Romans 12:1-2

1 John 1:5–10 “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.”

At First Glance

This passage has meaning and speaks to us plainly of precious truths:

(v5) “God is light”- speaks of God’s purity, cleanness. Refreshing in a corrupt world!

(v7) “we have fellowship…” as we draw near to God, He draws near to us, and we draw closer to one another. “The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin”.

(v9) “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive…and cleanse…” (the Christian’s bar of soap!)

Remember: John is writing in the context of refuting Gnostic heresy.

False Light of Gnosticism

Gnostic “Light”

Incandescent vs LED light- illuminates but has a “fake” feel to it. It lacks warmth.

Dualism: Gnostic light and dark is tied to good (spirit) vs evil (material)

Light emanates from the Demiurge

to walk in light is to be illuminated by esoteric knowledge and spiritual purity

to walk in darkness meant being in the bondage of ignorance.

Salvation is gained by attaining secret esoteric knowledge:

salvation in personal enlightenment through secret knowledge and ritual, revealing one’s divine origin and path back to the Pleroma (fullness of God)

[note Colossians 1:19 “19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” ]

To sin in the flesh does not affect the spirit of the individual! (V8)

Gnostics Today

Gnosticism today:

Scientology

Mormonism-

training in Mormon Doctrine (not Bible)

this doctrine is the esoteric knowledge that brings one into enlightenment with God

affirmed by “burning in the bosom.”

Token hand shakes and passwords to go through the veil to the presence of god. These are going to be required to enter heaven.

temple recommendations- approval to attend the mormon temples given by local leaders to affirm that you are a good mormon.

Freemasonry-

to be initiated into the freemasons, the “entered apprentice” must declare that he is in darkness and is seeking the light.

esoteric knowledge is related through rituals portrayed as story telling skits, played out by members.

secret handshakes, pass phrases, and terrible oaths mark the passage from lower to higher degrees.

Light figures heavily into Masonic lore.

Freemasonry is structured in degrees—Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason—each representing greater light and understanding.

…the Masonic religion should be by all of us initiates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the luciferian doctrine.

…

Yes, lucifer is god, and unfortunately Adonay is also God, for the eternal law is that there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for the absolute can only exist as two gods. darkness being necessary for light to serve as its foil, as the pedestal is necessary to the statue, and the brake to the locomotive.

Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is heresy, and the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in lucifer, the equal of Adonay, but lucifer, god of light and god of good, is struggling for humanity against Adonay, the god of darkness and evil”- Albert Pike

Other examples of Gnosticism exist, even in the “church”.

Conspiracy cults of the internet

books of the Bible “THEY” don’w want you to know about… all gnostic or fraudulent forgeries

Frequency people

New Age

Pantheism, Panentheism

Strong ties to power within nature (crystals, stones, wood, flowers (scents), elements…)

You are your own god!

You create your own reality for your own universe…. post modern philosophy, fundamental idolatry!

3. New Thought

Power of positive thinking

Word of faith = containers of creative power

Manifesting desired outcomes

Law of attraction

Real Cleansing Power

1 John 1:9–10 ESV

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.

To be saved by Jesus

To be washed by His blood

To be led by His spirit

To be informed by His word

To be illumined by His holiness

To be filled with His strength

To be welcomed by Him personally to our forever home in heaven