Walking in the Light
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Key Verse: “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.” Selected Scripture: |
IN THE SCRIPTURES, THE symbol of light is used to represent Truth, and darkness is used to picture falsehood. In the natural realm, light illuminates that upon which it is shed, making it not only visible, discernable, to the eye of man, but also putting it into its proper perspective with relation to those things surrounding it. Light allows us to see an object in its true state, in its beauty, or in its lack thereof. Light permits us to see an object as something to treasure, or something to avoid at all cost. On the other hand, darkness allows none of these things. It does not permit us to see objects, or our path among them. It promotes stumbling and wandering into areas that should be avoided. It does not permit discernment between that which is good and that which would harm or hurt us. How fitting it is, then, that our Key Verse speaks of God as ‘light,’ and that ‘no darkness’ dwells in him. From this verse, it follows that if we desire to know the Truth on any subject, we should look to God’s Word as the light which will shed that illumination.
As followers of God, it is important that we realize not only the necessity to look to him as our light, or source of Truth, but to also conform ourselves to it, bringing our character into harmony with the light that he has shed forth to us through his Word, the Scriptures. The Apostle John continues in our lesson, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 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.”—I John 1:6,7
Part of the light, as shown in the above verses, is the understanding that once we were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), but that through the blood of God’s Son Jesus we have been cleansed, and been brought “out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (I Pet. 2:9) Having been brought out of darkness into light, we now have, as John states in our lesson, ‘fellowship one with another’—others who have similarly come into the light. This is a wonderful fellowship together, that of like minds who have all been recipients of the light of Truth which comes from God.
Although we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, this is only a reckoned condition at present, and allows us to have a standing before God. In reality, we still sin, and must confess our sins to God and seek his forgiveness. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (I John 1:8-10) Part of the light of Truth is this realization, that without our confession of sin and God’s subsequent forgiveness, our standing before him would stand in jeopardy. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (chap. 2:1,2) It is the light of Truth that reminds us here that Jesus is the one who has covered our sins, and those of the whole world. How blessed are our eyes, for they see!