Walking in the Light

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Context — last week we explored the first 4 verses:

The Word gives grace.

The Word gives fellowship.

The Word gives joy.

If we were to sum it up, it is a beautifully crafted reminder of the gospel, the good news that we proclaim.

In verses 5-10, John expounds the gospel even farther and gives one of his first tests in the letter to vet the validity of our faith.

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The God who is Light (1:1)

John's statement, God is light, probably leans on the OT idea where light is a symbol for both knowledge and purity. Here, given the contextual contrasting with the man’s nature and the idea of walking in darkness, it’s probably meant to point to God's absolute purity. In what ways is God pure?

1. Purity in motivation: a startling contrast even with other false gods of antiquity who were capable of being petty and selfishly motivated.

2. Purity in action. Psalm 139:14 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 18:30 “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

3. Total purity in every characteristic, for in Him there is no darkness at all.

Jesus made “Light” claims in reference to Himself (see John 9:5; 12:35-36, 46), and it revealed an aspect of His Messiah-ship. Here, John is making a claim about God being truth, knowledge, and righteousness as opposed to falsehood, ignorance, and sin. This is essentially a statement about God’s character. Claims about the character of God in verse 5 pave the way for the moral implications in the believer’s life in verse 6.

There is a duality that is expressed in John’s writing, light and dark. God is light, and in Him is no darkness. Light and dark cannot simultaneously occupy the same space. Righteousness and sin are diametrically opposed and cannot mix - it is like water and oil.

John says this is the message we have heard, using the perfect tense of the verb akouo. In essence, he says the message is still “ringing in our ears” (CCE). Proclaim is in the present tense, means that the proclamation is ongoing and consistent.

This message should be a continual ringing in the believer’s ear: God is absolutely perfect and all His ways are right. This grounds the gospel and the believer, for our moral abilities can never match His perfection, and His perfection provides comfort whenever, however, and wherever He leads.

The Sinner who “Claims Truth” (1:6, 8, 10)

Out of the theological affirmation from verse 5, John can confidently say that those who walk (walk is a way of saying “practice a lifestyle”) in darkness (sin) lie if they claim to have fellowship (deep, abiding relationship) with God. Instead, they do not practice truth.

Fellowship with the Father and Son is fleshed out in practicing the truth. True followers have genuine fellowship, a clear implication of verse 3. But, if there is no practice of godliness, the claim is false. Just as light and dark cannot simultaneously occupy the same space, so sin and righteousness cannot be practiced at the same time. The believer cannot live both in darkness and light at the same time.

Two consequences of claiming to have an abiding relationship with Christ while persisting in sin (we’ll call it unrepentant sin, because contextually John deals with those who sin and confess). First, they lie. Lying is the native tongue of the enemy and transgresses even the fundamental commands of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. The fellowship with darkness is proved by speaking its native tongue. Second, they do not practice or “do” the truth. This idea was used in John 3:21, and I believe practicing truth sets the contextually tone for worshiping in truth (John 4:23). Many regard the “knowing” of God to the neglect of living in light of that truth. This idea is foreign to the Bible. John’s not arguing for a works-based righteousness, but a righteousness that responds obediently to the grace that has been received. John’s claim is that if there is no obedient response to grace, grace has not truly visited a person.

The problem is that we are our own best lawyers when it comes to dealing with our sin (1 John 1:8). We rationalize and downplay our rebellion toward God and, in the process, deceive ourselves. Often, we may even use God as a crutch for our sin, naming God as the source of our sin (God told me, etc.) or relaxing His holy demands for some internal desire (God wants me to be happy, etc.)

Acceptance is key in true righteousness. Even the Jewish writer Philo stated, “. . .to blame one’s self, is the part of a righteous man.” Further, bear in mind the context. The only One who is completely devoid of darkness is God. Claiming to be absolutely free from sin is to place yourself on God’s level, even further revealing the absence of truth, because no one is comparable to God.

