Walking...in Light or Darkness?

Walking is ongoing, not just a moment of time

John 8:12 NASB95

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Light is something unhidden, revealed

Mark 4:22 NASB95

“For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.

John 3:19–20 NASB95

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

The believer has two options

(Like Ham vs Shem)

Ephesians 5:8 NASB95

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light

Romans 13:12 NASB95

The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Walking in the darkness

Is deceptive

Ephesians 5:6–8 NASB95

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light

John 12:35 NASB95

So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

Proverbs 4:19 NASB95

The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.

Walking in Darkness is hating the light, fearing being exposed...

John 3:20 NASB95

“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Walking in the light

Light is exposing falsehood.

Ephesians 5:11 NASB95

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;

Ephesians 5:12 NASB95

for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

Two Directions

A friend of the world is an enemy to God

You cannot create unity by joining the world with true godliness.

What you will end up doing is faking godliness to give an outward appearance.

True Fellowship with eachother is only Possible as we Walk in the Light

1 John 1:5–7 NASB95

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

What is involved in ‘walking in the truth’

Exposing darkness

Ephesians 5:11–12 NASB95

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

Acknowledging sin (before God and before man)

1 John 1:8–10 NASB95

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

Friend of God or Friend of the World?

Either you are friends with the world or a friend of God, not both

1 Peter 2:11 NASB95

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

God considers you like an adversary while your mindset is conformed to the world.

James 4:4 NASB95

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Here ‘world’ means the world system

1 Corinthians 5:9–12 NASB95

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?

The word enemy (ECHTHROS) is used in Acts

Acts 13:10 NASB95

and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

In fact, the word echthros lets us know that God takes this decision so personally that He views it as an act of war! To God, this is the ultimate violation!

Examples of believers who were in a condition of enmity with God (fiercely hostile)

Peter, though a believer, was thinking here like the world...

Matthew 16:23 NASB95

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”