5 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. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:5-7, ESV
Anyone who studies the life of John would say he had a special closeness with Jesus. But when John speaks of Jesus, he doesn’t conclude with the painful saying, “You just had to be there.” What an exclusionary phrase. No, instead, John invites us into the conversation Jesus shared with him and the disciples. His desire is for us to share in the fellowship with God that he experienced. But for us to do so, we must understand a few things. And these things are very black and white.
First, the message he shares with us, FROM Jesus, is that God is ALL light. No portion of Him is darkness. Light is not a possession or characteristic; it is His nature. From the Disciplers Bible Study by Suzie Klein, she says, “Notice that John does not state that God is merely “a” light or even “the” light, but simply God is light. Light is His very nature, just as God is spirit (John 4:24) and God is love (1 John 4:8 and 16).”
Light and darkness do not mix; they can’t be combined. We should keep in mind that if we desire fellowship with God and other believers, we must be walking in the light. To attempt anything else would make us a liar.
Walking in the light comes with many incredible benefits!
- We’re free from the bondage of sin.
- We experience the present and continuous cleansing of sin from Jesus.
- All of this allows us to have fellowship with God and other believers.
Does this mean we never make mistakes? No, but more on that next week.