Walking In The Light

1 John 1:5-7

^"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you:

God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.

⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness,

we lie and do not live by 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,

purifies us from all sin."

The book of 1 John is a book that uses the contrasts of opposites over and over again to give a clear picture of what we are on our own, in the sinful nature that we were born into, and of what we are when we become children of God. In this short passage, we see the difference between walking in darkness, and walking in the light…

The opening verse is one of my favorite verses in the Bible! As a child, I was afraid of the dark. Darkness blinds a person, and it can cause one to stumble and trip over things that would not be a problem if there was light to show us these obstacles. Because God is light, His presence dispels the darkness and helps us to see clearly! He invites us to come walk in His wonderful light, and I long to do just that! I am reminded of some verses, found in Colossians 1:12 and 13, which say:

“…the Father…has qualified you to share in the inheritance

of the saints in the kingdom of light.

For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness

and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves…”

Also, in John 3:19-21, we read Jesus’ words on this subject:

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world,

but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  

Everyone who does evil hates the light,

and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light,

so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done

has been done through God.”

We cannot find our own way into God’s kingdom – we must allow Him to rescue us from our old way of life. If we say that we are in the light, but continue to cling to the darkness, we lie. We cannot continue living in the darkness of sinful choices and evil deeds, yet claim to have a relationship with the Lord. Since Jesus IS the TRUTH, He cannot dwell (or abide) in the heart of a person who chooses not to “live by the truth”. We must choose either one or the other – darkness or light – because the two cannot abide together.

God is the One who enables us to come into His “kingdom of light”. As we respond to His call, His power works within us, drawing us out of the darkness. The obstacles of sin that we continually tripped over while living apart from Him are easier to identify when illuminated by the light of His truth, and we find it easier to avoid stumbling back into them. We can now enjoy a close fellowship with the Lord, and we are also told that we will have fellowship with one another, that is, with other true believers

So here we are, enjoying fellowship with God and with each other (see 1 John 1:3), living in that kingdom of light that He has promised those who will follow Him. Although we do it imperfectly, because of our tendency to wander back into the darkness at times, we start to experience that better life that God offers us.

Another benefit of walking in God’s light is that “the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin”. Where before we were afraid that our evil deeds would be exposed if we entered into the light, we now have this promise of being cleansed from all of our sin. Through Jesus’ death on the cross as a sacrifice for our sin, we are purified (or cleansed) from all of our sins, and from that sinful way of life that we are so prone to falling into when we try to walk on our own strength, apart from Him! I am reminded that I cannot try to clean up my life first, while still walking alone in the darkness, so that I will be ‘good enough’ to come to Him. I need to step into the light, where He is, and only there, in His power, and by His grace, will I be purified. I love the simple, life giving words in the following hymn:

Nothing But The Blood

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

 

Proclaiming the Word of Life

There is a small book of the Bible, almost at the end, called 1 John. I used to think, "Yeah, that's the book that mostly says 'Love one another' in many different ways." But that was the book that I decided to read and study this past fall/winter! I loved the time I spent studying it, and I have learned to think of it differently now. To me, it is almost like a 'mini-Bible', containing the good news of all God wanted to share with us, condensed into 5 loaded chapters. I have said to my husband, "If every Bible were taken away from me, and I was only left with the book of 1 John... Wow! I would still be so blessed! I would have so much to teach me about how to live in Christ!" 
Although I finished my study of this book a few months ago, I have kept feeling like I want to go back to it, to go over it just one more time. And then, every time I do, I'm left with that feeling again! So, after wondering what I should write for my next blog, and actually writing a few that I just wasn't sure I wanted to post, I had a moment in which I realized why all my other thoughts were just not coming out quite right - it's because in my heart, I just wanted to share my love of the book of 1 John, and I wanted to write out a few of the things that I learned as I read, and re-read these chapters again and again.  

 

Chapter 1:1-4
 

¹That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen

with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched

- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it,

and we proclaim to you the eternal life,

which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,

so that you also may have fellowship with us.

And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

⁴ We write this to make our joy complete.

