What does it mean to live in the light?

Bible Reading

Review

After introducing the Word of Life and the goal of fellowship and joy, John moves to God’s character. “Where does real joy come from?

From Christ revealed in real history.

From fellowship shared with God and His people.

From the assurance of eternal life in Him.

Slide of 10 Questions

Major Premise: To live in the light is to take God’s holiness seriously, take our sin honestly, and take Christ’s advocacy confidently.

1 John 1:5–2:3 KJV

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that 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 that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

Prayer for our Church

Evening with the Sullivans

Healing for Charlotte

Those among us who are not living in the light

Sermon Introduction

Most of us learned a simple little song in Sunday school: “This Little Light of Mine, I’m gonna let it shine…” It’s catchy. It’s fun. But before John talks about our light shining, he begins with God’s light shining. Because unless we first understand who God is, we’ll never understand what it means to walk with Him.

John doesn’t start his letter with speculation or philosophy—he starts with a declaration: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” That’s one of the most concentrated statements about God in the entire Bible.

Think about light for a moment:

Light exposes what’s hidden.

Light gives direction in the dark.

Light gives life—without the sun, nothing grows. John 14:6 “6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

That’s how God is. He is absolute purity, perfect truth, unchanging holiness. His light reveals reality as it really is—and it leaves no room for shadows.

Here’s the searching implication: If God is light, then walking with Him means walking in openness, not hiding in darkness. It means calling sin what He calls it, and depending on Jesus for cleansing when we fail.

This passage is not written to drive us into despair—it’s written to lead us into the light. To show us that real joy and real fellowship come not from pretending to be perfect, but from confessing our sins and trusting our Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous.

Major Premise: To live in the light is to take God’s holiness seriously, take our sin honestly, and take Christ’s advocacy confidently.

1. Living in the Light Means Recognizing God’s Holiness (1:5–7)

A. God’s light means revealed truth, not hidden knowledge.

1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

This is not John’s speculation, it’s the message he heard directly from Christ.

John 8:12 “12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

John 9:5 “5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 12:46 “46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”

Contrast with the opposing world view of the time.

Gnostics: salvation by secret knowledge, hidden enlightenment.

2 Peter 2:1 “1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

Gnosticism masquerades as Christianity while denying Christ. John calls this the “spirit of antichrist” (1 John 4:3).

John’s Response: God’s has made Himself knowable through the Light of the World.

Contrast with the opposing world view of our time.

Gnostic: “I know special hidden truth about God.”

Agnostic: “I don’t know if there’s a God—or if we can ever know.”

Problem: It avoids the gospel by refusing to believe anything certain.

Outcome: Leaves people drifting in unbelief, never coming to Christ . Hebrews 11:6“6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

B. God’s light means absolute purity with no trace of darkness.

1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Stated strongly in the negative

“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all”

Emphatic: “darkness in Him is not, no, not any.”

Light symbolizes God’s moral perfection

He is too pure for sin. Habakkuk 1:13“13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity..”

Does not mean sin can’t appear before Him (cf. Satan in Job 1–2).

It does mean sin never compromises Him; He is the Judge, not the participant.

In God there is no shadow of turning.

James 1:17 “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Dependable in every season – Unlike the sun and moon, which change in brightness or position, God remains constant.

The Gnostics taught that the divine was a mix of light and darkness, spirit and matter.

In Eastern philosophy (Taoism), yin and yang represent dual forces in balance—light and dark, good and evil, positive and negative.

Sometimes God is seen as one of us, just better.

Transition: If God is light and calls us into His light, what does that mean for our sin? John now turns from God’s nature to our response—confession instead of pretending.

2. Living in the Light Means Confessing Our Sin Honestly (1:6–10)

We all have to decide what we’ll do with our sin. Romans 2 says our conscience is either accusing us or excusing us. The question is—how do you deal with yours? John shows us three common but false attempts to avoid sin—and then the only true way forward.

A. Lie #1: “Sin doesn’t matter.” (v. 6-7)

1 John 1:6–7 “6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Statement (Jacob Alma): “My private life doesn’t really matter. Sin isn’t a big deal if I believe the right things.”

Response: 1 John 1:6 — If we claim fellowship but walk in darkness, we lie.

You cannot say you have new life in Christ while clinging to an identity of sinfulness.

Good news: v. 7 — Walking in the light brings fellowship and ongoing cleansing.

B. Lie #2: “I have no sin.” (v. 8)

1 John 1:8 “8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Statement (Grant Snode): “I’ve made mistakes, but I wouldn’t call myself a sinner. “I’m basically a good person. I try to do right by those around me”

Response: v. 8 — Denying sin is self-deception; you don’t have the truth.

Good news: v. 9 — Confession = agreeing with God. He is faithful and just to forgive.

1 John 1:9“9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Faithful: He promised forgiveness in Christ (Heb. 10:23).

Just: Forgiveness is not God “sweeping sin under the rug” but honoring the cross—He would be unjust not to forgive a repentant believer, because Christ already paid the penalty.

We don’t confess to keep God loving us—we confess because He already does.

C. Lie #3: “I haven’t sinned.” (v. 10)

Statement (Chase Southard): “Others may have sinned but I haven’t sinned against God—don’t put that on me.”

