Walking in God’s Light
1 John 1:1–10
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5
John contrasts the nature of God (“God is light”) with the nature of man; and he begins to show the characteristics of those who walk in the light as opposed to those who walk in darkness. It is not enough that a man should claim to be in the light. He must actually walk in it. He must be a child of the light.
What will be true of the individual if God is actually the light of his life? Obviously, the light of God will be doing for him what light does. For one thing, the light will be exposing the darkness so that the dark places are increasingly cleansed of sin and become bright and fruitful places for God’s blessing. This does not mean that the individual will become increasingly conscious of how good he or she is becoming. On the contrary, a growth in holiness will mean a growth in a true sensitivity to sin in one’s life and an intense desire to eliminate from life all that displeases God. Instead of boasting in his progress, the person will be increasingly ready to acknowledge sin and seek to have it eliminated.
It will be a genuine acknowledgment. It will not be as it was in the case of a woman who once asked Charles Wesley to pray for her because, as she said, “I am a great sinner.” She added, “I am a Christian but I sometimes fail so dreadfully. Please pray for me.”
Wesley replied, “Yes, Madam, I will pray for you; for truly you are a great sinner.”
She answered, “What do you mean? I have never done anything very wrong.”
If God’s light is really shining on us, we will rather say, as did Isaiah, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isa. 6:5); or with Peter, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8); or with Paul, “I am the foremost [of sinners]” (1 Tim. 1:15).
Second, if God is our light and if we walk in the light, we will be growing spiritually. The Bible will be becoming more precious, for God is revealed in it. We will love godliness. And we will be finding fellowship with God’s people more and more delightful and valuable.
Finally, we will also be finding it increasingly desirable to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, we will yearn to serve him, for we will know him more and more as the one who brought us out of the bondage of our darkness into his marvelous light. To follow Christ is the natural desire of the one whose life has been illuminated by him.
Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865
Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.