The Light of Life

I.The Light of Life

A. Welcome and Opening Prayer

As we gather in the embrace of God’s holy word, let us pause and recognize the significance of our journey. Each of us, carrying our own burdens, our struggles, and the reality of life. Many today are disturbed by what we see happening in the world around us, the craziness that seems to get crazier by the day. In a world that seems hopeless, we see hope that illuminates our path by the Light of Life.

In the midst of life's bustling chaos, it's easy to lose sight of that guiding light, obscured by the shadows of doubt and fear. Yet, here in this space of solace and reflection, we are reminded of the enduring presence of divine grace.

As we prepare to delve into today's sermon, we open our bibles and our hearts wide to the gentle whispers of truth and wisdom. (1 John 1 Pg. 1301) A truth that still holds to this very day, even in all of the challenges that have placed against it, the word has stood the test of time. A guiding light of hope that can make even the most hopeless of situations come clear and give hope that can only be found in Jesus.

B. Introduction to the Text: 1 John 1:1–2:2

Today, we turn our attention to the first epistle of John, where the apostle John emphasizes the profound truth of the Word of Life and our call to fellowship with Christ. Let's dive into the passage found in 1 John 1:1–2:2.

1. John's emphasis on the Word of Life: In these verses, John highlights the eternal nature of Christ, who is the Word of Life, the one whom he and others have seen, heard, and touched.

2. The call to fellowship with Christ: John urges believers to enter into fellowship with Christ and with one another, walking in the light of God's truth and love.

II. Walking in the Light 1 John 1:5-7

1 John 1:5–7 ESV

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. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 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.

A. The Nature of God: Light and Darkness

Starting right off as we delve into this text, John wastes no time in revealing a fundamental truth about our God. He is light, and in Him, there is no darkness at all. This imagery of light and darkness symbolizes the purity and holiness of God contrasted with the darkness of sin and evil. As we consider this in our lives we cannot help but see how once we lived in darkness, and when that gospel message comes in, opens our eyes, it illuminates everything. This is what truth does, it exposes darkness, illuminates everything that is going and most of all exposes lies, the lies of the enemy who wants nothing more than to take away that light, that truth, to put you back in darkness, keep you in darkness.

B. Walking in Fellowship with God

John challenges us to walk in fellowship with God, which necessitates walking in the light. To walk in darkness is to live contrary to God's will, but to walk in the light is to live in harmony with Him. It's crucial for us to understand that fellowship with God requires a commitment to righteousness and truth.

C. Walking in Darkness vs. Walking in the Light

Its like the difference between two travelers in a dense forest: one ventures forth at night, armed only with a flickering torch, while the other sets out in the full light of day. The contrast is stark. The first struggles, stumbling over unseen obstacles, plagued by fear and uncertainty. The second moves with ease, guided by clear vision, free from the shadows that shroud the path.

So it is on our spiritual journey, for those walking in light it is easy to see the realities of life, even our own sin. For those walking in darkness life can seem a struggle, troubling, and difficult. When we walk in the light of God's truth and love, our path is illuminated, and we move forward with clarity, peace, and assurance.

But when we stray into darkness, allowing doubt and despair to cloud our vision, we lose our way. Fear grips us, confusion ensnares us, and we struggle to find our footing amidst the shadows.

This leads into the next part of what John ties it to the forgiveness of sins.

III. The Forgiveness of Sins 1 John 1:8-10

1 John 1:8–10 ESV

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

A. The Reality of Sin: Recognizing Our Need for Forgiveness

We should immediately recognize this as part of our liturgy, our confession of sins. John acknowledges the reality of sin in our lives. None of us are exempt from its grasp, and to deny its presence is to deceive ourselves. It's crucial for us to recognize our need for forgiveness and redemption. This point comes up all the time in scripture when you study it, the distinction between law and gospel, and the point of the law is to expose in us that we are sinful by nature, there was and is nothing good in us, only death, darkness and sin. When we look at God in his holiness, His perfectness, we cannot help but turn away and hide our faces. For we are sinners, imperfect, and the law exposes this, it shows the truth about who we are. Our only hope is confession, repenting, turning away from sin, confessing that sin and asking for mercy.

B. Confession and Forgiveness

Yet, there is hope! John reminds us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Confession is not a sign of weakness but a humble acknowledgment of our dependence on God's grace and mercy. It is only then when we reach this point, where we recognize we are sinners, that we have sinned, and when we confess that sins, we can hear the good news, the meaning of the word gospel, that it is good news, and what is that good news?

