March 16, 2006 - Kurt Holm, The Creek Covenant Church (Walnut Creek)

March 16, 2006

1 John 1:5—2:11
Kurt Holm, The Creek Covenant Church (Walnut Creek)

Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What does this passage say about following Christ’s teaching?
2. After reading it a second time, what does it mean for the follower?
3. And lastly, here’s the clincher, how are you going to change because of this teaching? Don’t skip ahead without applying the truth!

What a contrast there is between bright light and complete darkness. It’s the same stark contrast as God’s goodness and everything absent of his goodness. God is light and sin represents darkness, void of God.

God’s light gives direction. When you walk in the light you have a relationship with the one who is the light. God is the only one who can lead you out of the darkness of sin. Just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of light, sin cannot exist in the presence of God. If you want a relationship with God you must put aside your sinful ways. Any sin of darkness is incompatible with the God of light.

God’s light exposes reality. Good and evil may be difficult to distinguish in the dark but is fully visible in the light. When driving on long road trips your windshield likely gets splattered with bugs. While looking through it during dark hours you hardly even notice a smudge. But when the lights from an oncoming car reflect through your windshield, you’ll be appalled by the mess! Light has a way of exposing every flaw and mistake and dead bug!

Something that gets in my windshield (and grill) are difficult people that push me toward disliking them and maybe an occasional hating them. There is no way to claim to walk in the light with that kind of dark attitude. Have you ever been with me here? What must we do with this sin or any other sin?

“If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all righteousness” (1 John 1:9). Confess and receive God’s forgiveness and light.
If you want power in your walk with God, if you want power over sin, if you want power to influence others, then you need to walk in the light. A plant takes the sunlight and through a process called photosynthesis uses the light to transform it into power for the plant. If you walk in God’s light, you can have the power to be what God has made you.

Prayer
Lord, shine your light into my light and help me see what is obscuring my vision of You and Your will for my life.