Walking in the Light

Background Scripture: 1 John 1-2
Lesson Scripture: 1 John 1:4-10; 2:7-11

Introduction

Today’s lesson text portrays God as light. God is associated with light throughout the entire Bible. He creates light in the first chapter of the Bible, and He Himself is the light in the last. God and his light are extremely important, as man is incapable of generating his own. Left to our own devices, we gravitate toward darkness. To be set free, we need God’s light. We can gain a better understanding of what it means to walk in light by the study of this lesson.

Key Verse

He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him (Dan. 2:22).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

The first verse in the lesson scripture states one of John’s motivations for writing: “That your joy may be full.” Asking “Why” or “What does it mean” can be helpful in studying the Bible. Why did John write? He wrote these things because he wanted to remove any obstacles that may hinder complete Christian joy. If hearing about God’s light could provide joy to these early believers, it can do so for us also.

The people John wrote to were faced with a specific threat, which he was led to address. This threat was made up of people who were denying how central the humanity of Christ was to the gospel. In a sense, the deception John was confronting placed the value of knowledge and understanding above Christ Himself. Along with this, those embracing this erroneous teaching denied their own sinfulness. Because man’s sinfulness is the cause of his need, a Savior from among men was necessary. Without this, the entire gospel plan is on shaky ground. This perversion of the gospel could certainly have presented a barrier to true, Christ-centered joy.

John’s letter offers a timeless truth to build on: “That which was from the beginning” (1 John 1:1). He sets the record straight on what is solid ground. He contrasts God’s light with darkness, love with hate, and truth with the lies of a false gospel. These contrasts drew a dividing line between those who accepted the whole gospel and the deceivers who were trying to use a part of it for their own purposes.

In the end, those who love God and their brethren are still the true believers. It was an old commandment but one that Jesus elevated to new standards. His sacrificial love to the point of death on the cross is the new benchmark. With this now in focus, are we walking in the light of love?

Practical Truths for Today

God is portrayed in many ways throughout Scripture. He is portrayed as Creator and Father. We are told He is jealous and is love itself. After their deliverance from Egypt, Israel sang that God was a warrior. By placing all these descriptions of God in their right context, we can better understand not only who God is but what He is.

But how are we supposed to understand God as light? Being in God’s light means we are in his presence. In Revelation, it seems that his light replaces the natural light of sun and moon. The psalmist writes that our secret sins are exposed by the light. In his Gospel, John writes that those who do evil avoid the light, while those who do the truth seek to be in it.

Light is uncompromising; it does not abide with darkness, nor can it be diluted or divided up. People try to merge philosophy with the gospel while eliminating other parts of it entirely. It is impossible to divide up the attributes of God in Christ, but the tendency to do so is still a human one. Humanity is quick to embrace the love, warmth, and benevolent aspects of God’s light. We are less inclined to embrace the aspects that make up the discernment and judgments of God. Some will even refer to these aspects of God as barbaric, harsh, and outdated. We cannot choose to embrace some attributes of God and reject the others. We cannot live in the warm, loving light of a Father God without having our hidden sins exposed. Intentional exposure and confession of sins is the mark of someone who places all his confidence in God’s grace and forgiveness. Admitting our sin will never be a comfortable process. We do not have the luxury of embracing the easy aspects of the gospel and rejecting that which is uncomfortable. With God, it is all or nothing.

Society around us is moving away from upholding a right moral standard. Boundaries have been blurred between good and evil. Society promotes love but does not ask others to change their ways. Christian believers must not slip into the trap of trading love for tolerance. Letting a brother sin or take a wrong direction without addressing it is not love. It may be difficult to do, but the cost of giving or receiving an admonition is nothing in the light of eternity.

Something even more important and difficult than being our brother’s keeper is facing our own need. Being tolerant of others’ sin is less problematic than the tolerance I may have for mine. How easily I can give myself the benefit of the doubt. I can cut myself slack because my intentions were good. I can move on from poor behavior and call it just a blip on the radar. God desires us to bring those things to Him too. He doesn’t want us to present Him with a sterilized and varnished version of ourselves. Who we are at our worst is still who we are. What is salvation for if not to regenerate the worst of human nature?

For those who love truth, the costs associated with walking in the light are worth it. Jesus provides a way for us to dwell fully in the light, but we must use it. We will need to take advantage of the way He provides and present our filthy garments for closer inspection. Inviting God’s perfect discernment into our lives will mean allowing ourselves to be judged for who we are. This will require us to be honest with our motives and not downplay the stain that sin leaves on our lives. As we do this, our personal need of a Savior will become strikingly clear and meaningful. When our sin is before us (Ps. 51:3), we continually find the need to appeal for grace. The Bible promises that where sin abounds, grace abounds even more, but there is grace only if we embrace the whole gospel. Embracing all of it makes us the sinner and God the source of redemption. If we allow these lines to blur and try to claim a good reputation for our own glory, we end up forfeiting God’s blessings.

Adam and Eve separated themselves from God by their sin. They felt exposed in their nakedness and covered themselves with fig leaves. When they heard God walking in the garden, they hid. Neither of these attempts to conceal what they had done were successful. Christ’s work on the cross restored man to a place of acceptance before God. Rather than trying to hide who we are like Adam and Eve did, we can stand worthy in the presence of God. We can experience the warmth of God’s benevolence if we embrace the accompanying light. It will be worth it. Like John recorded in the timeless words of his epistle, it is the path to complete joy.

Questions

1. First John 1:9 says we will be forgiven if we confess our sin. In the context of this verse, what is confession?
2. This lesson suggests that walking in the light may result in loss of reputation. “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26). Discuss how this might apply.

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).