Most people in the church at the very least have a basic understanding of the gospel plan of salvation, but once they are in Christ I believe they hold an irrational fear regarding the condition of their salvation, believing that one slip up will condemn them forever to the fires of Hell. What these individuals have done who believe this way is that they have rejected the grace of God and replaced it with a belief in their own ability to earn salvation. And that is tragic, for no man or woman is capable of doing this. What happens is that many of these people, burdened with a sense of despair and frustration at their own failures and shortcomings, their own sins, end up giving up and walking away from the Lord. I believe a study of the writings of John are the cure for this malady that afflicts so many in the church. The Apostle John writes in 1 John 1:5-7 [ESV],
"This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
John says that “the message” the Apostles have heard from God is essentially, “God is light.” That is the fundamental truth relating to fellowship. As relates to God, “light” has several applications. It refers to His glory, His holiness, His truth, His illumination and His openness, but the only aspect that we can share in fully is that of openness. We cannot completely share in God's absolute glory, His holiness, His truth or His illumination this side of eternity but we can share or participate in living an open and honest life before God, as He is open and honest with us. God hides nothing from us pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). However, all sinners hide from God in one way or another, just as Adam and Eve sought to hide from the Lord when they sinned (Genesis 3:10).
The obvious condition for maintaining fellowship with God Who is light is for us to “walk in the light.” Essentially, that involves being honest and open with God and living according to our understanding of His word as best we can. When we sin, we “confess” (1 John 1:9). The emphasis upon that word is to admit our sin when we do sin, and to offer no excuses – no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Obviously, one seeking to “walk in the light” means that he lives honestly and openly before God. Those who walk in darkness means they are living their lives deceitfully, covering and excusing their sins. They do not have fellowship with God. Transparency with God, living in wholehearted acceptance of the fact that He seeks to walk with us, and responding in faith is what counts. It is a relationship, not a business or legal transaction!
Those who “walk in the light” are continually cleansed of their sins by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). This text has nothing to do with public confession, although that may be warranted in some cases. Our walk is with God. We admit our sin to Him and turn from it and seek His “light.”
I do not see the Scriptures teaching that Christians are like a yo-yo, bouncing in and out of Christ at the drop of a hat. I believe the Scriptures teach that one has to have a heart so hardened and removed from God and denounce Him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, or one who believes his salvation is maintained by law-keeping, or one who denies that Jesus came in the flesh, is truly lost and fallen from grace. See Romans 1, Galatians 5 and 1 John 4:2-3.
Being saved does not give one license to sin (Romans 6:1-2), so please do not misunderstand me. I believe many people may think they are lost and fallen from grace, when what they really are is fallen and at a point in which they are no longer experiencing many of the blessings that come in this life from being one of God's own.
"This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
John says that “the message” the Apostles have heard from God is essentially, “God is light.” That is the fundamental truth relating to fellowship. As relates to God, “light” has several applications. It refers to His glory, His holiness, His truth, His illumination and His openness, but the only aspect that we can share in fully is that of openness. We cannot completely share in God's absolute glory, His holiness, His truth or His illumination this side of eternity but we can share or participate in living an open and honest life before God, as He is open and honest with us. God hides nothing from us pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). However, all sinners hide from God in one way or another, just as Adam and Eve sought to hide from the Lord when they sinned (Genesis 3:10).
The obvious condition for maintaining fellowship with God Who is light is for us to “walk in the light.” Essentially, that involves being honest and open with God and living according to our understanding of His word as best we can. When we sin, we “confess” (1 John 1:9). The emphasis upon that word is to admit our sin when we do sin, and to offer no excuses – no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Obviously, one seeking to “walk in the light” means that he lives honestly and openly before God. Those who walk in darkness means they are living their lives deceitfully, covering and excusing their sins. They do not have fellowship with God. Transparency with God, living in wholehearted acceptance of the fact that He seeks to walk with us, and responding in faith is what counts. It is a relationship, not a business or legal transaction!
Those who “walk in the light” are continually cleansed of their sins by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). This text has nothing to do with public confession, although that may be warranted in some cases. Our walk is with God. We admit our sin to Him and turn from it and seek His “light.”
I do not see the Scriptures teaching that Christians are like a yo-yo, bouncing in and out of Christ at the drop of a hat. I believe the Scriptures teach that one has to have a heart so hardened and removed from God and denounce Him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, or one who believes his salvation is maintained by law-keeping, or one who denies that Jesus came in the flesh, is truly lost and fallen from grace. See Romans 1, Galatians 5 and 1 John 4:2-3.
Being saved does not give one license to sin (Romans 6:1-2), so please do not misunderstand me. I believe many people may think they are lost and fallen from grace, when what they really are is fallen and at a point in which they are no longer experiencing many of the blessings that come in this life from being one of God's own.
2 comments:
Good stuff, but you skipped over an important passage when moving from 1 John 1 straight through to 1 John 4.
In 1 John 2:9-10, John defines "in the light." How does that affect your thinking on this idea?
Thanks for your comment, brother Nick. Although I did not mention them specifically, I believe the verses you cite are encompassed within the context of what I wrote. Here are the verses you cited, with the addition of verse 11, too:
9. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. 10. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. 11. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
"God is love" (1 John 4:8), and if we do not love our brother, then we are in darkness, and we have no fellowship with God. In order to be in a saved condition, one must be in fellowship with God. This individual who hates his brother is lost, and would fall under the category I described as having "a heart so hardened and removed from God and denounce Him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength" by hating that which God loves.
I hope this helps, and thanks for pointing this out to me.
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