Christian Living

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The biblical letter of First John is a study in contrasts. It contrasts our words with our actions. The message is that our actions should line up with what we say…and what we believe.

First John 1:1-4 tells us that the writer is presenting firsthand information. He was taught these things from Christ Himself. He was a disciple and friend of Jesus.

John then begins to teach:

1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

John later goes on to identify ‘darkness’ with ‘sin’. It would follow that ‘light’ would indicate the absence of ‘sin’. The ‘light’ would be the purity of God. That which is holy. He is holy and holiness is measured by His ruler.

John tells us that God is perfection. God’s standard is the standard that matters. God’s essence is good and there is nothing lacking in Him.

1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

Verse 6 points out that there can be a discrepancy between what we say and what we do. These warnings are not merely informational, but seek to motivate us to evaluate our walk with Christ to see if we are living the way we should be living. They call on the Christian to diligently seek God’s will in our lives. If we are not seeking to know and do God’s will, we are being lax in our Christian duties.

If God walks in the Light, but we walk in darkness, it stands to reason that we are not walking with God. We take ourselves out of the righteousness that a close relationship to God provides. The end of verse six even labels the one walking in darkness, but claiming to walk in the Light, as a liar who is not living by the Truth of God’s word.

1:7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

The Christian is admonished to walk in the Light, as much as is possible through God’s grace and power. We should seek to be closer to God every minute of our lives. Verse 7 says that this promotes a closeness between Christians and, because of our closeness to God through Jesus, the sins we do commit are cleansed from us.

To be continued…


(C) 2010 Robert Driskell

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