Jesus was there in the beginning... "In the beginning was the Word..." He was with God before the Earth began; still there as God, through Jesus, created everything that has been made (John 1:3, Hebrews 1:2). Eventually, when the appointed time came, He became flesh and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14) 

In that time when Jesus lived on this Earth, people saw, they heard, they touched Jesus, and now they wanted to proclaim what they had experienced. John, as one of Jesus' disciples, was one of those people. Imagine the awe that he felt when he realized that he had heard God speak, as he listened to Jesus' teachings. When he realized that he had seen Him, that he had watched the very hand of God work miracles, as His Son restored sight to the blind, healed the sick, and raised the dead to life! His hands had touched his Creator, and he had been touched by Him. His dusty, travel weary feet had been washed by the One who would die so that his heart may also be washed, and cleansed, from sin! 

John's words bear weight, for he was a first-hand eye-witness of Jesus. The words that he, and many others, testified and wrote about thousands of years ago have been preserved all this time, so that we too, may hear these words of life. Through faith in this life that came down from the Father - that is, the life of Jesus - lies the only key to eternal life! These things had been made known and become clear to Jesus' followers, and they did not want to keep it to themselves. They felt a need to share it with everyone, and so they did.

In his life, and in his writings, John was playing a part in fulfilling the Great Commission, which were the last words that Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended into Heaven to be with the Father. Matthew 28:19 and 20 say:

"Go and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to obey

everything I have commanded you..."

 

Not only did he teach the group of people that this letter was originally written to, but God has preserved His Word, the Bible, as well as this book, which is a small part of it, so that we might still learn the truths that it contains today.

To speak of that which one has a great interest in, a great passion for, brings joy to a person! John's joy was made complete as he shared the good news of Jesus. As I studied through this book, I found eight specific passages in which I thought the gospel was beautifully shared:

1 John 1:7 - The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.

1 John 2:1 and 2 - If anyone sins, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense -         Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sin, and not only for
         ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 3:5 - Jesus appeared so that He might take away our sins. In Him is no sin.

1 John 3:8 - The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

1 John 3:16 - Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.

1 John 4:9 and 10 - God sent His only Son into the world that we might live through Him. 
          God loved us, and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

1 John 4:14 - God the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.

1 John 5:11 and 12 - God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has
         the Son of God has life, and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

As I read through this list, I am reminded of what I have been saved from - sin and death and judgement - and what I have been saved to! It was Jesus' sacrifice that made a way for me, and for everyone who will believe. Through the blood that Jesus shed for us, we can be purified, and as the last reference points out, it is through Him that we can have eternal life. To those that have received this gift, there is sweet fellowship as we walk in the light of His love, there is a close relationship with God and with other true believers. For those who have not yet accepted this gift, there is an invitation to come, so that they too, might take part in the relationship that God, in His love, offers us through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. May we, as God's children, reach out to those who have not yet heard! 

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Revive My Soul!

 

Psalm 19

 



The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they display knowledge.
³ There is no speech or language
    where their voice is not heard.
⁴  Their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun,
⁵     which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is hidden from its heat.

 

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure,
    and altogether righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the comb.
¹¹ By them Your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can discern his errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.
¹³ Keep Your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.

 

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in Your sight,
   O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

This Psalm has constantly been finding its way into my thoughts for quite a few weeks!

I love the way the psalmist (David) starts by acknowledging God's work of creation, which teaches us so much about Him. God loves beauty and variety, His creative ability is infinite! All of creation points us to a Higher Power, and He is revealed to man by what is seen as we look at our world, as we look up at the sky. For me, the more I learn about the great universe we live in, the more I am in awe of the One who made it all. I believe that God made it all in such a wondrous way, well, because that's who He is; that's what He is like! Creation is intended to point us to our great God, and it should bring us to a point of praise and worship of Him, like is expressed in this Psalm. I think of the verse in Romans 1:20, where it says:

 

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities

- His eternal power and divine nature -

have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,

so that men are without excuse."

