Walking in the Light
Notes
Transcript
[Announce text] Please look with me in Scripture at 1 John 1:5-10.
[Scripture introduction] John’s first epistle is written to the church concerning how Christians ought to behave according to the God’s nature. If we claim to be with God, we must walk like him.
[Reannounce and read text] Read with me these words concerning the walking in the light from 1 John 1:5-10. [The preacher reads the Scripture passage out loud.]
[Prayer for illumination] Pray with me as we ask God to lead us into the truth of his inspired Word. [The minister offers a brief prayer asking the Holy Spirit to bless the understanding of the preacher and hearers as God’s Word is proclaimed.]
[Introduction] There is nothing more startling than when the lights unexpectedly shuts off when you home alone after dark. If you watch enough horror films, you can imagine the next scene when clueless homeowner then goes down into the basement to see why the power is out. It’s there in the midst of the darkness, the bad guy strikes and takes his victim to who knows where.
In the human mind there’s a natural tendency to be afraid of the dark. In it is the unknown, unpredictable, and uncomfortable sense of being unable to see through it, because of its mysterious nature, we tend to fear it.
When is the last time you experience complete darkness? The kind of darkness I am talking about color of pitch black. Even if you held your hand in front of your face. You are still unable to see it.
I imagine most of us haven’t been in such darkness is a while. We prevent being in those conditions by setting up our best friend, call the night light. The night light pushes back the darkness, it makes the unknown…knowable, the unpredictable...foreseeable, and the uncomfortable…safe. We take great relief when the light shines in the darkness and exposes everything that we cannot see.
Why else does John use the language of God is light in the Scriptures? It is because light is good and God is the greatest goodness imaginable. Hence, God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.
But in John’s epistle there are major issues that’s being sparked in the churches. Some Christians are claiming to be fellowship with God, but there actions and words are not aligning with the truth. These people’s deeds and words do not match what is from above, so John must write to them concerning the issue if we are walking in darkness of sin or the light of God.
If God is light and we are walking in darkness, can we be friends of God. Or else I say...
[FCF] When does it become apparent when you are walking in the light? I think it easy to believe we are on the road to life even when perhaps we are traveling down a road to destruction and gloom.
[Scripture Bond] Thankfully, John is not going to leave us in the dark, but he will show us what it means to walk in the light of God and as we explore the Scriptures we will continue coming back to this truth...
[Proposition] We walk in the light by practicing the truth of Jesus Christ.
But how does one begin with the practicing the truth of Jesus Christ? We must turn to the God’s essence, which John tells us is the eternal light.
[Main point 1] God is light, and in him is no evil.
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.
The word of life (v.1) has manifested itself not only as the good news of life, but the light of the world.
Light is an apt metaphor for God, for it is the first fundamental property of the universe created by God (Gen 1:1), it allows and sustains all life, it makes life far more pleasant and safer than living in the dark, and it reveals what is hidden.
Another way of explaining it is that God is completely, and utterly good. There is no evil or sin in his nature. He is the light of men and has come to expose what is evil and vile. Therefore, God by nature is pure, holy, and his light penetrates every shadow and because of that, he knows everything.
But what is the light of God? According to John’s gospel, the light always refers to Jesus Christ.
1, 2, & 3 John Explanation of the Text
John 1:5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 9:5: “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
John 12:35: Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.”
John 12:36: “Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”
Jesus Christ is light and in him is no darkness at all. God’s Son as the Nicene Creed confesses
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
This fundamental truth reveals to the world that all the light of God is found is in the perfect person of Jesus Christ and it is in his light where we find out whither or not we are walking in the light.
[Main point 2] What we practice determines where we're heading.
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.
What we practice determines where we’re heading. To walk in darkness is to walk contrary to the truth and it is someone who habitually continues sinning even after being exposed to the light.
There are two paths in this world - one full of life or death. There is no middle ground. God has nothing to do with sin and darkness, so actively living in rebellion and disobedience is to be walking away from his fellowship. On the other hand, to be in the light is to beside God in everything you’re doing.
Walking in the light involves a willingness to be open toward God and his revelation in Christ, while walking in darkness involves a refusal to do this.
That is why John says there is a possibility for those who claim Christianity and yet walk falsely according to the truth of Christ.
Given the choice what are blessings of walking in the light?
[Main point 3] Walking in the light generates fellowship and forgiveness.
When Christians walk according to the truth of Jesus Christ, they gain two great blessings - fellowship and forgiveness.
The Lord sees all sin, but when we reveal our sin to the Lord through confession, the penitent sinner will receives forgiveness and mercy from God. David and Solomon both testify to these truths in Psalm 32 and Proverbs 28.
Being open towards God is to expose your sins before the Lord and confessing them to the light of Christ. Our confessions should be done immediately as soon as we understood that we have begun walking into the darkness and a time of reflection should be practice once a day to review our minds before God.
God requires his us to take responsibility home, church, work to be in the light.
[Main point 4] Walking in the darkness makes liars out of us.
There is a danger to claiming Christ as Lord, but still walking in darkness. If we continue we lie, deceive ourselves and worst of all, make God a liar because we claim we don’t need his atonement.
We cannot walk in the light unless we believe in the light of Jesus. It was necessary for Jesus to shed his blood so we can forgiveness.
[Main point 5] God is light, so practice the light of Christ.
The church that fellowships with God, and other, and experiences forgiveness of sin is one that walks according the truth of Jesus Christ.
[Conclusion] The invitation I give to you is to never forget what God has and will give to you. He is the light of the world and if we come to him, we can too walk in the light and live.
Walk in the light and ever look back...
[Prayer for Transformation] Pray with me as we ask the Lord to transform us. [The minister prays for the congregation to reflect, repent, and renew themselves to Lord and to drink of the salvation of Christ.]