< Back

Read: 1 John 1:5-7
Listen: 1 John 1

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

John echoes a pattern present throughout Scripture. God is light, and darkness represents sin. The natural progression of sin is to hide it. Living in the light means living in alignment with who God is. It means confessing sin instead of hiding it. This tendency to hide sin appears early in the Bible in Genesis 3. After Adam and Eve disobey God, they immediately hide from God instead of admitting their sin. When God calls to them, they cover themselves and try to avoid his presence. This pattern of sinning and then hiding has been going on ever since. John calls believers to break this cycle by walking in the light through honesty and transparency.

 

We follow the same pattern. Instead of confessing our failures to God and those around us, we often lie to ourselves about our actions. We say it’s not really that bad and avoid admitting it to God or others. We prefer to live in the darkness because exposure feels uncomfortable. We often hide in three ways. 1) From ourselves by denying our problems. 2) From God by avoiding honest prayer. 3) From each other by maintaining facades. But the way of Jesus is to live in the light. Our relationship with God begins with admitting we are sinners who need rescue.

 

TODAY: Confess any sin in your life first to God and then to a trusted Christian friend. Bring it into the light instead of keeping it hidden in the darkness. For more discussion on assurance of your salvation and walking in the light, listen to the Beyond the Weekend Podcast.