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A STUDY IN 1 JOHN (10)

The Revelation about Light

1 John 1:5-7

Victor M. Eskew

 

            John immediately addressed those who were leading his readers astray in 1 John 1:1-4.  He now turns to the subject of light.  This, too, addresses the gnostic teachings.  The ones who promoted Gnosticism believed that they had more light, that is, more knowledge than others.  Their lives, however, did not conform to the true light.  John, therefore, sets forth a very important revelation about light in 1 John 1:5-7.  He informs them of “The Wellspring of Light” (1 John 1:5).  Secondly, he sets forth the “A Warning about Darkness” (1 John 1:6).  Lastly, he reveals the blessings found in “The Walk in Light” (1 John 1:7).

            John begins this section with these words:  “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you…” (I John 1:5a).  John’s message was not his own.  He was communicating a divine message to his readers.  John had spent three years with Jesus during His earthly ministry.  He had heard Jesus teach about light on numerous occasions.  He had heard Jesus affirm:  “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).  Too, John had been promised the Holy Spirit once Jesus ascended to the Father (John 14:26; 15:26).  The Holy Spirit’s mission was to bring the teachings of Jesus into his remembrance (John 14:26) and to guide him into all truth (John 16:13).  The contrast between light and darkness was a major element of the Spirit’s divine revelation.  It was essential for John’s readers to understand this teaching, especially since the false teachers were claiming to have the true light.

            John’s first revelation about light involves “The Wellspring of Light.”  A wellspring is the very source itself.  John proclaims that God is the source of all 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” (1 John 1:5).  Light has many applications.  Physical light exists in the world.  There is also intellectual light, or, knowledge.  Sometimes we talk about moral light.  This involves holiness and moral purity.  John declares that God is the source of all light.  Listen to his words:  “God is light.”  The very nature of God is light.  Wherever light exists, God is responsible for it.  John also assures his readers that “in him is no darkness at all.”  There is not one drop of darkness in the nature of God.  He is totally, completely light.

            Light did not originate with the Gnostics.  Light originated with God.  If a person is going to teach about light, he should go to the source of light.  God created physical light (Gen. 1:3-5).  God’s Word contains the spiritual light that guides mankind in life (Ps. 119:105).  God’s nature is absolute holiness (Rev. 15:4).  He is so pure that His being radiates light, light that is so bright no man can approach unto it (1 Tim. 6:16).  In the course of this epistle, John will show how the light of the Gnostics stands in bold contrast to the light of God. 

            The second part of John’s revelation about light involves “A Warning about Darkness.”  “If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6).  Remember, God is light and in Him is NO darkness at all.  God, therefore, cannot have fellowship with an individual who walks in darkness.  Darkness is anything that deviates from the light of truth.  Darkness is anything that is wicked and immoral.  Those who embraced the Gnostic heresy were walking down both of these paths of darkness.  Gnosticism contradicted the teachings of divine revelation from God.  Too, if often promoted an ungodly lifestyle.  The Gnostics boasted that they had fellowship with God.  Their lives, however, involved a walk in darkness.  John declares that their boast was a lie.  They were not in fellowship with God because they were not affirming and practicing the truth.

            John’s third section centered upon light concern’s one’s “Walk in the Light.”  “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” (1 John 1:7).  John contrasts a walk in darkness with a walk in the light.  If a person walks in the light, he can have fellowship with God.  This is possible because he has the cleansing agent of Jesus’ blood in his life.  He is pure and holy.  Thus, he can be in the presence of God.  Notice John’s words closely.  Christians must walk in the light “as he is in the light.”  In order to maintain fellowship with God, they must hold fast to the light of truth that comes from Him.  Too, they must live lives that correspond to the light of His holiness.

            We close with two more thoughts.  First, can you imagine the difficult decision these individuals had in the first century?  False teachers were affirming that they had the true light.  John, an apostle of Christ, set himself and the apostles against these teachers.  He affirmed that his teachings came from the true light.  Those Christians had to choose between truth and error.  They had to affirm Gnosticism or the apostolic doctrine.  They had to live the life of the Gnostics or the life of a true Christian.  We should keep in mind that the Gnostics did not call themselves Gnostics.  They boldly proclaimed that they had higher knowledge, true knowledge, that others, like John did not possess.

            Second, we need to make some application of John’s words to us today.  As Christians we should be deeply concerned about having fellowship with God.  We cannot do this if we walk in darkness.  Darkness still lures man through false teachings and through the lusts of the flesh.  We cannot walk in these things and walk with God.  To have fellowship with God, we must walk in the light.  This walk ensures us that Jesus’ blood is cleansing us from sin.  Are you in fellowship with God?  If you say, “Yes,” but are walking in darkness, you lie, and do not the truth.  Fortunately, there is a way to rectify that condition.  John will teach about that in the next section of this epistle.