1 John 1:1-10
5 “This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are
passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in
him. 6 If we claim that we experience a shared life with him
and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our
teeth—we’re not living what we
claim.” MSG
John
lived continuously with Jesus for three years. Although he and his brother were
known as the “Sons of Thunder” because of their temper, he was also referred to
as the “one whom Jesus loved”. He had a very special relationship with Jesus;
maybe closer to him than any of the other disciples.
It
is from this dichotomous perspective of anger and love that he wrote the letter
of 1 John which addresses a heresy of the day known as Gnosticism. It was a
heresy that threatened the entire first century church.
In
a tour of Mammoth Cave, when you are in the belly of the cave, your guide will
turn
off all the lights. As a result, it is pitch black. There is no light in
the darkness. In fact, you can put your hand so close to your face that you can
feel your breath, but not be able to see your hand.
During
the same tour, in the midst of the darkness, the guide may strike a match. That
single match emits enough light for you to find your way along the trail. That
small light eliminates the darkness that had surrounded you; it illuminates
your path so that you won’t stumble.
9 “On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of
them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and
purge us of all wrongdoing.” MSG
During
the same tour, in the midst of the darkness, the guide may strike a match. That
single match emits enough light for you to find your way along the trail. That
small light eliminates the darkness that had surrounded you; it illuminates
your path so that you won’t stumble.
This
is a metaphor for your life. God is light; there is no darkness in Him. Yet, the
dichotomy of living the Christian life is that there is a struggle between
darkness and light in us. The darkness is a constant threat, but the light is
always with us, ready to exhume the darkness.
Therefore,
what can we do when darkness enters our heart our mind? We can strike a small
match, and the light will purge the darkness.
9 “On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of
them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and
purge us of all wrongdoing.” MSG
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