When John was in Ephesus he learned of false teachers infecting and dividing the church. And so he responded with this letter reminding believers of the foundational beliefs of the faith, and giving them assurance of their salvation. He packs a lot into this first small chapter of 1 John, including the most beautiful teaching, “God is Light”.
To clear up any false ideas about Jesus, John begins by telling us exactly who Jesus is. First he says that Jesus is the “Word of Life”. John 1:1-4 says, “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” John goes on to say, “and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaimed to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” (v. 2) Jesus who is fully God, and who dwells eternally with the Father, “became flesh and dwelt amongst us” (John 1:14). He left His throne in heaven beside Almighty God, to save the world by ransoming Himself as a payment for the sins of all to whoever would receive Him as Lord and Savior.
In response to this awesome truth, John tells us that he felt implored to share what he knew. “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also” (v. 3) Why does John have this calling? “so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write so that our joy may be made complete.” (v. 3-4) John had a joyful relationship with the Lord, and this joy was made complete by leading others to having the same kind of relationship with Jesus. We too can have that same kind of joy with the Lord by walking in the light of God.
“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.” (v. 5) John doesn’t say that God is a light, he says that God is Light. That means that He is righteous, pure, glorious, perfect, and holy. There is absolutely no sin to be found in Him. Not an ounce of immorality, nor a hint of injustice. We can trust Him completely, because He will never fail, forsake, or betray us.
And not only is God light, but so is His Son. Jesus says in John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” Following Jesus means that no longer do we walk a path of darkness. No longer do we live for ourselves and the world, but instead we live for Him and to walk in His light. We let Him shine brilliantly through us by practicing love, humility, repentance, and obedience. “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (v. 7)Walking in His Light helps us in our relationships with one another, and most wonderful of all, it allows us to experience continuous forgiveness for our sins through the blood of Jesus.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (v. 9) Confessing our sins means that we agree with God that what we’ve done was wrong in His eyes. And how does God respond when we tell Him that we’re sorry? I love this by Dr. Charles Stanley, “When you pour out your heart in genuine confession and repentance, God forgives you completely and declares you justified, no longer guilty in His eyes. The Lord understands your struggles and He wants you to find victory in them-not to continue to feel shame because of them. He is merciful and loving, which is why once you confess and repent, you are absolutely forgiven!”
Guilt and shame are powerful weapons of the enemy. They keep us from experiencing God’s very best for our lives, and the freedom that comes from His forgiveness. Our Father knows the very worst about us and loves us all the more. So the next time Satan whispers his lies in your ears, remember God’s truth. You are so very precious in His sight, so hold your head up high and walk in His Light!
