As the World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19, or Coronavirus as global pandemic this week, those studying viruses, virologists, have speculated as to the local and global infection rate. As they have warned of the nature of the contagion, they have prescribed steps in order to reduce the spread of the virus. Even from the most pessimistic estimates, the lethality rate of the virus is low compared to other sicknesses. Biblically, however, there is one sickness that universally untreated leads to death. That is the sickness of sin. Just as there are many false speculators who do not truly know about Coronavirus that are spreading wild speculation, there are many false teachers who do not understand the lethality of the true universal sickness of sin.
The apostle John faced a similar situation in the churches to whom he wrote his letter. Flooding into Ephesus and the other cities and churches of Asia Minor were deceitful, sin-denying false teachers (cf. 2:18; 4:1–3; 2 Peter 2:1–2; Jude 4). John had to contend with Greek philosophical dualism (the basis of Gnosticism)—a view that denied the reality of sin and evil. Those who held to this mystical, elitist philosophy argued the spiritual was always good and the physical was always bad; they therefore created an artificial dichotomy between the spiritual realm and the physical world—contending that spiritual realities were all that mattered, and that what was done in the flesh (including sin) was a nonissue. Having written of fellowship and joy in Christ, John raises three false claims that have been made by the Docetists: that sin does not matter (1:6); that it is not a part of our nature (1:8) and that it is not a part of our conduct (1:10) (Barnes, P. (1998). Knowing Where We Stand: The Message of John’s Epistles (p. 19). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.)
In order to protect against false teaching, people must test what they read, hear and see in order to distinguish what is true from counterfeit. Making that fundamental distinction is essential to the church’s protection and spiritual growth. The wheat must be differentiated from the tares (cf. Matt. 13:24–30), the sheep distinguished from the goats, or people will never be protected from the deadly deceptions of false teachers. It is only the light of God’s truth that will enable someone to make these distinctions in order to “Walk in the Light”. In order to do this, there must first be: 1) Finding the Light (1 John 1:5), then 2) Following the Light (1 John 1:6), in order to enjoy: 3) Fellowship in the Light (1 John 1:7).
“Walking in the Light” involves first:
1) Finding the Light (1 John 1:5)
1 John 1:5 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (ESV)
The message(angelia), preached by John and the other apostles, was one they heard from Him [Jesus] and would proclaim/announce (anangellomen) to their audience. That they have "heard" is in the perfect tense to indicate that their hearing in the past is still effective in the present. The pronoun him refers back to “his Son Jesus Christ” in v. 3 (Haas, C., Jonge, M. de, & Swellengrebel, J. L. (1994). A handbook on the letters of John (p. 22). New York: United Bible Societies.).
As God in human flesh (John 1:1–4, 18; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 1 John 5:20; cf. John 4:26; 8:24, 28, 58; 18:5), Jesus Christ is the perfect source of revelation regarding the nature and character of God. “I am the Light of the world,” Jesus declared; “he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12; cf. 12:45–46). God, the source of true light, bestows it on believers in the form of eternal life through His Son, who is the light incarnate. God is light in the sense that He is life, and He is the source and sustainer of both physical and spiritual life. Jesus identified himself as the light of the world (Jn. 8:12; 9:5; cf. 12:35f., 46), and Matthew tells us how he commanded his disciples to take up the same role (Mt. 5:14–16) (Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Epistles of John (p. 109). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Please turn to 2 Corinthians 4
The gospel illumines how Christ’s death on the cross makes it possible for God’s people to be in His presence, having been transformed by God’s presence and not destroyed by it (cf. 3:18). This is described in Second Corinthians 4 which summarizes well the importance of God as light and its role in a Christian’s life:
2 Corinthians 4:1-6 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (ESV). (cf. Matt. 5:14–16; Eph. 5:8–10; Phil. 2:15; Col. 1:12–13; 1 Peter 2:9)
• In 2 Cor. 4:6 Paul refers to the provision of light as mentioned in Gen. 1:3 to picture conversion as the dawning of the new creation amid this fallen and dark world. To know the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4) is to encounter the life-transforming glory of God (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2228). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
As described back in 1 John 1:5, Scripture reveals two fundamental principles that flow from the foundational truth that God is light. First, light represents the truth of God, as embodied in His Word. The psalmist wrote these familiar words: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.… The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Ps. 119:105, 130; cf. Prov. 6:23; 2 Peter 1:19). The light and life of God are inherently connected to and characterized by truth. Second, Scripture also links light with virtue and moral conduct. The apostle Paul instructed the Ephesians, “You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth)” (Eph. 5:8–9; cf. Isa. 5:20; Rom. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:5–6). Therefore, the declaration in 1 John 1:5, that “God is light” (? ?e?? f?? ?st??), is a penetrating description of the being and nature of God: it means that He is absolute in His glory (the physical connotation of light), in His truth (the intellectual) and in His holiness (the moral) (Smalley, S. S. (1989). 1, 2, 3 John (Vol. 51, p. 20). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.).