Response: v. 10 — Denying sin makes God a liar; His Word is not in us.

Romans 3:23 confirms: all have sinned. We have missed the mark.

“Don’t judge me; morality is relative.” Proverbs 20:9 “9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?”

Many people are willing to admit they are perfect. But sin is a personal offense about a holy God.

Diagnostic: Persistent denial shows God’s Word is not in a person.

Transition: John won’t let us live in denial about sin—but neither does he leave us drowning in guilt. He points us straight to the only One who deals with sin fully: Jesus Christ the Advocate.

3. Living in the Light Means Trusting Christ Our Advocate and Propitiation (2:1–2)

Living in the light doesn’t mean pretending we’re perfect, it means trusting the One who pleads for us and has already paid the debt of sin for us.

A. God’s goal for us is holiness not despair

1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”

John’s tone: “My little children.” Tender, pastoral.

Purpose: “That ye sin not.” God calls us to holiness, not compromise.

Provision: “If any man sin…” John knows believers stumble.

Don’t come out of here thinking well sin is so common, who cares. Let’s just go on sinning. God forbid!

Assurance: Sin is serious, but despair is unnecessary. Grace meets us in failure.

B. Jesus Is Our Advocate Before the Father

1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”

Advocate (paraklētos) = defense attorney.

Courtroom imagery: Satan accuses, our conscience condemns.

Defense rises: “Jesus Christ the righteous.” His righteousness qualifies Him to represent us.

He does not argue our innocence but His payment: “Father, I have covered that sin. My blood speaks for them.”

Hebrews 7:25: “He ever liveth to make intercession.” Ongoing ministry.

Illustration: When Satan points to your sin, Jesus points to His scars.

C. Jesus Is Our Propitiation for Sin

1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

“He is the propitiation for our sins.” = wrath-satisfying sacrifice.

God is light—His holiness demands sin be punished. At the cross, Jesus absorbed wrath and turned it into favor.

Christ set forth as propitiation by His blood. Romans 3:25 “25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

John 19:30: “It is finished.” Debt fully paid.

Forgiveness is judicial, not sentimental. God is both faithful and just (1:9).

Universal scope: “not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Sufficient for all: no sinner is too far gone.

Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient for the whole world, but it is applied only to those who believe

Salvation comes by confession of sin and faith in Christ’s death and resurrection.

Without propitiation, there is no good news.

D. Confession in light of advocacy and propitiation

Biblical Definition of Confession: “to say the same thing about sin” as God. Psalm 51:4 “4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”

John writes to believers who already know Christ but need to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7).

For the believer, confession isn’t about re-entering salvation but about restoring broken fellowship with God.

Sin doesn’t cause a Christian to lose salvation, but it does disrupt fellowship with God. Romans 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

When we confess, God applies the forgiveness Christ has already secured to our hearts and conscience, restoring our fellowship with Him.

Catholics definition of Confession: They see confession as a sacrament where forgiveness is given through the ministry of the priest.

Biblical view: forgiveness flows directly from Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice (Heb. 10:14).

Confession is not a repeated sacrament to regain salvation, but the believer’s ongoing response to sin that renews fellowship, joy, and cleansing.

Forgiveness comes from God, is there any value in confessing our faults one to another

James 5:16 “16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

To God: We confess to be forgiven.

To one another: We confess to be healed and strengthened.

Both are about fellowship:

With God (restored intimacy, cleansed conscience).

With others (honesty, accountability, encouragement).

Bonhoeffer: “A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person.”

Response

Response for Unbelievers

Before I challenge those of us who know Christ to take steps in our fellowship with Him, I need to pause and speak to those of you here this morning who do not yet have a relationship with Him. You cannot walk in fellowship with God until you first enter into relationship with Him through confessing your sin and trusting in Jesus as your Savior.

A. The Need for Confession

You cannot have a relationship with God while denying your sin.

Following Jesus begins with knowing you are part of the “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

B. God’s has made a promise today you must receive

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Confession = admitting guilt and trusting Christ’s blood to cleanse.

C. The Good News

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15).

Jesus is the propitiation—He took God’s wrath and gives life.

Your first step into the light is not trying harder, but confessing: “I am a sinner in need of a Savior.”

D. The Call to Respond

Romans 10:9“9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Don’t leave this morning in darkness—step into the light, confess your need, believe on Jesus, and receive fellowship with God.

Next Steps in following Jesus for Believers

For those of us who do know Christ, fellowship is strengthened as we daily step into His light, confess honestly, and rest in His advocacy.

Step into God’s light daily.

Begin each morning by reading His Word and asking, “Lord, expose anything in me that does not belong in the light.”

Write this passage down and make it your prayer. Psalm 139:23–24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Practice honest confession.

Don’t rename or excuse sin, agree with God about it.

Confess to Him quickly, and share with a trusted believer when needed, so that you walk in freedom and fellowship.

James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Rest in Christ’s advocacy.

When you stumble, don’t run from God, run to Him.

Remember Jesus pleads for you and has already paid for you.

Live out of assurance, not despair.

1 John 2:1–2 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

This week, don’t settle for hiding in the shadows, step into God’s light, confess your sin honestly, and rest in the Savior who stands for you.