As we continue through 1 John, we have seen that John is very precise about his meaning. And today that is important, because there are those critics that will say that the Bible was written for some power or prestige. But this is not what we see. The Bible speaks to the failures of the disciples. They weren’t there at the crucifixion, other than John, and they ran away. They were not the heroes of this message. John is being precise so that everyone will know that this message is all about Jesus.
At the time, people were trying to manipulate the message. They wanted to make Jesus so sort of spirit, and disconnect the message from the physical world. They did this so that they could connect spiritually with the spiritual message but still do all those things in the physical world that they wanted to do. Does this sound familiar? We live in a day today with a very similar message. People will say they are “spiritual” but will live a life contrary to the life that God calls us to live.
So John makes clear that God is light. Jesus didn’t die on the cross for some moral lesson, or as some model, but he died on the cross to atone for our sins. To make a way. To overcome the impassible division between us and God. So if we say that God love’s me, then I continue to sin and God is OK with it, we are wrong.
The Biblical definition of fellowship is a unity among a group of people. But if we sin regularly and yet claim fellowship, we are liars. This isn’t saying we won’t sin, but it speaks to regular, known sin that we are unwilling to address. Make sure that you don’t get to the place that you are numb to your sin. If you reject repentance of sin, you are walking outside the unity and fellowship with God.
There is one thing to be clear. The struggles we have with sin affects our relationship with God. But it does not disqualify us in our salvation. Those who reject Jesus as their savior is a matter of life or death. But once we accept the truth of Jesus and accept him as Lord and Savior, salvation is given.
Written by the same John, here we see Jesus speaking with Nicodemus. Jesus tells Nicodemus that you have to be born again. What light God has brought to man is completely different than anything created by man. The light has come into the world (Jesus), and those who love the darkness (loves sin) will not want to go into the light. But those who love truth will see the light, and they will see where they are separated from God.
When you see God as light, you will see that it is in the context of the revealing nature of God. In another context, God’s light points to a righteous life and relationship with God ().
He will always be working with us and through us, revealing his light, and let us join and step into that 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. (ESV)
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (ESV)
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (ESV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (ESV)