Holiness 1 John 1:5-2:6

MPS: Keep the light on

p1: God is light

p2: Walk in the light

p3: Shine the light

Prayer:

Problems:

people not knowing the way

trial and error

test driving relationships

non comittal- gotta be willing to admit your lost and turn back

blind leading blind- yes, this is the way! it’s anyone’s best guess. If it is working for you, good.

Christians not seeing the importance of holiness in a world that doesn’t value it

Solution:

intro: That All May Know- Holiness

p1: God is light

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.

God is light.

We are attracted to light:

when camping we are warmed by the mere sight of a flame

when on a long roadtrip through the dead of night, the city lights serve as a beacon of safety, food, drink and community

when a soldier is posted on the night watch there is nothing more relieving than when the son stretches over the hills and the dawn breaks the night

and when a child fears the shadows, we plug in a night-light

no matter the shape or the size, we are attracted to the light

so much that we are attracted to anything that merely reflects the light around it- ohh shiny.

beautiful earings, a silver watch or a clean car

light, even the faintest wick or the mere reflection brings satisfaction to the human soul.

God is light.

God is good

God is safe

God is home

God is true, trustworthy

light is not heard, light is not smelled, light is not felt. Light is seen.

Now, we cannot see God

But by him, we see all things

God is light

Sight is the sense we rely on most. all things are seen and understood by light

Consider a dark night and how the shadows form into funny shapes, there is no sense of depth, you stumble and wander, trusting on feeling and sound- your hands out in front of you, your feet shuffling careful not to trip.

Without light, our steps are a best guess, shuffling, tripping and stubbing toes

Without light we travel through trial and error, bumping and scraping ourselves as we strain to see the path and stay on it

and so it is without God.

when we do not have the light, we cannot see the way

When we do not have the light, we go through life guessing, stumbling, tripping, hitting our heads and by trial and error we try to find our way

when you have the light, your feet do not shuffle, but step with confidence

When you have the light you do not guess, but live with conviction and clarity

When you have the light you see

And by having the light you are a guide

English Standard Version Chapter 6

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,

Matthew 6:23

23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Leave the light on!

pure

good

p2 Walk in the light:

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.

2 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. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

v7- walking in the light- walking in the way of God.

In his truth

v7- Fellowship with one another

Sin divides and destroys relationships

v7 Blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin

walking in the light doesn’t mean being a perfect person.

Walking in the light does mean to live a life of holiness and obedience

walking starts by stepping

stepping into the light.

Walking in the light is a question of your relationship to sin

-not just not sinning (2:2)

-but what to do about sin

the worlds way of dealing with sin:

hide it

excuse it

accept it

celebrate it

confess it and walk away from it?

bring your sin to Jesus

v7 [he] cleanses us from all sin

[Gospel]

christians

non christians

confess your sin

“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.”

you are a sinner.

Walk in the light, step into the light

Christ Jesus is not a headlamp that shines on everyone elses faces and the path without sining on you.

He is a lantern- shining in your face and all around.

the first step to walking in the light, is letting yourself be seen

everyone, listen. If you are a christian, If you aren’t yet.

you must become light.

“In the beginning chaos and void.”

you are a chaotic empty person without God

God’s first act was to create light and shine it upon the Earth that it might be filled with life.

So it is for each of us to truly belong to the light and to walk in the light- the light must shine on our darkness

light was the first act of creation. Paul calls us a new creation in Christ

we must be exposed, so that we can be filled and made new

Leave the light on

[APP]

Keep confessing sins

walk in the light:

walk by grace

Walk towards holiness

Tension of holiness and grace.

The christian experience learning about God

p3 Shine the light

3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Holiness is an apologetic:

“we know we belong to him if we keep his commandments”

if we live in this tension of grace and holiness

“Does not is a liar”

But if we say one thing and are another- we are liars

The world sees us as liars

Others are looking. watching.

God gave the world a right to look to his church as evidence of him.

Is God the way? Is he light? Is his way good and true and perfect?

Then let us walk in it

Leave the light on

don’t just turn it on on Sundays or when you are with your church people

leave the light on at home and on the street and at work

Others are looking for the way

Walk as he walked (Jesus)

Jesus says

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Mt 5:14–16.

Jesus is the light of the world, yet he calls his disciples the light of the world

we are showing others the way

Leave the light on

Holy, perfect, unto God in all things

Practical ways of holiness as an apologetic:

where is the darkness darkest? where are people the most lost?

Shine a light there.

living together vs waiting…. why?

confessing that you are not a good person, but trying to be good

sticking to your promises

being who you say you are