what redeems us, not confession and repentance of sin. According to Gnosticism, evidence of being a person of light is having knowledge. According to John, the evidence of one who has the light is love for another and confession of sin — humility.
Letters of John God is Light (1:5)
The importance of this theological image for 1 John should not be missed. John seems to be appealing to a slogan used by his opponents, since in the next five verses he will cite them precisely. Among Gnostics light was a premier metaphor for God, for Gnosticism promoted a religion of mystic enlightenment
Grounding Truth: God is Light
Grounding Truth: God is Light
that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
God is the source of all light.
both creatively and morally
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
God is uniquely holy.
16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
God is ultimate over all darkness.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
God is the revealer
3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
To be exposed to God’s light - is that comforting, or frightening?
ILLUST - turning on the light first thing in the morning - seems awfully cruel; however, turning on a flashlight in the dark woods is comforting.
1 John 1:6 (ESV) — 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
indicates consistent walking in darkness
ILLUST - two hallways — believer walking in lighted hallway may occasionally stumble into a dark room but ultimately he is characterized by walking in the light. Whereas, as an unbeliever, though she may experience pockets of light has a life that is characterized by walking in darkness.
This is the double life. Someone is claiming to be a Christian while walking in darkness.
You cannot say you are walking with God while walking in the dark - because when the light comes on it will reveal you are alone.
What does John call this sort of life? A lie.
They do not “do the truth.” ποιοῦμεν from ποιέω = to do
For John (and for Jesus) being a Christian does not mean you simply know the truth, it means you do the truth.
A relationship with God happens in the light.
A relationship with God happens in the light.
“Fellowship” = κοινωνία from κοινος = common
You cannot stand in the shadow and expect the benefits of the sun. (SON)
You cannot be a shadowed Christian - walking in the shadows
Are you a shadowed Christian?
Do we take the darkness seriously?
If God is light and you are walking darkness (the shadows) then something is between you and God.
personal sin
own desires - you think it will give you what God won’t
*What in your life has the potential to cast a shadow on your relationship with God?*
What is the area of your life you don’t want exposed?
Notice I didn’t say what is already casting a shadow - what has the potential.
(If only we could all be as enthusiastic about God as football fans are about football)
1 John 1:7 (ESV) — 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.
“walk” - has the idea of the OT concept of walking meaning “way of life”
This would mean that each step is taken with regard to the light shining on it.
ILLUST - ever try to take a step in the dark? I almost trip over our dog stairs next to our bed every night!
If we take steps to walk in the light what do we gain:
1. fellowship with . . . one another?
1 John 1:3 (ESV) — 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John sees the very tight connection between relationship with God and relationships with others who are following God.
You can’t have one without the other.
This is why John is so adamant that ‘doing truth’ is the indicator of one who is following Jesus.
Could it be that your relationships with those in the church is a better indication of whether or not you are walking in the light than your doctrinal statements?
(Truly, we need to know about Jesus, and doing good things or simply loving people does not itself save us - (one could act selfishly in a giving act - i.e., stumble into light while walking in darkness)
Walking in the light you gain relationships with others walking in the light.
We’re going to talk about this at the marriage retreat this weekend.
2. forgiveness of sin
When you step into the light, you have the freedom of holiness.
This is the chief benefit of faith,
What would you prefer instead?
Step away from the shadows for the joy of the light.
Step away from the shadows for the joy of the light.
1 John 1:4 (ESV) — 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
The joy of walking in the light:
Direction
Knowledge
Lack of fear / Peace
God’s presence
Community
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) — 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Are you standing in the shadows or walking in the light?
We are in a time when Christians need to step out of the shadows!
You cannot reflect the light while standing in the shadows!
In a sea of illumination, a single light is awash - it’s brightness barely noticed, but when the environment is dark, a single light stands out and it’s intensity is dramatically noticeable.
As Christians, our lives will either stand out more and more or our lights will dim in an effort to blend in and avoid the worlds gaze. The question: will you stand in the dark or walk in the light?
Where are you in relation to the light?
What has a potential to cast a shadow in your life? You don’t want the Light to touch it?