Whoever Says He is in the Light

Sunday, March 30, 2008

"Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is

still in darkness." (1 John 2:9, ESV)

1. The text today tells us that the professor's claim to be in the light is nullified by his actions of hating a brother. He is still living in darkness despite his boasting about belonging to God.

"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." (1 John 1:5, ESV)

All real believers endure to the end. Their continuance in well doing is the mark which distinguishes them from mere professors. A special Providence cares for them, and they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Article XI Perseverance BFM 1925

2. This is the same person who already said that he has fellowship with God (1:6) and that he knows God (2:4). He makes this known to everyone who lends a listening ear. But his words do not match his deeds; his claim is worthless, because his conduct contradicts it; his profession of light translates into a life of darkness;

"If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." (1 John 1:6, ESV)

"Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him," (1 John 2:4, ESV)

3. John tells us in the third chapter that whoever hates his brother is continuing a lifestyle of sin, has not been born again, and is complete darkness.

"No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:6-10, ESV)

4. What we have here are persons with visible, though temporary, connection with the church. However, their behavior makes it evident they have never left the darkness. Jesus gives us this example in Matt 13:24-30.

" He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”" (Matthew 13:24-30, ESV)

" All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 13:34-43, ESV)

5. The conclusion is clear: they are lost. They have never been regenerated. Those who hate their brother differ from the children of God in that they are still in the darkness and may even love being in that state (John 3:19).

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." (John 3:19-21, ESV)

6. The gravity of this situation is that the one who claims to be in the light but does not love his brother is deceived and in reality is a member of the kingdom of darkness.

" Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14, ESV)

7. There are no shades of gray when it comes to John’s discussion of an individual’s relationship with God. One is either in the light or in darkness. One either loves his brother or hates him.

"Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness." (Luke 11:34, ESV)

8. We are not to be partakers of those who live in darkness but instead are to expose them.

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Ephesians 5:11, ESV)

9. When someone is in the light, he is enabled to love. The one who is in darkness has no capacity to love, his eyes have been blinded by the darkness and he can not see where he is going.

"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." (1 John 2:11, ESV)

10. To hate a brother is no small matter. John repeats the thought of this text in each of the next two chapters when he says, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (3:15), and

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar” (4:20). Whoever hates a Christian brother breaks God’s commands, is devoid of truth, and lives in spiritual darkness.

"Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (1 John 3:15, ESV)

"If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen." (1 John 4:20, ESV)

11. For those living in darkness, John leaves the door open so that they may repent and come to the light. John writes that they are “still” in darkness. They need not stay there. They are welcome to come to a knowledge of the truth, lead a godly life, love the members of the church, and live in the light of the gospel.

" Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”" (John 8:12, ESV)

"I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." (John 12:46, ESV)