Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 72nd. Edition.
Dear Children of God,
We saw in yesterday’s passage, the verifiable truth of Jesus Christ having been real flesh and blood and that the apostles bear testimony to that fact. What you believe determines what you do, so in today’s passage (1 John 1:5-7) we call out the liars whose actions are contrary to their claims. The Light (v. 5). God is pure light, with no hint of darkness. Just as total darkness is the absence of God, so the presence of God is total light. Light is associated with righteousness and purity, so all sinful practices are contrary to the light (Romans 13:12; Ephesians 5:11). God only identifies with light.
The Lie (v. 6). If anyone claims to be in fellowship with God, yet his/her deeds are of darkness, that person is lying. Here, we get a hint of the false teaching John is concerned about. There were people going around, saying that faith in Christ is a matter for the spirit. The body does not affect the spirit, so what one does in the body will not affect one’s spirit. As the preachers from the seventies used to say, that is a lie from the pit of hell. Paul deals with a similar problem in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Sin is sin. It is a work of darkness and is evidence of the sinner’s alienation from God. Let us not lie to ourselves. Walking in fellowship with Jesus equals walking in righteousness and purity.
The Liberty (v. 7). Walking in the light (living righteously) sets us free to enjoy fellowship with one another, because we have righteousness as our common base. Walking in the light also implies living by the truth. Elsewhere, John quotes Jesus saying, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Sin is forgiven and life purified, when we acknowledge our sinfulness. This too is walking in the light.
We cannot be set free from sin if we keep pretending we have none. But more of that in tomorrow’s passage.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.