Now, I’m simplifying, but essentially the OT taught two types of sin, sins of consciousness and sins of ignorance, and there were sacrifices for both. What is not up for debate is whether or not man is actually sinful. The clear implication of the sacrificial system is that man is sinful.

There is certainly a difference in how John refers to sin here versus the reference to walking in the darkness in verse 6. Sin here is something that we have (the word means that it is a feature or a part of who we are), but sin previously is fleshed out in the continual practice of sin. Even denying the existence of sin is indeed sin, because it fails to live according to the standard put forth by Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Sometimes this verse may be taken as the false teaching that the believer can live in perfect righteousness here on earth. And, taken contextually with verse 10, this seems legitimate. Maybe John has a two-fold intention: those who claim to have no sin and those who claim not be active sinners. Or, is this a slightly nuanced way of saying the same thing? It’s important to remember that there is a false teaching at the time that sees the physical world as sinful and the spiritual world as pure (gnosticism, I believe). So, things done in the body did not harm the spiritual. John has clearly combated this idea. To walk in darkness (v.5) is to forsake fellowship with God (v.6).

This idea, John circles back to it in vs.10.

As the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to change us, conviction over sin sets in (we’ll talk about what to do with this in a moment). It seems the person in verse 10 *disagrees* with the Holy Spirit concerning sin in his/her life, hence, claiming to have not sinned. Such a stance portrays God as a liar and gives firm evidence that His Word is not an active part of our lives.

Exposure to God’s word, according to 2 Tim.3:16, has a four-fold effect: teaching us to live in right ways, correcting us when we live in wrong ways, teaching us how to think rightly about God and His creation, and correcting wrong thoughts about God and His creation. When we claim that we have no sin, we’re saying that God’s Word cannot perform one of its given functions in our lives, calling Him a liar by extension (because He is the divine author behind Scripture) proving that His Word has no place in our lives. The evidence of having truly encountered Christ is the fact that our life has changed. The absence of transformation shows that the word has not taken root.

Denying sin has profound effects as well. If the presence of sin is denied, the cross becomes unnecessary. We can even back into this argument unintentionally when we deny the need for “propitiation” (1 John 2:2) and the substitutionary death of Christ. If Jesus’ death on the cross is rendered unnecessary, we can backdoor our way into thinking that sin is insignificant or no problem at all.

The Saint who is Saved by Christ (1:7, 9)

First, let’s think about verse 7.

Walking in the light involves reflecting the holiness of God. This extends to doctrine and morality, right understanding leading to right response. This type of honest and unveiled living, a life exposed and ordered by God’s truth, opens deep relationship with others and the on-going cleansing and sanctification of Jesus. The word cleanses is present tense, meaning the action is continuing to occur. Whereas we tend to emphasize the once-for-all cleansing provided by the blood of Jesus, this verse instructs us that Christ is continually involved in the sanctification process. Further, all sin is cleansed by His blood. There is no level or type of sin that is beyond His ability to heal and forgive.

John’s intention here is to say that those who walk in the light are those who live in a manner that is consistent with “God’s commands and character” (CSBSB). The focal point of Christ’s work comes into view here as faith, expressed by walking in the light, results in fellowship and forgiveness. Walking in the light helps the believer in the “be filled/do not quench/do not grieve the Spirit” process.

Contrary to the philosophy of the day, self-denial and reason were insufficient to deal with man’s sin problem. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse a person from their sin. The issue stems not from the self-denial or even the philosophical embrace of certain doctrines, but in the truth set forth in verse 5 - there is no darkness in God whatsoever.

Some argue that the fellowship secured by exercising obedient faith is with other Christians (presumably those also living in light of these truths), while some grammatically argue that the reference is to God/Christ. Maybe it seems fitting to see it affecting both, fellowship with other believers and the blood of Christ restoring right relation with God. It is one thing to claim that we have right standing with God, the proverbial resting easy at night because we “pleased God.” It is another thing, however, to actually walk in the light and practice righteousness. This is the person that truly has fellowship with God and sanctification. Living in the light is a necessary condition for interpersonal fellowship. Failure to do so results in a hidden life that refuses to be exposed.