Jesus Christ died for your sins, and when you confess your sins, because of Christ, God will forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Not that you deserve it, not that your merited it in anyway, but solely based on what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross.

C.Warning against self-righteousness

1 John 1:10 ESV

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

We know what Romans 3:23 says all have sinned, and it goes back even further, this passage in Romans is taken from the Old Testament

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Psalm 14:3 (ESV)

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

There is no one who is exempt, all have sinned and therefore all are condemned, thus John writes that when we say we have not sinned, when we think we are perfect, or we do away with sin, or self-justify either by no longer calling sin, sin, or worse saying that we have not sinned, when clearly it says differently, then we not only make ourselves liars, but God a liar and that his truth is not in us.

What are we to do then? How can we be right with God, how can we stand before a holy and perfect God? The straight forward answer is that we can’t, not by our own merit, we are nothing but filthy rags compared to Him. It is only by the gospel, by what Jesus did for us, that we are able to repent, ask for forgiveness, turn away from our sins, and be healed, forgiven, by Christ merit not our own.

But the Devil still wants to have the last word, sure your sins are forgiven, Jesus died for you, and they have been washed away in baptism, but now what, you haven’t kept the law perfectly since then, surely it means then you were not serious, you didn’t take that forgiveness seriously, or your maybe truly were not repentant, maybe you just haven’t tried hard enough, maybe there is still more to do. It goes on and on, the devil is an accuser, yet we have an advocate.

IV. Jesus Christ Our Advocate 1 John 2:1-2

1 John 2:1–2 (ESV)

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

A. Assurance of Salvation: Knowing We Have an Advocate

In the following verses, John reassures us of our standing before God. We have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous. What a comforting thought! In our moments of doubt and fear, we can take solace in knowing that Jesus intercedes on our behalf. Daily then we come to repentance, confessing our sins, and daily he forgives us. It is not just a one and done forgiveness, it is continual, because of Christ.

B. The Atoning Sacrifice of Christ

John declares that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. Through His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus satisfied the righteous demands of God's justice, making reconciliation possible between God and humanity.

C. Emphasis on Christ Alone for Salvation

As Lutherans, we hold fast to the doctrine of justification by faith alone. It is through faith in Christ alone that we are declared righteous before God. Our salvation is not earned through good works but is a gracious gift bestowed upon us by God's grace.

What then should we just go on sinning so that we can be forgiven all that more, Romans 6:1 answers this for us

Romans 6:1–4 ESV

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

V. The Call to Obedience 1 John 2:3-6

1 John 2:3–6 ESV

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

A. Keeping God's Commandments

Moving forward in the text, John emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's commandments. Our love for God is demonstrated through our obedience to His Word. It's not enough to merely profess faith; our actions must align with our beliefs. It means that we keep things in their proper place, that salvation is from God alone, and sanctification, it too is from God, that when we hear that good news, when we believe, when our sins are forgiven, it leads us to look at how much God has done for us, and so then we respond, not out of sheer obligation, but for the love he has shown us, we love him.

B. Walking as Jesus Walked

John challenges us to walk as Jesus walked. Christ is our ultimate example of love, humility, and obedience to the Father's will. As His followers, we are called to imitate His life, reflecting His character and values in all that we do.

C. Illustration: The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37

Consider the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan didn't merely offer empty words of compassion; he demonstrated his love through action by caring for the wounded man on the roadside. Likewise, our obedience to God's commandments is evidenced by our love for others.

VI. The Love of God and Neighbor 1 John 2:7-11

1 John 2:7–11 (ESV)

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

A. Love as the Fulfillment of the Law

John reminds us that love is the fulfillment of the law. From the beginning, God's commandments have emphasized the importance of loving Him and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Love is not merely a feeling but a tangible expression of our devotion to God.

B. The Contrast of Light and Darkness

In contrast, hatred toward our brothers and sisters is indicative of walking in darkness. As children of light, we are called to love one another fervently, reflecting the unconditional love that God has bestowed upon us.

This is in keeping with the law and the gospel, the law pointing out our need to forgiveness, because we have all sinned, continue to sin, and even when we try to sin, we find it all that much harder to resist and fall deeper and deeper, and who will save us from this body of sin, Jesus Christ alone. That when we daily die to ourselves, we are raised to new life in Christ, that we live in our baptism, not that we were baptized, but that we are, and now live in that promise.

This is the good news, that we are forgiven by Christ sake, for God’s glory, so that we can live in that promise, and for it your sins are forgiven! Amen