In the book of 1 John, John explores two issues pertaining to our relationship with God.
The first is the issue of SONSHIP.
John shares several tests to help one determine if they have truly been born into the family of God.
The second is the issue of FELLOWSHIP.
All Christians have SONSHIP; but not all Christians are in FELLOWSHIP with God. It is the issue of FELLOWSHIP with which John deals here. If a Christian is going to walk with God in such a way so as to be in fellowship with Him, he must "walk in the light." John tells us that the Christian who is in fellowship with God will have:
1. An Open Walk With God - vs. 5-6
John doesn't mince words, as he speaks of those who pretend to be right with God when they are not. John says such Christians are "liars."
Why was John so dogmatic in condemning Christians who pretend to be right with God when they have known sin in their life? Because he knew that when Christians live a lie . . .
A. They Misrepresent The Lord.
Bill Hybels, in his book, Honest To God, tells about an experience he had as a young Christian, while attending a Christian growth conference. He was privileged, or so he thought, to be invited to attend of meeting of the conference leaders.
"Midway through the meeting, a question over a delicate decision led to a debate. Debating descended to arguing and finally to an ugly division. It only took forty-five minutes for these Christians to come nearly to blows.
Before those gathered could resolve the issue, however, the signal came for the next part of the conference schedule - a worship service for all the conferees. We shuffled to an adjoining room. There the committee chairman, who had been as vitriolic as anyone in the previous meeting, grabbed the microphone. Smiling from ear to ear, he said, "Scripture tells us that the mark of a true Christian is love, so let's all join hands and sing, 'They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love.' " That was my initiation into the world of inauthentic Christianity."
If you've been a Christian any length of time, you've probably had a similar experience. Even worse, perhaps, you've been a part of introducing another believer to the world of inauthentic Christianity. The sad fact is that too many Christians would rather pretend that everything's O.K. between themselves and God than to walk in open, honest relationship with Him. Consequently, they misrepresent their Lord and give people a false impression about Christianity.
B. They Misdirect The Lost.
There was a lighthouse on the Florida coast. When one of the glasses of the lantern was broken, they replaced the glass with tin. In that part of the lighthouse there was a dark spot.
A ship came in one night in a storm, seeking harbor. The captain looked for the lighthouse, saw nothing, and crashed on shore because there was a dark spot.
When Christians are content to live with sin in their life, they are a dark spot in the testimony of the church to a lost world. How many people today look at us and only find a dark spot?
Instead of living a lie, let's walk in open relationship with God, for the sake of the lost and for the sake of our Lord! But how do we maintain an open walk with God?
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." - Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)
"It is good to pray the following prayer, 'Lord, you are light, Shine into my heart and show me anything which should not be there!" - Bertha Smith, How The Spirit Filled My Life
If we are to walk in fellowship with God, then we must have an open walk with Him, and allow Him to reveal to us any sin in our life, so that, rather than ignoring, justifying, excusing, or covering it up, we might confess and be cleansed of it!
2. An Intimate Walk With God - v. 7a
The life of the Christian who is in right fellowship with God is characterized by intimate communion with God. He gives priority time to both speaking to and hearing from God.
A group of natives was going through the jungle with an explorer. The explorer was quite impatient, constantly hurrying, constantly in a rush, constantly moving. He did not have time to rest. Finally, one morning he got ready to push on through the jungle and the natives just sat there; they would not move an inch. The explorer went up to the head of the natives and said, "What's wrong? Why won't these men move on?" The leader said, "Sir, you have gone so very fast that our men are going to stop for a while today and let their soul catch up with their body."
Some of us need to do that. Our outer man is so much on the move, that our inner man is suffering terribly. We need to stop and invest time in simply communing with God.
3. A Dependent Walk With God - v. 7b
"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him ." - Colossians 2:6 (NKJV)
Just as we entered into SONSHIP with God through appropriating the blood of Christ for our ETERNAL forgiveness, we are to maintain our FELLOWSHIP with God through appropriating the blood of Christ for our DAILY forgiveness. The sacrifice of Jesus makes possible both a right STANDING with God and a right WALK with God!
Steve Winger, the "juggler for Jesus," writes about his last college exam - a final in a logic class known for its difficult exams: "To help us on our test, the professor told us we could bring as much information to the exam as we could fit on a piece of notebook paper. Most students crammed as many facts as possible on their 8 & 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of paper. But one student walked into class, put a piece of paper on the floor, and had an advanced logic student stand on the paper. The advanced logic student told him everything he needed to know. He was the only student to make an "A."
We don't need to rely on what we can do to make an "A" in our relationship with God. Because of His sacrifice, we can walk daily in open, intimate fellowship with Him!
Conclusion: In a small town there was a giant oak tree in the town square. It was the pride of the townspeople. One day a storm came up and lightening hit the tree, causing it to crack in half, revealing a trunk filled with disease. What was thought to be strong from outward appearance, was, in reality, very weak on the inside.
Coming Clean by David Daniels, Christianity Today International
It was an ordinary Wednesday that began with extraordinary joy. Weeks before, I had committed to take a prayer retreat once a month. I envisioned a whole day basking in the presence of the Lord at a private encampment 20 miles from home.
Arriving early, I made my way to a modest chapel overlooking a small river. I began by asking God to open the doors to heaven so that I could enjoy him in prayer and worship. I meditated on Scripture, quoting verses and memorizing new ones. I prayed and sang hymns aloud. And I wept.
Five hours into my day, joyful anticipation had turned to bitter frustration. I paced, angry with God because, though I was seeking to draw near to him, he seemed so far away from me. How could he let me sacrifice a whole day to commune with Him and yet not be with me?
His message was undeniably clear: "My child, I'm not hiding from you. You've been hiding from Me. And before you can enjoy fellowship with Me, you must uncover the hidden places of your heart."
The words were indicting but true. I harbored sin, habits, words, actions, and attitudes that I had tried to conceal. Rather than admit my sin, I had counted on my "spiritual" activities to cancel it out, or at least to cause it to be overlooked. It was time to be honest with God.
That day, I learned that communion with God must be preceded by confession before God.
I share David's testimony because this is a trap that we church going folk can so easily fall into. We can get to where we expect our "spiritual" activities to cancel out or conceal our sin. But what happens is that eventually, because we have un-dealt with sin in our lives, all the spiritual activity in the world becomes dull, dry and boring, because the communion with God that we seek through the spiritual activity must be preceded by confession before God.
Is that where you are today? Why not quit "living a lie," and come clean with God today?
