Walking in the Light of Christ

Read 1 John 1:5-7.

John just loves to begin with the beginning. In his gospel he starts with “In the beginning,” and in 1 John, he again begins with “the beginning.” He loves to begin with the beginning because at the beginning of creation, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:3). Without light there can be no plants, no animals, no growth, no activity. There can be no beauty. Creation cannot be sustained without light. All of creation owes its existence and sustenance to light. In the same way, Jesus, the Light of the World, is the only true life source for souls—the only way to experience life at its best. It is through Him that believers are empowered, supported, and strengthened to have victory over sin.

When you invite Jesus into your life, He lights your life. For, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). And to continue in His way, you must be willing to let Him put His searchlight into every corner of your life (see v. 6). Far from being afraid of the searchlight, you should welcome it. You should invite it and delight in it because when the light shines, darkness gets out of the way. When light shines, Truth will dwell in you. When Jesus’ light shines, gloom and doom, depression and discouragement are all going to disappear.

So we must walk in the light to have fellowship with God and one another and to have His joy complete (see vv. 6-7). How can you know you are walking in the light? If we carry bitterness and grudges, if we harbor and cherish sin in our lives, if we refuse to confess our sin and hide it away, then we are walking in darkness. You may not lose your salvation, but you will surely lose your joy and your reward. But if you are conscious of sin in your life, that’s a clear indication that you are walking in the light. Before Christ “you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, . . .” (Ephesians 2:1-2). But in Christ, you are no longer in the grip of sin. You know the light of Christ is freeing and encouraging, for the Living God loves you and will never leave you nor forsake you (see Romans 5:8, 8:35-39; 1 John 4:16; Hebrews 13:5).

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the light of Your face in my life. Help me to have peace knowing that my confession of sin yields fruit in my heart and draws me nearer to You. I want to live in the freedom of Your light, staying on the only road to life at its best. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.