Now, what to do with this sin once we admit that we are sinners and find forgiveness. What about the remaining sin in life? Verse 9 -

The confession of sin is necessary throughout the Christian’s life because it maintains communion with God. If we worry over whether we can come to Him, over whether or not He will receive us when we confess, if this passage is true as we are, remember that God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

In context, it seems safe to say that the person confessing has genuine contrition for their sin, so they want to admit their fault in a punishable deed. The person who walks in darkness does not confess their sin. They may admit guilt if they are “caught in the act,” but this is worldly sorrow. Regret that comes from God and results in confession and repentance leads to salvation, restoration, and sanctification. Therefore, confession doesn’t involve merely listing off the things we’ve done wrong. There is a genuine ownership that happens as we seek to order our lives according to God’s standards.

Some may ask, “If we are forgiven once and for all when we surrender to Christ, then why do we need to be forgiven again through the confession of sin?” First, even the context teaches that if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, His blood has cleansed us perfectly. So, what is John teaching here? The forgiveness that comes from confession is relational forgiveness, not judicial. Much in the same way that we would forgive a family member, spouse, or friend, often even granting that forgiveness before they, or sometimes despite the fact that they never, ask for forgiveness. The transgression hasn’t ended the relationship, but it can break the fellowship. Out of respect for the offended party, we confess.

The brokenness of fellowship is significant in our pursuit of becoming more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit plays an integral part of our spiritual growth — becoming more like Jesus. When His conviction and shaping is simply cast aside, it hardens us and hinders His working, and when this happens, we are less-likely to produce the fruits of the Spirit. The more it happens, the more we fail to see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Some have argued, based on grammatical structure (and some translations read this way), that the sentence is better understood as confession leads to forgiveness of “those” sins. Should the believer fear of living in hindered relationship with God because we haven’t voiced confession for every sin? By no means! Even if we were to translate the passage that way, we have comfort that God cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

Experience

Three big theological takeaways from vv.5-10:

God defines the standard of human morality. He is the absolute true light with no mixture of darkness whatsoever, implying that He alone is in a position to define morality. Further, to deny light/dark/right/wrong is to call Him a liar since He alone is in a position to make defining statements about those realities.

Jesus’ death is preeminent and necessary. Throughout John’s letters, the centrality of the atonement is both expressed and assumed. These verses bolster the need for the atonement by confessing the reality of sin.

The reality of sin. Verses 5-10 place sin in a matter of the individual rather than a person’s past experiences. Violations of the moral standards of God are what make a person a sinner (see pt.1), but this stance is met with disapproval in a culture that is increasingly convinced of subjective truth, particularly in moral matters. Living “your truth” becomes spiritually dangerous whenever the chosen truth is actually a practice of unrighteousness. And, given the sinful nature of the heart, our path will be a path of darkness, devoid of truth, if not lived in submission to God.

Have you wrestled with your sinfulness and found forgiveness in Jesus Christ? His blood alone purifies, He alone can save. Don’t be fooled into thinking you’re better than you are…you’re not. And, don’t be fooled into thinking that grace is a license to sin…it isn’t. True faith is shown as we order our lives around Christ, His glory, His leadership, His truth, and our surrender. So again, have you wrestled with your sinfulness and found forgiveness in Jesus.

Are you walking in the light, pursuing a life of righteousness marked out by living according to what God says is right and wrong? I’m not asking if you’re perfect. You’re not. I’m not. I’m asking if you are pursuing righteousness. If you were to have a drone record the footage of your life and then you were to go back and review the tape, would your there evidence that you are pursuing right and truth, or would your day be more consumed in pursuit of self and things that are worthless?