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. ~1 John 1:5
This past Sunday’s message focused on a fellowship with God that resides in light and not darkness. Pastor Josh Daggett brought the Word and made clear that an intimate walk with God is walking in light rather than a self deceiving walk in darkness. Light and darkness are concepts often mentioned in the Bible and what are in view are the realities of truth and falsehood. Truth and lies can never co-exist just as light and darkness do not and cannot have fellowship.
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 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 1:6,7
What a wonderful reality it is that we can walk in fellowship with God, each other, and have the cleansing blood of Christ as a remedy for our sin! Pastor Daggett pointed out that should Satan accuse us before God, we would all be found guilty. Every human being from the beginning of time to the end of time is guilty before God’s righteousness! But God has made provision; God has made a way for the punishment of our sins to be satisfied fully in Jesus!
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. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. ~1 John 2:1,2
What a gracious and merciful God! It is mind boggling that we can walk with God in the light of His truth. Outside of this light is darkness, and self deception. In darkness there is only misery, error, and death. The Christian life should always endeavor to seek God and never wander from truth. God is in our lives as long as we are in light.
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! ~Psalm 119:10
If God is not in our lives, it is because we do not want Him there. We must remember God doesn’t live in the clouds somewhere, rather He is everywhere; He is omnipresent! God can be found in every place and in every situation however, He can only be found by those who are seeking Him with their whole heart. There is a promise from God Himself in the book of Deuteronomy…
But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. ~Deuteronomy 4:29
Sometimes we are guilty of only asking God into our lives when there is a crisis. We live our lives each day without prayer, without reading His Word, without even thanking Him for the day to day blessings He bestows upon us. This kind of life is dangerous and can lead to complacency. We soon find ourselves trying to live a moral life without the power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit. Our worship will become shallow and serving God’s people will become tedious. The problem is that we have moved away from our life-giving source and are walking in darkness. We have wandered…
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; ~Isaiah 53:6a
Walking with God is to give every recess of our heart to Him. No matter how dark, we must allow His presence to indwell every nook and cranny of our being. It is only by the presence of God in our lives that we are able to remain obedient to His Word. Is there some area of your life that God doesn’t seem to be a part of? Is there a part of your life where some sin still reigns over you? Invite God into it and the darkness will flee!
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 1:7