LEARNING DAILY

1 John 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 unrighteousness.

The week began with Pastor Ed Newton speaking about Jesus being the Light of the World. Let’s end the week with John calling on Believers to walk in a simple, day-by-day, moment-by-moment walk with Jesus. David Jeremiah summarizes the verse above in these words, “Just walk with Jesus all day long”. Jeremiah wrote, “John says: Let’s make it simple. Walk with Jesus. Cling to your faith. Stay in the light. When you sin, confess, and move on. And show your love for Jesus by loving your brothers and sisters in His name.”

I have found the saying that nothing good occurs after dark is more often true than not. In verse 6, John writes, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth”. If God is Light and has no darkness, then a Believer cannot walk both with God and in darkness. In other words, one who claims to be saved by Jesus Christ, but continues to live as he/she always has, showing no change is only talking. There is no one person who is capable of looking into another person’s heart; only God can do that. However, one who shows no evidence of being changed –people can see that.

To walk in darkness represents a sinful lifestyle that consistently does things that God hates; it is walking a broad way that leads to destruction. In other Scriptures this lifestyle consists of satisfying personal desires and self-centeredness. Scripture lists all sorts of activities covered by this. The question one needs to ask here is: Am I living to please myself or to please God.

The opposite of walking in darkness is living in the light. Because Jesus took the place of “whosoever would believe” the Believer moves from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Light. Walking in the Light is living the way God wants us to; it is walking a narrow way into His kingdom. This is a walk of growing, maturing in becoming more like Jesus.

When we walk in the Light, the second part of verse 7 states two things happen. First, Believers have community and fellowship with one another. Believers want to be around other Believers as it builds their faith and helps them to live the way Gods wants them to. I have been helped many times by fellow Believers when I have questions or when I need to be corrected. I have even helped a few over the years. The point is we need each other for many different reasons!

The second thing that happens is “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all unrighteousness”. Believers are forgiven the moment Jesus Christ becomes their Savior – past, present, future. Yet, Believers continue to sin and find themselves in need of forgiveness. I have found that being a Believer, I am much more aware of sin I commit. I have also found that I must confess it right away. The presence of sin in my life does not mean I am lost. I have written many times what John wrote in verse 9. “If we confess our sins [this is written to Believers], then He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

As a Believer, you and I are “to walk as children of the light” (Ephesians 5:8). We are to walk the narrow way by following His teachings and instructions found in His Word, living in His power, and growing in His grace.