As the psalmist goes on in his beautiful prayer of worship, he gives us a neat picture of the sun. In so many ways, the sun reminds me of the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is our great bridegroom, and one day He will come forth to sweep His bride (every true believer) away to our forever home in Heaven. Nothing can escape His heat... Jesus shines His light on our hearts, which, before Him, are as dark as night because of our sin. When we truly come before Him with hearts that are humbled, hearts that are aware of His perfect righteousness, we become very aware of our sin and how it separates us from His glory. We become aware that without Him, we are helpless, just like our planet would be helpless without the warmth and light of the sun. We realize our total need for Jesus to come and deliver us, to cleanse us. A different version uses this wording at the end of verse 6: "...nothing is deprived of its warmth." I am so thankful that there is not a person that would be rejected by the Lord, no one who would be denied the cleansing power of Jesus' blood. God's grace to mankind, His gift of restoring us through Jesus Christ, is for everyone! Here are some verses that show this: John 1:12, and Romans 3:22:

"Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God."



"This righteousness from God comes through

faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe."

I think of the sun, every day, doing what God made it to do, "...like a champion rejoicing to run his course." I want to be like that. God has made me for a purpose also, and every day when I wake up, as I go through the day that the Lord has given me, I would wish that I would rejoice as I run the course that He has marked out for me! I think of the motivating verses in Hebrews 12:1-3, quoting the part that I'm reminded of:

"...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith..."  

 

Verses 7-11 of this Psalm remind me so much of Psalm 119. Years ago, as a teenager, I set out to memorize this 'longest chapter of the Bible', and though it remains on my list of unfinished items :), I learned a lot as I meditated on what I did memorize! The whole psalm seemed to have a theme of declaring love for the Word of God. The writer sought the wisdom that God's Word brought him, loving it more than anything this world could offer, he was committed to walking in the ways of the Lord as the Scriptures revealed it to him... This psalm also, shows such a deep love for God's Word! From this section of verses in Psalm 19, here are some things that the Word of God is:

 

Perfect

Trustworthy

Right

Radiant

Pure

Sure

Righteous

Precious

Sweet



 

Here are some of the things that searching the Word of God will do in a believer's life:

 

It will revive our soul!

It will make us wise!

It will bring joy to our hearts!

It will give light to our eyes!

It will endure forever!

Living by it will bring great reward!

 



Hebrews 4:12 says:

"For the word of God is living and active.

Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,

joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

 

As I think about the last few verses of Psalm 19, I see this very thing happening in David's heart as he prays. He has spent time worshipping God, and he has seen the Word of God do two things - it has revealed God's character, His splendor, and it has shown David his own heart. He is humbled before his God, knowing that he isn't worthy. But... God's great love is evident in the way He reveals Himself to David. It is evident in the blessings that He gives as we submit to following Him. We are unworthy, but praise God, He has made a way!!! The way is revealed to us fully now, as we read through the New Testament - the way is Jesus Christ! John 14:6 says:

 

Jesus answered, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.

No one comes to the Father except through ME."



David longed to give God his whole heart. He wanted to be pure from sin, which separates a person from a close relationship with God. He cried out, "Forgive my hidden faults", and asked the Lord to keep him from willful sins. He didn't want sin to rule over him. David's deep desire was to be pure and blameless before God, to be innocent of sin and transgressions.
 

Today, I cry out to God in the words of the psalmist. My life and my actions, like David's, are not always pure and perfect. I stumble and fall over and over again, as I try to walk in my own strength. I cannot accomplish on my own, what my heart desires. I live in a fallen world where, for now, sin constantly struggles to reign over me. But I hold on to what Jesus accomplished for me, when He died on the cross for my sin. He took my sin from me, and not only mine, and yours, but the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). He offered me His gift of righteousness. I gladly accept it, for it is the best gift I have ever been offered. Eternal Life, instead of what I deserve! As I think about all of this, I pray the closing words of Psalm 19 once more:

 

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord,

my Rock and my Redeemer!"

 



The Light of the World

The Bible has lots to say about light. Genesis 1 tells of God bringing light into the world He had just created. Genesis 1:3 and 4 say:

 

"And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness."

