God is Light

What sets the bible apart from every other form of literature? Why have some people sacrificed their lives to translate the bible into languages the people can understand? The answer is that it contains the most important, world-shaking truth, that it makes every other book insignificant by comparison. All other literature is trivial in nature, compared to the bible.

Here in the first letter of John, the apostle, we find that he and the other disciples ‘heard’, ‘saw’, ‘looked upon’, and ‘touched’ God the Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the world. This is John’s proclamation and testimony to all people throughout all ages. He doesn’t want to keep the blessings he knew to himself. He longs for everyone to know the Father and His Son, Jesus, and the joy that relationship brings. He also knows he has a responsibility to share all he experienced with Jesus to the whole world, and he sums up the message from Jesus by these words, ‘God is light, and in him is no darkness at all’ (1 John 1:5).

But then he goes on to explain that we must walk in God’s light, and how we can do that. It means reflecting that light in truth, moral purity, and holiness. We can’t say we know God and then tell lies or deceive people. We must quickly confess, or acknowledge, our sins and ask God to forgive us. He’ll not only forgive us, but go on to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9).

Acknowledging our sins is how we receive salvation and enter into God’s Kingdom, but it’s also how we maintain fellowship with God and with one another on an ongoing basis. This is ‘walking in the light’. ‘If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7).

So, the bible changes my life. It’s not just interesting history and information. It affects my entire life in this world, and my eternal destiny after this life is over, if I respond to its message. The invitation is there for me to enter into abundant life and become God’s very own adopted child.

Let’s receive John’s message with great joy and pass it on to others. Let’s walk in the light and have fellowship with our heavenly Father, Jesus our Saviour, and all our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Prayer: Loving, heavenly Father, thank You for the marvellous message that comes to us from Your son, Jesus, and which has been passed down to us through the ages. Thank You that it’s just as life-changing in 2017 as it was in the days when Jesus walked on the earth. Thank You for all those who bore faithful witness to the message, even sacrificing their lives to pass it on for us today. Help me to bring every bit of darkness in my life to Your glorious light. Please forgive me and cleanse me from my sins, in Jesus’ name, Amen.