Those essential properties of divine light and life are crucial in distinguishing genuine faith from a counterfeit claim. If one professes to possess the Light and to dwell in it—to have received eternal life—such a person will show evidence of spiritual life by their devotion both to truth and to righteousness. If truth and righteousness are absent from one’s life, that person, no matter what he or she says, does not possess eternal life (Matt. 7:17–18, 21–23; 25:41–46). They cannot belong to God, because in Him is no darkness (skotos, skotia) at all. God is absolutely perfect in truth and holiness (Ex. 15:11; 1 Sam. 2:2; Pss. 22:3; 48:10; 71:19; 98:2; Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8; 15:4). God is pure light, not diluted or mixed in any way with evil, hatred, untruth, ignorance or hostility (Thompson, M. M. (1992). 1–3 John. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Illustration: Light
In his book, The Chemistry of the Blood, M. R. DeHaan, makes a creative application to that fact that “God is light,” about the Trinity. A scientific analysis of sunlight reveals that it consists of three kinds of rays: 1. Chemical rays or actinic. These rays are invisible and can neither be seen or felt. 2. Light rays. These rays can be seen but never felt. 3. Heat rays. These rays are felt but never seen. DeHaan writes, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. We know the Godhead consists of Three Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father corresponds to the chemical rays of sunlight; No man hath seen God at any time. The Son, who is the light of the world, corresponds to the light rays, the One whom we can see but not feel. The Holy Spirit corresponds to the heat rays, since He is felt in the lives of believers but never seen.” (M. R. DeHaan, The Chemistry of the Blood (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1943), 66.)
• The Light of God will impact what we know, what we see and what we feel.
“Walking in the Light” requires that we must be:
2) Following the Light (1 John 1:6)
1 John 1:6 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (ESV)
John divided those who claimed to be in the fellowship but rejected the truth into three similar but distinct categories: those in darkness, those in deception, and those who defame God. All three groups of people either willfully rejected or completely ignored the reality that true believers and sin are incompatible. (cf. Rom 6:2, 17–18; Eph. 2:1–5). By refusing to repent, these sin-denying false professors revealed that they were outside of God’s plan of salvation, which begins with election (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:4, 11); includes redemption (1 Cor. 1:30; Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12), sanctification (1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 5:26–27; Phil. 2:12–13), and spiritual growth (John 16:13; 17:17; cf. 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Tim. 3:15); and culminates with glorification (2 Cor. 3:18; 2 Thess. 2:14; 2 Tim. 2:10). The first category of false professors consists of those who ignored their sin as if it were not a reality to them. They claimed to have fellowship (koinonia) with God, to share common aspects of life with Him, that is, eternal life (cf. John 17:3). The heretics claimed that fellowship was based on knowledge only. This was an aspect of Greek philosophy from Plato. However, John asserts that Christians must live Christlike lives (cf. v. 7; Lev. 19:2; 20:7; Matt. 5:48) (Utley, R. J. (1999). The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John (Vol. Volume 4, p. 197). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.). Christianity is the only religion which, by emphasizing that God is light, first insists on taking sin seriously and then offers a satisfactory moral solution to the problem of sin. The way to have fellowship with a God who is light is not to deny the fact or effects of sin, but to confess our sins and thankfully appropriate God’s provision for our cleansing. (Stott, J. R. W. (1988). The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 19, p. 78). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
John here is stating that the claim of fellowship is meaningless if one continues to walk in darkness. Walk (Gr peripateo) refers to manner of life or conduct (Rom. 8:4; cf. 13:13; Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; see also Deut. 10:12–13; Ps. 119:1; Mic. 6:8), This person is said to be walking in the darkness which is not in God, namely, sin. The verb is present subjunctive which speaks of habitual action. Thus, this person is sinning habitually, continuously, which shows that (they are) an unsaved person. No child of God sins habitually to the exclusion of righteous acts (Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (1 Jn 1:6). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.).