 

Have you ever thought about how God made light on Day 1 of creation, but waited until Day 4 to make the sun, moon, and stars? I used to wonder about that - how could there be light, and day and night, before there was a sun?! It seems that God gave us these lights so that we would be better able to mark the passing of time, as we can see in Genesis 1:14:

 

"And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky

 to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs

 to mark seasons and days and years...""

 

I love the creation account, where the story begins at the beginning of the Bible! Already there we can see that there is a Source of Light that is much greater than the sun that we see as the source of Earth's light.

 

In Isaiah chapter 9, we read one of the most well known prophecies of the coming Messiah. The prophecy starts with these words, from verse 2:

 

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned."

 

These words of prophecy are repeated in the book of Matthew (4:16), and in Luke (1:79), as Jesus came to fulfill that prophecy. He was that Great Light that came to illuminate the way for the people who were walking in darkness. When He was born, there was the bright star that led the magi from afar to find Him, stopping over the very house where He was (Matthew 2). For the shepherds, there was the angel that came and brought them the good news of the Savior born in Bethlehem. The dark night sky was lit up for them, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them (Luke 2)!

 

The gospel of John puts it more simply, and instead of recounting the details of Jesus' birth, he talks about the Word - who was with God, and who, in fact, was fully God - and about how He came and dwelt among us, wrapped in human flesh just like us. But there was something different about Him! John 1: 4 and 5 say:

 

"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

 

In John 8:12, Jesus Himself spoke clearly to us, proclaiming:

 

"I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows Me

will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

 



It seems that there is always a separation between light and darkness, and as we well know, the two cannot abide together. When God made light, He pronounced it good. In 1 John 1:5 we read:

 

"GOD IS LIGHT; in Him there is no darkness at all."

 

God is Light, and God is Good. We see that where there is an absence of light, there is an absence of God, and of course, that is not good. In fact, that is why darkness is associated with evil, because both are the opposite of God, and all He stands for. God is also Love, and just like He calls us to HIs light, just as He conforms us to His goodness, He will also work in us, to put His love into our hearts. I love the clear picture of walking in the light versus walking in the dark that 1 John 2:9-11 gives us:

 

"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother

is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is

nothing in him to make him stumble.

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness;

he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."

 

I don't want to stumble around blindly, and God's Word gives such clear instruction about how to get out of the darkness, and start walking in the light, as He is in the light. Psalm 119:105 says:

 

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

 

It's all in God's Word! He will show us the way if we seek Him with all our heart, and that is truly the desire of mine! Awhile ago, I was reading in the book of Matthew, and though I had often read these verses, sung songs about these verses as a kid, they just hit me in a fresh, new way that day. Chapter 5:14-16 quote Jesus talking to us, as believers...

 

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to the whole house.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see

your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven."
 





I have often struggled to know how it is that I can let my light shine before men. So often, I find myself being quiet when I know I should probably speak, and often as I sit there, I wonder, what would Jesus be saying right now, in this situation? As we just went through the Christmas holidays, I looked at the lights that were put out everywhere, announcing the season. They would be dim in comparison to the glorious light that God put in place that first Christmas as He announced His Son's birth. But they still remind us of the season. My light may often shine dim as well, in comparison to the glorious light of my Father in Heaven. To often, too much of my own nature still crowds out the new person that Jesus has created me to be, as I have placed my faith in Him. But I long to shine! The Lord has given me new life, and I don't want to try to hide it, or keep it to myself! I want to 'put my lamp on its stand, and allow it to give light to all who come near it'. I want to be a useful vessel, bringing praise to my Lord, as He is so full of glory, worthy of all our praise. I am but a small reflection of the True Light, but my prayer is that I would learn to let it shine anyway. I am glad that I have found that Light, that I am not walking in darkness anymore! One day, I will dwell in that wonderful place that He is preparing for all who will trust in Him, who will accept His Son, Jesus, as Savior from their sin. And there, we will have no need of any lesser lights, for the glory of God, and the light of the Lamb will shine on us!

Revelation 21:23 and 24a say:

 

"The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it,

for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

The nations will walk by its light..."

 

What a glorious hope awaits all of God's children!