A Christian Walks In The Light Of God

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Recently, I met a guy who I asked if he was a Christian. He answered yes. I probed further why he thinks he is a Christian and he said because he attends church and does good deeds.

Is that really evidence enough that you have hope for eternal life? What about people of other religions who claim to do good as well? What does it really mean to be a Christian?

In this series of write-ups, we shall discuss the important subject of assurance of salvation from the epistle of 1 John. The Apostle John writes to believers in the first century who were suffering from false teachings about Christ and how to live as Christians.

The first on our list is: do you walk in the light?

1 John 1:5‭-‬7 (NKJV) says,

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and 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 Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

We learn the following:

“We must hear what the apostles heard and preach what they preached.”

#1. God Is Light. (1:5)

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”

How we live our lives is as a result of who we are joined to. According to John, the believer is joined to God and must demonstrate His true nature of being the light of the world.

This Is The Message. John starts off with the message they heard and preached. There was continuity in the message they heard from Christ and they preached as apostles of Christ. Our message must also stand on the same truths as the apostolic message (1 John 1:1-4). We must hear what they heard and preach what they preached.

God Is Light. The content of the message is that God is light. Christ showed us that God is light (Psalm 44:3). He also showed us that He is the true light of the world (John 1:9). Our message content does not differ from Christ and the apostles. We preach that the light has come and dispel darkness from the world.

God is the source of true light. God’s nature of being light is the message they heard from Christ and they also proclaimed. The implication is that we must teach this truth as well. That God is light. In His light, the Bible says, we see light (Psalm 36:9).

#2. Walking In Darkness. (1:6)

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

John says that anyone who confesses to be a Christian but does not walk in the light of God is truly walking in darkness.

What We Say. The false converts only confess to be Christians who have fellowship with God. Confession alone does not end the deal. Such people will normally testify that one day in the past they said a prayer that makes them Christians.

What We Do. They do not walk their confession. They say but do not do it. They say they are Christians who have fellowship with the light but their deeds show something different. They walk in darkness and sin.

They Are Liars & Untruthful. John says such people are liars and they don’t practice the truth. Their Nature is not of God but of the devil who is the father of lies (John 8:44). They are not believers. They are not children of God.

In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus spoke about the end of people who claim to be believers and are not. He said,

“21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

#3. Walking In The Light. (1:7)

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Walking In The Light. The true convert walks like Christ. Just as the apostles exhibited characteristics of being with Jesus, a believer walks like Jesus walks. He or she practices forgiveness, love, kindness, and justice just as Jesus Christ practiced.

Fellowship With One Another. Walking in the light means we have fellowship with God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and other believers. It’s an unbroken union. Our lives are hidden in Christ and Christ is in God (1 Corinthians 3:23).

He Cleanses Us From All Sin. A continuous fellowship with the Trinity and the saints will result in being continually sanctified. If we walk in the light, it doesn’t mean we are free from sin. We are better placed to be cleansed. He makes us clean (John 15:3).

Hear the words of Jesus when he said in John 8:12 that,

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

A true Christian Walks in the light of God. He has fellowship with the Trinity and fellow saints. We must examine ourselves whether we are walking in the light or darkness. Being a Christian can be verified by how we walk.

Have you checked yourself lately to know if you are of the faith or not? Share your thoughts about this topic.