Commands of Christ-26b

Last week was the second week of studying what the Bible (especially Jesus and the NT tells about “walking in the light.”

As I said the first week, I can’t seem to make things easy.

I especially feel like there is a depth to this concept of “walking in the Light” that needs to be dug out of God’s Word and put into a greater practice in our lives.

As many times as the concept is mentioned in just the NT (it’s in the OT, too) there is something more that we need to discover.

Multiple times Jesus and the epistles tell us to “walk in the light.”

For example:

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.”

Following Jesus obviously means walking in the Light of Jesus.

John 12:35–36 (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. 36 “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.

While we have the Light, let’s walk in it

While we have the light let’s take a firm hold on it, believe it, become children of light.

Ephesians 5:8–9 (NASB95) for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

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. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 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.

For the past 2 weeks we have been digging to try and determine what are these scriptures actually trying to tell us.

We started 2 weeks ago by drawing a T-chart:

On one side we put “light”

And on the other we put the darkness that corresponds to that light.

IE:

Light= good Darkness= Evil

Being directed by Holy Spirit Guidance | Being directed by the flesh (sin nature)

Truth | Lies, deceipt

Peace | Turmoil

You see how we started looking at light and dark. We are talking about:

Morality

Ethics

Knowledge

Wisdom

Salvation

Just for a few minutes tonight, let me talk about another component of “walking in the light” that did not get listed.

Sunday night, Brother Rick talked about the depth of the Hebrew word, “Shalom”

I need to get with him and get him to share again what he said so I can write it down.

In any case, this I DO, know, “shalom” is more than a couple of Jews greeting each other.

The Believers Church Bible Commentary says:

SHALOM [is] A Hebrew term for peace which describes comprehensive well-being. Shalom, while used in a daily greeting among the Hebrews, is a weighty theological term in the Old Testament. Shalom embraces concepts of harmony, security, serenity, right relationships, wholeness, health, prosperity, and even success.

The Light of Shalom, comprehensive well-being, wholeness, serenity, can be snatched from us in the blink of an eye.

In a heartbeat light, even the Light of Jesus, can turn into intense, painful darkness.

How?

By the circumstances of life.

In a moment, the twinkling of an eye, we step from glorious light into, as St. John of the Cross called it: “the dark night of the soul.”

What do we do then?

I think, at least partially, it goes back to what we heard Jesus say in

John 12:36 (NASB95) “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” …

If you are not going through a crisis of darkness, then fortify yourself for the darkness that IS coming.

Let’s be real.

We are NOT in heaven.

We live on a fallen earth where there is sickness, sadness, separation, death, financial difficulties, violence, injustice — oh, the list goes on and on.

It is ONLY when we get to heaven that these dark things will be removed.

So right now, determine to saturate yourself with the Light of Jesus.

Light that comes through total commitment to Jesus, to His will, to the Bible, through worship, through prayer, through fellowship with other believers, through service.

And then when the darkness comes, and it will, you will still have the Light of Jesus in the core of your being.

John 1:4–5 (NLT) The Word [talking about Jesus] gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Believe in the Light of Jesus.

Truly believe and trust in His light — and the darkness can never extinguish it.

There are several widows in our church going through the one year anniversary of their husbands death right now.

The ones who are doing the best are the ones BELIEVE in the Light.

I pray that those who are struggling with the “dark night of the soul,” a complete loss of shalom, PLEASE turn to Jesus.

As Him to rekindle His light at the core of your being.

Ask the Holy Spirit to fan the flame until it burns bright.

Until Jesus, the Light, overwhelms the darkness of whatever trial you are facing.

This past Sunday, we had a prayer expressed.

A prayer I believe was prayed in the Holy Spirit.

A prayer given to us in our native tongue so that we can say, “Amen,” Lord let it be so in my life.

It said:

PROPHETIC PRAYER – Nancy Kessinger 08.21.22

Holy, holy, holy are You, mighty are You, Lord God Almighty. The living Lord, the living King. Lord of all Lords and King of all kings. Cause yourself to be known by us that we may know You. That we may know You and the power of Your resurrection, and even the suffering of Your death.

That we may know You…spirit, soul, heart, and body, our entire life, that we may be utterly, utterly saturated with You. Oh, Lord God, King of kings, Holy One. Holy, holy, holy One. Most High, Your Majesty, the King. Your Majesty, the King. Manifest Yourself IN us and through us.

Oh, Your Majesty, Jesus. Yeshua. The Christ, the anointed One who lives in us…cause the whole world to see and know You. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and we shall live to see this day. We shall live to see Your will be done to us, in us, and through us as it is in heaven.

We are the light of the world because you are the light in us. Thank you, Lord, that we’re going beyond just reflecting Your light. Thank you that we are being wholly and completely saturated by You, opening up unto You and allowing the Light to shine through us. To minister through us. To free the captives. To free the slaves. To heal the broken-hearted.

You know where every piece of every broken heart is. You know where every fragment of every soul is. Every piece of every personality You know. And nothing is impossible with you! Absolutely nothing is impossible with You! Thank you for manifesting Your glory, Your very presence, Your will, and Your way to, in, and through us – Your people, the body of Christ.

Aside from “not participat[ing] in the unfruitful deeds of darkness” what else are we supposed to do about them?

Expose them - uh-oh! This is NOT what we want to do because …

What does this accomplish?

A warning to others

Help others to avoid the traps

Explore It (In 1 John 1 & 2)

1 John 1:5–7 (NASB 2020) 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. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 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.

1 John 2:7-11 (NASB) 7  Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8  On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. 9  The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10  The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11  But the one who 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.

What message did the writer hear and declare? (1:5)

God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all

What inconsistency did John address? (1:6)

What we say vs. how we live

What results from "walking in the light"? (1:7)

Fellowship with …

Cleansing of sin

What did John say he was giving to his readers? (2:7-8)

A new commandment because the darkness is passing away and the TRUE light is already shining

Dark Ages

How are claiming to be a Christian and loving one’s fellow Christians related? (2:9-11)

Get It

After studying all these passages, how can we "walk in the light"?

How important is fellowship with other believers to you? In relationship with “walking in the light?”

How can we get to know God better?

What does the way in which we treat other believers reveal about us?

What confidence does Jesus’ atoning death give to us?

What confidence should our relationship with the Father give us?

What area of your life do you need to examine in order to see your sins more clearly?

How do you need to change the way you relate to fellow believers in order to develop a deeper relationship with God (to walk in the light)?

Apply It

What steps will you take this week to walk in the light?

Adult Questions for LESSONMaker.