Fellowshipping With The Father And The Son - Part 5

In the passage of Scripture we will look at today John tells us how we can know whether or not we are in fellowship with God.

(1 John 1:5 NKJV) 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.

Heard - (present tense) - completed in time past, having present results. "What we heard in the past is presently ringing in our ears."

From Him -they heard this message from Jesus Christ.

God is light - The word "light" (phos) in the Greek text is without the article. The rule of Greek grammar is that the absence of the definite article shows quality, nature, or essence. So what John is writing here was "God as to His nature, essence and character is light." (Wuest)

The context in which we are reading these things concerns spiritual things. So we know that John is not writing about physical light. The light John is referring to is ethical, spiritual and moral.

When John writes, "God is light" he is making a statement concerning the absolute nature of God.

God is not a light nor the light. John is not saying that God is the light of men or the light of the world, but simply and absolutely, God is light, in His very nature.

The expression, God is light, is not a metaphor, such as God is like light. The expression, God is light is describing His very nature.

Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest writes that "Light is immaterial, diffusive, pure, and glorious. It is the condition of life. Physically, it represents glory; intellectually, truth; morally, holiness."

In the Old Testament, light is often the way that God visibly revealed Himself to men.

It was the first manifestation of God in creation.

Genesis 1:1-3 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

When God made a covenant with Abraham He sealed it with fire.

Genesis 15:17 - And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.

When Moses returned from receiving the Law of God the people noticed that he had been with God who is Light.

Exodus 34:29-30 - Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

When God delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, He led them with a pillar of fire by night and a radiant pillar of cloud by day. (Exodus 13:21) That cloud would one day rest upon the mercy seat in the most holy place of the tabernacle. (Lev. 16:2)

John says that "God is light." Light is the absolute nature of God.

The light of God is manifested physically in His glory (we can see the glory of God!)

(Isa 60:19 NKJV) "The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory.

(Rev 21:23 NKJV) The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

The light of God is manifested intellectually in His truth (we can know the glory of God!)

(Psa 27:1 NKJV) The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

(Psa 89:15 NKJV) Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

The light of God is manifested morally, by His holiness. (We can do the glory of God!)

(Psa 18:28 NKJV) For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

(Eph 5:8 NKJV) For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

(1 John 1:5 NKJV) 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.