Walking in the Light

I John 1:5-10

I have been going for walks across the BLM land just to the north of our church in the evening. Some days, the sun is so bright and hot as to be very unpleasant. Since the area is considered desert, it is almost a mile to the first juniper tree, and about two miles to a small group. There is nowhere to get into the shade unless one takes a car along the road, so very few people use the area for walking, preferring to go to the river walk at one of the local parks where one can walk in the shade. People who want to walk in the desert with me must be willing to walk in the sun as that is where I usually go.

John says it is even more impossible to walk with God without walking in the light than it is to walk with me without being out in the sun. He is light. To walk with him is to be exposed to light.

“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. 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 1:5-7)

When I walk, anyone who walks with me must also walk with everyone else who accompanies me. Many times I have taken groups on hikes. Sometimes there are some who don’t want to associate with others in the group because of pride or guilt. They have to choose whether to walk with me or to not walk with the one they are trying to avoid. Sometimes they choose to walk away from the group. To walk with God, one has to lay aside conflicts with others who walk with God. I Corinthians 3:3 makes it very clear that conflict indicates an unspiritual state, not walking with God. “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Light makes everything visible that is exposed to it as Ephesians 5:13 reminds us. “But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.” Since God is light, associating with him is going to reveal the truth about his associates. Many are afraid to take that chance, preferring to show only what they want others to believe. John 3:19-21 explains. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Proverbs 28:13 warns, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Acknowledging our sin and an intent to change are critical to salvation. An unwillingness to do so prevents many from receiving salvation.

“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)

When we refuse to acknowledge our sin, or blame it on others, we call God a liar, because we don’t want to believe him. Only by taking responsibility for our actions and believing God can we be forgiven. Human nature wants to avoid taking responsibility, implying that some one else caused them to sin, but it is self deception. They may have encouraged or misled us, but it is our responsibility. Until we take our responsibility, neither praying the sinners prayer, being baptized, joining the church, or any amount of other good works can save us because we have not believed God.

On the other hand, if we confess our sin, God promises not only to forgive it, but to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, i.e. everything that is not right. The biggest difference between David and King Saul was David’s willingness to confess when he’d done wrong. Saul repeatedly tried to excuse himself, as in I Samuel 13:11 or I Samuel 15:13-15, and 21. He was willing to even kill his own son because he would not accept responsibility in I Samuel 14. As a result, David was called a man after God’s own heart, and given eternal promises, but Saul was rejected from being king.