Stumbling around in the dark is dangerous and you can get hurt. Stumbling through life is no different. Today we are talking about walking in the light.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Watch the video of this teaching at https://www.celllifechurch.tv/walking-in-the-light/ or on our YouTube channel
Today we are talking about walking in the light. God is the light of the world and in Him there is no darkness. When we talk about walking in the light we’re talking about walking with God.
The Apostle John shares some great wisdom in the book of First John and some of that wisdom relates to walking in the light. Let’s first look at our relationship with God while we walk in the light by reading 1 John 1:5-7
(5) This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (6) If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin.
Sometimes we can find ourselves without electricity and the lights go out. This can be because of a storm or some other accident, we are out camping and there is no power, or we live in a part of the world where electricity is not common or is a luxury. Whatever the case, we can find ourselves in some sort of darkness and without light to see by.
It can be very dark at night when there is no light, but, when you turn on a flashlight some of the darkness goes away. A flashlight or lantern cannot dispel all of the darkness, but a flashlight can light the way in the direction it is pointed, and a lantern can light the small general area it is shining in.
Light and darkness cannot exist in the same place at the same time. That is a simple physical truth. When you turn on a light the darkness is gone. In the same way, God is light, and this light is good.
When speaking of darkness in the Bible, darkness represents evil. Much like physical light and dark, good and evil cannot occupy the same place at the same time. Light always makes darkness go away and God’s presence always makes evil flee.
Much like a flashlight or lantern we, as Christians, can be used by God as a light pointed in a direction like a flashlight or a lantern lighting up a small general area to help others near us walk in the light. However, only God can light up the whole world.
The same is true for our lives. We cannot be Christians, or children of the light as John says, and associate with darkness. If we say we are Christians and still live like the world lives, we are lying and not living in God’s truth. Truth always lives in the light. Lies always live in the darkness. Our sin lives in darkness.
Our lives should look different from the world. It is not a source of pride or a place to look down on others from, but we should be noticeably different. We have been freed from the rules and customs of the world and rest in the glory and freedom of God in Christ Jesus.
To have fellowship with God and each other we must walk in His truth in the light and allow the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all our sin. Let’s read 1 John 1:8-10.
(8) If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Sin is anything that separates us from God. It is the things that are self-focused. In other words, sin is all about the individual, where the Christian is called to be like Jesus and be selfless. We cannot be totally selfless though while we inhabit this world. The carnal nature of our beings causes us to be self-focused. It is a constant battle.
Jesus is the one who cleanses us from all our sin. Jesus is the only one who can do this. We cannot atone for our sin. Only Jesus can cleanse us so we can be in right relationship with God. When we confess our sin, Jesus is faithful to forgive us. This is what keeps us walking in the light and in right fellowship with God and one another.
Confessing our sin to God lightens our burden. The weight of sin is heavy, and hiding our sin makes it heavier. The longer we hide our sin the heavier the burden gets and the darkness around us gets deeper and darker. Jesus wants to lighten the burden on us and dispel the darkness from around us. He tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
However, there are some who deny any sin in their life. The Apostle John is very clear that anyone who denies sin in their life is not living in the light and Jesus’ word is not in them.
Let’s read 1 John 2:1-2
(1) My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (2) He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
As members of the family of God, we must try not to sin. We must avoid the temptations that cause us to sin. We need to realize that we will not be completely without sin until we are in Heaven with Jesus. This is what the Apostle Paul is referring to when he says we are working out our salvation daily recorded in Philippians 2:12.
The important thing is to recognize when we sin and to confess that sin to God. This allows Jesus to intercede for us and cleanse us from that sin. This is what forgives us and allows us to continue to walk in the light and be in right fellowship with God and one another.
This is also what we must understand about others. None of us are perfect. We all fall short of the glory of God and make mistakes. However, we all have the opportunity to return to the cross, time and again, and receive the cleansing flow of forgiveness from Jesus. Jesus will shine a light around us so we can see and move beyond the darkness we find ourselves in.
But we cannot even be boastful that this is just for us, individually. Christ died on the cross paying the sin debt for the whole world. Anyone can confess their sins, turn to Jesus, and ask Him to be their Lord and Savior, and they are forgiven and will walk in the light with us in fellowship with God forever; Anyone!
John tells us in John 3:16-17 that this was the reason why God sent Jesus to earth. It was so anyone could be restored to a right relationship with him and avoid eternal separation from God. Friends, we encourage you to shine a light on the dark places of your lives. Ask God to use the Holy Spirit to point out the dark places in your life.
Confess the sin the Holy Spirit points out to you. Confess it to God and ask for forgiveness. Share this with a trusted brother or sister in the Lord so they can help you from falling to the same temptation in the future. Allow Jesus’s cleansing blood to atone for that sin and lighten your burden.
It is only with a light burden and easy yoke that we can truly fellowship with God and serve Him by loving the people of this world. It is only with a light burden that we can be effective witnesses of the saving power and miracles of Jesus Christ to this world. This is how we walk in the light.
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