For one to profess one thing and live in contradiction, John states is to it is to lie and not practice the truth. When the truth of God’s revelation is accepted by the believer, it becomes the basis from which that person lives; and if one acts in truth …, one is not simply following an outside model of what is right … but is acting from an interior principle”. According to John, some people’s lives show how they have never internalized this principle that God is light or other aspects of truth associated with the incarnation (McDermond, J. E. (2011). 1, 2, 3 John (pp. 62–63). Harrisonburg, VA; Waterloo, ON: Herald Press.). Therefore, to ‘practice/do the truth’ relates to action, and conduct and feeling, as well as to word and thought.” (Barker, G. W. (1981). 1 John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 310). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House Barker, G. W. (1981).)
Please turn to James 1
Believers possess God’s life, are new creations in Christ made for good works (1 John 5:20; Rom. 6:11–17; 8:1–2; 12:5; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:21; 5:17; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:27–28), and have the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Tim. 1:14). Thus, they cannot ignore the existence of personal iniquity and walk in darkness (cf. Col. 1:12–14). No matter what anyone claims for themselves, the genuineness of faith can always be seen in one’s life by the love of righteousness (Matt. 7:15–20).
Those who really embrace the truth heed James’s admonition:
James 1:22-25 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (ESV)
• Looking intently at his natural face in a mirror and then forgetting what he was like demonstrates the folly of examining oneself in God’s “mirror” of the “implanted word” (v. 21) and then doing nothing about it (v. 22). When one sees imperfections (as when looking in a mirror), common sense says something should be done about it (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2392). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
• If a profession of faith in Christ does not result in a changed life that hungers and thirsts for God’s Word and desires to obey that Word, the profession is only that—a mere profession. Satan, of course, loves such professions, because they give church members the damning notion that they are saved when they are not. They still belong to him, not to God (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (pp. 83–84). Chicago: Moody Press.)
Illustration: “The Fellowship Factor”
John’s letter is filled with references to “fellowship.” Fellowship means more than a superficial conversation after church or a midweek meal together. The biblical term conveys the idea of a deep sharing of life, partnership together in a common cause, and spiritual oneness. Remember that the intimacy and fulfillment of biblical fellowship (whether with God or with others) first require a relationship. This six-question test will help determine the quality of the fellowship within a relationship:
1. Are there any unresolved tensions or conflicts in the relationship? (If so, this directly hinders fellowship.)
2. Are we spending adequate time together? (If not, there can never be intimacy!)
3. Are we communicating openly and honestly? (The sharing of thoughts, concerns, feelings, plans—even motives—is indispensable to true fellowship.)
4. Do we share the same vision? (If we are going in two different directions, it will be impossible to be partners.)
5. Are we committed to this relationship? (If the relationship is not a priority, then fellowship will never be a reality!)
6. Are we laying aside our own agendas and looking out for the best interests of others? (Self-centeredness cannot coexist with fellowship.) (Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1998). 1, 2 & 3 John (p. 23). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.)
Finally, when we are: “Walking in the Light”, we enjoy:
3) Fellowship in the Light (1 John 1:7).
1 John 1:7 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 his Son cleanses us from all sin (ESV)
Walk is used throughout the New Testament, especially in Paul’s letters, to describe the effect, not of justification, but of sanctification. Salvation is not only a change in one’s legal status as divine righteousness is credited to one’s account, but a change in behavior as actual righteousness is given to believers by the very indwelling presence of God’s Spirit. Daily living of the Christian life is a Spirit-enabled walk (John 8:12; 12:35; Rom. 6:4; 8:4; 1 Cor. 7:17; 2 Cor. 5:7; Gal. 5:16, 25; Eph. 2:10; 4:1; 5:8; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:1). The verb here is a present subjunctive, expressing continuous action that is nevertheless hypothetical because it applies only to some people. Those who walk in the Light do so because the power of God has regenerated them. As “new creature[s]” for whom “new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17), they will behave in a way that reflects the power of God’s righteous life in them, just as God Himself is in the Light (cf. 1:5). The opposite of living in the darkness is living in the light, i.e. being responsive to the divine revelation of the truth which shows us how we ought to live. To live in the light is to come into the sphere where God himself is to be found, or rather to live in the same way as God himself. (Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Epistles of John (p. 111). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
To walk in the light’ involves a willingness to be open towards God and His revelation in Christ, while ‘walking in the darkness’ involves a refusal to do this. The author of 1 John, however, is less concerned to define what walking in the light or the darkness means than he is to explain the consequences of doing so. He noted in verse 6, the consequences of walking in the darkness while claiming fellowship with God are that ‘we lie and do not live by the truth’. The consequences to walk in the light are spelled out in 1:7. These are twofold: The first consequence is, we have fellowship with one another. There is no real fellowship with God which is not expressed in fellowship with other believers. (Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John (pp. 63–64). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.)
