“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).
When the apostle John says, “God is light” what does he mean? Is he saying that God is like a giant flashlight? Or maybe God is like the sun? The Bible often uses darkness to describe sin. Hell is said to be a very dark place because God’s glory is not there. If sin is like darkness, then God is like light, because He is pure and holy. Have you ever noticed how darkness and light cannot be in a room at the same time?
When I was a boy, I went to an Atlanta Braves baseball game. The game was held at night. I remember as the sun went down and the sky grew darker, the huge stadium lights suddenly came on. The stadium that had been growing darker became as bright as day. What happened? The light drove away the darkness.
In the same way, God will not stay in the same place as sin. That is why John writes, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness [sin], we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6). You can say that you are walking with God all you want, but actions will tell the real story.
But thankfully, the opposite is also true: when you are walking with God and choosing to please Him, there will be no room for sin in your life. Remember that God is light “and in him is no darkness at all”! You should walk closely with God so sin does not have a chance to creep into your life.
One night in Australia, the driver of the car I was in turned off the highway, driving slowly and then turning off his headlights. “Watch this,” he said as he turned the lights back on. We were on a golf course. There, blinking in the light, stood dozens of kangaroos, grazing on the course. They looked at us and then slowly hopped away. Until the light was turned on, I did not even know they were there.
Many times, the light of God’s Word will show us things that we need to change. When that happens, we need to come to God in repentance. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Remember that God is light!
My response:
» Has God’s Word showed me something I need to change?
» Have I confessed my sin and turned away from it?
» Am I living in the “light”?