Walk in the Light

Note from today’s Bible reading: 1 John 1-2

John began his first epistle by explaining that he and the other apostles were eyewitnesses of Jesus (1 John 1:1-2). They shared this message with others so that they could “have fellowship with [them]” as they had “fellowship…with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

After this introduction, John began his message: “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Light symbolizes what is true and right, so John’s point was that God is perfectly true and righteous. And as he stated at the beginning, the apostles’ message was preached so that we could have “fellowship” with God (1 John 1:3).

However, having fellowship with God requires something of us. John continued: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:6-7).

Claiming to have fellowship with God does not mean we do. If we want to have fellowship with the One who is Light, we need to believe what is true and practice what is right.

So walk in the light. The message of the gospel is one of forgiveness of sins so that we can be one with the Lord. Yet we must be willing to put away sin and faithfully follow Him.