Please turn to Colossians 1
True spirituality manifests itself in community fellowship. One cannot (properly) say that he or she communes with God and then refuse to commune with God’s people. Such was the case with some of the false teachers of John’s day, and this situation exists among false cults today. Often their followers and leaders claim to have special relationships with God, but they don’t affiliate with other believers. They stay isolated and withdraw from everyone else. John’s point is that the natural result of living in the light (in fellowship with God) should be joyful relationships with other Christians (Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1998). 1, 2 & 3 John (p. 22). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.). Or, to put it another way, there is no real fellowship with God which is not expressed in fellowship with other believers. (Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John (p. 64). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.)
Paul theologically explained this collective fellowship:
Colossians 1:9-14 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (ESV)
• “Wisdom and understanding” (v. 9) from God, enables believers to have changed lives, for it enables Christians to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. Every good work (v. 10) is here viewed as the fruit of salvation in the life of a Christian, not as the prerequisite for entering a relationship with Christ. Finally, according to v. 13, God has delivered believers now from the domain of darkness, that is, from the realm of Satan and the powers of evil (cf. Acts 26:18) and transferred them into the kingdom of his beloved Son. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2294). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
To all who walk in the Light, God grants His grace so that throughout their lives the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses them from all sin. The term blood is often used in the New Testament as a dramatic and graphic way to represent Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross (cf. Acts 20:28; Rom. 3:25; 5:9; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:12; 10:19), by which He “released us from our sins by His blood” (Rev. 1:5; cf. Col. 1:20–22; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:17; Rev. 5:9). It is a metonymy (something that represents a greater whole), in which “blood” is substituted for crucifixion and the giving of one’s life. John makes clear that the benefits of Jesus’ work on the cross are a necessary element in our fellowship with God (E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, 609.).
This is not to say that Christians no longer struggle with sin, for no one will ever be totally free in this life from the unredeemed humanness of their flesh (Matt. 26:41; Rom. 7:18–24; Gal. 5:17; cf. Rom. 13:14). However, because the blood of Jesus Christ continually cleanses away every impurity, sin can never change a believer’s standing before God (cf. Rom. 8:33–39). John’s use of the present tense “cleanses” describes a principle of life (gnomic sense) and an active process (Haas, de Jonge, and Swellengrebel, 28; Williamson, 69). He is not referring to Christ’s work in our justification, but His daily, moment-by-moment ministry in our sanctification. It is a work of God the Father in the life of the believer through His Son. The salvation cleansing John described encompasses all the sinner’s transgressions, past and future, and depends on no condition but God’s sovereign grace in response to saving faith. John is unmistakably in agreement with the Spirit-inspired teaching of Paul that the redeemed enjoy complete, unalterable, and unrepeatable forgiveness (cf. 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor. 5:18–19; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 10:10). (Williamson, 70 as recorded in Derickson, G. W. (2012). First, Second, and Third John. (H. W. House, W. H. Harris III, & A. W. Pitts, Eds.) (1 Jn 1:7). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.).
Illustration: 479 Nothing But The Blood
At a great parliament of religions, held in Chicago many years ago, practically every known religion was represented. During one session, Dr. Joseph Cook, of Boston, suddenly rose and said: “Gentlemen, I beg to introduce to you a woman with a great sorrow. Bloodstains are on her hands, and nothing she has tried will remove them. The blood is that of murder. She has been driven to desperation in her distress. Is there anything in your religion that will remove her sin and give her peace?” A hush fell upon the gathering. Not one of the company replied. Raising his eyes heavenwards, Dr. Cook then cried out, ... John speaks: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sins’ (1 John 1:7).” Not a soul broke the silence: the representatives of Eastern religions and Western cults sat dumb. In the face of human need, the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone could meet the need. The sin of the race demanded the blood of Calvary (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 203). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.).
