scripture reading
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that 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 that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
devotional reading
Ava wanted to make sure the conditions were exactly right before she tenderly placed each seed in its own container. She scooped rich, dark soil from her mother’s compost pile and placed it meticulously into 20 teensy clay pots. After reading the instructions very carefully, she gently pressed each seed to the proper depth. Joy showed on her face after each tiny pot was filled to the brim. The tin watering-can was close by, so she tipped it over, paying special attention not to saturate the dirt. She knew she needed to keep the soil warm, so she placed the pots tightly together in an old wooden crate she found by the chicken coop. Ava did not want anything to stand in the way of her flower’s growth. She carefully picked up the wooden crate and carried it to the darkest place she could think of. She felt if she covered the seedlings in darkness, it would give them the best chance at living. Little did she know, she was deceiving herself and preventing any chance of growth for her beautiful flowers.
God’s Light | 1 John 1:5 | In this section of scripture, we find that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). In this one simple verse, we clearly see the holiness of God. What is God’s holiness? Holiness, in the highest sense, belongs only to God. [1] Revelation 15:4 says, “Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” God alone is holy in nature. Because God is holy (light), he cannot be in the presence of sin (darkness). Darkness and light cannot exist in the same place.[2]
God’s Light Exposes Lies | 1 John 1:6-8 | I’m not going to be winning popularity points when I call us all liars, but that is what the Bible tells us that we are. In our depravity, when we walk in darkness, we lie to ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:6) After a while, when this becomes natural, we progress to hiding our sin from God and losing fellowship with one another. (1 John 1:7) We see Adam and Even model this in Genesis 3:8, “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”
Whenever lying to others becomes natural, and fellowship has been broken, the real deception invades. This is when we begin to rationalize our choices and behaviors. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) Warren Wiersbe says it best, “His character has eroded. His is no longer a liar because he tells lies; he now tells lies because he is a confirmed liar.” [3]
God’s Light Cleanses and Forgives | 1 John 1:9-10 | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) This is probably one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, ranking right up at the top with John 3:16. The reason being it is straight forward. It shows the faithfulness of God to forgive anyone who, in humility, asks. While verse 10 makes it very clear that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
In light of everything we have read today, aren’t you glad that Jesus is the Light of the World? It is wonderful news to us who formerly walked in darkness. Let’s not be like Ava when she tucked her seedlings in a dark room. Let’s let the Savior shine on us! When he shines a light on our sin, we will grow at an astounding rate.
[1] Bible Study Tools https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/holiness/ Accessed December 07, 2020.
[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, The Complete New Testament in One Volume (Colorado Springs, Colorado: David C. Cook, 2007), 965.
[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, The Complete New Testament in One Volume (Colorado Springs, Colorado: David C. Cook, 2007), 966.
discussion questions
How does God’s holiness build your confidence in who He is?
Have you ever thought of yourself as a liar? Explain.
Who do you know that needs to hear about God’s light and how can you share with them?
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