How to Walk In the Light
April 28 | Rick Thiemke
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1 John 1:5 - 2:11
Walking in the Light
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. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Christ Our Advocate
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
The New Commandment
7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 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.
John, the disciple of Jesus and writer of the Gospel of John, has aged in years and understanding as he writes these words to early followers of Christ. This particular group of believers were made up of Jews and Greeks. Those were radically different cultures. They had found common ground in Jesus Christ. Over time, however, they were forgetting the unity into which Jesus had saved them. Their differences were rising. The church was becoming divided. John was grieving this and writing to correct them.
When We Walk In The Light
God is light (verse 1:5). The imagery of the word light for God is woven throughout scripture (Psalm 27:1). Light enables vision, produces growth, reveals beauty, exposes blemishes, guides travelers and warms the earth. Light symbolizes God’s communication (what God reveals) and His character (who God is). Jesus is light. In the gospel of John 8:2, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, “at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).
As followers of Jesus, we have been called out of the kingdom of darkness into the light of Jesus’ Kingdom (1 Peter 2:9). John calls believers to walk in the light. What happens when we walk in the light?
We have fellowship (holding our lives in common) with God and with others (verse 7). The work of Jesus applied to our lives through faith, restores relationship with the Father and gives us instantaneous relationship with others that follow Him.
We are cleansed by Christ (verse 7). Our sin (actions and condition) is removed from us and the righteousness of Jesus is applied to us. This does not make us sinless and perfection is not yet a reality (verse 8).
These truths make us walk differently through this life.
How Do I Walk In the Light?
We walk in the light of His character and His work in our lives. This light is shining now in us (verse 2:8). What does John say this new walk looks like?
It is a life of love (verse 2:9-10). Love is a fruit of light. Hatred is a fruit of darkness. John is clear: you cannot claim to walk in the light and hate your brother. It is a lie. If you are walking and abiding in Jesus, your life will be a life of love for others.
It is a life of continual confession (1:9). You can see when you are in the light. When you walk in the light you can see and recognize your sins, and be convicted of your sins. As you walk with Jesus, and the holiness and the light of His nature reveals your sin to you, you confess them to the Lord and others. We are not to avoid our sin, but admit them so that fellowship is fulfilled.
It is a life of obedience to Jesus (verses 2:3-5). We are to “walk in the same way in which He walked” (verse 2:6). Jesus' teachings and life are our example.
When we walk in the light of God’s truth, we fulfill the mission He has called us to - “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).
Discussion Questions
Light is a common theme in Scripture. How does the image of light help you understand who God is?
What is the relationship between belief and action according to John? What do your actions say about your relationship with Jesus?
How does the truth that Jesus is “the light of the world” fuel the mission of God’s people?