LIGHT AND DARK - A STUDY OF CONTRAST
Do you know what’s significant about tomorrow? No. It’s not my birthday. Tomorrow is the winter solstice. Tomorrow is the day that has the least number of hours of daylight of any day this year! It’s enough to make you want to stay in bed.
When you stop and think about it we make a great deal of use of this idea of light as compared to dark:
- Winston Churchill once stated that England was in its darkest hour. Not because it was night-time and a new moon, but because there was fear and uncertainty about the future.
- One of Murphy’s law’s states that "the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of an oncoming train".
- The Bible also makes extensive use of this symbolism - this contrast between light and dark. It is used in three slightly different ways.
Firstly, John chapter 3 says "Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." The way the contrast is used here is in connection with morality. Light is used to indicate purity or holiness, whilst darkness signifies evil.
This symbolism is also used to describe the intellect. Psalm 119 puts it this way "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Light here means truth.
And light is also used to portray a sense of the glory of God. Matthew records the events of the Transfiguration of Jesus in chapter 17 of his Gospel. He states: "After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John (the brother of James), and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light."
This image of God as light is something John’s readers would recognise and understand because in the Old Testament, God is often described as light - "The Lord is my light and my salvation." In the same way, God often chose to reveal Himself through fire. Moses and Elijah would certainly testify to that!
The passage we are looking at today - the first letter of John Chapter 1, takes up this theme of light contrasted against darkness. The passage is 1 John 1:1 - 2:2.
A VIEW OF 1 JOHN - BACKGROUND
This letter was written by John - who was one of the original disciples of Jesus. He wrote it some time after 85 AD and so by this time, he was an old man. But his advanced years haven’t dimmed his faith, his wisdom, or his concern for younger Christians.
Each of these qualities shine through in this letter. It is generally accepted that, although the letter is not specifically addressed, the recipients were the churches of Asia Minor around Ephesus.
At the time of writing, these churches were being attacked - not so much by people as by ideas.
Lies were being spread about the nature of Jesus and the nature of us. But John proceeds to dispel these lies and to tell us the truth about God and the truth about us.
John, the man of great faith and great wisdom, shares with his readers what he has learnt over the last 50 years, but he doesn’t use his knowledge and authority to beat them over the head for he calls them "dear children" on a number of occasions. The letter is full of grace and compassion - of exhortation and encouragement.
JOHN’S AUTHORITY
And as we read this chapter, John’s testimony is very convincing. He begins with "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life."
He has heard Jesus, he has seen Jesus, he has watched Him, and touched Him. Here is a man who knows what he’s talking about. John knows his apples.
But more than that, he’s a man who knows the truth - and because of that, he can recognise false teaching a mile off.
REASON FOR WRITING - FELLOWSHIP THROUGH FORGIVENESS
But why is John writing to these Christians? We read in verses 3 and 4 that "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete." He also says in chapter 2 verse 1 "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin."
He is writing for apparently 3 different reasons:
1. So that his readers may have fellowship with him.
2. So that his joy may be complete, and
3. So that his readers will not sin - and by that he does not mean sin at all, but wilful, intentional sin. John is calling them to renounce their disposition towards sin - because an unrepentant heart cannot enjoy fellowship with God.
I’ll try to put this all together in once sentence. If we walk in the light - and that means trusting and following Jesus, then, because we are forgiven we can have fellowship with one another and with God - and that would make John’s joy complete.
By fellowship, John does not mean a nice fuzzy feeling that comes from being with people you like, but a joy that pervades us from knowing the truth and sharing our lives with others who believe the same thing.
John is seeking to remind and assure his readers (and that includes us) of the fundamentals of the Gospel - that is our reconciliation to God through Christ. By being reconciled, we can enjoy this fellowship with God.
THE THREE LIES
THE FIRST LIE
To enable these conditions for fellowship to be met, and to guide his readers into how to "live in the light". John goes on to expose to his readers three lies that were being spread.
The first lie is exposed in verse 6 "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." Claiming to have fellowship with God means claiming to live in the light - and that means to live in accordance with God’s revealed will.
If what we do is not in accord with the things we say, then we lie. If our actions don’t match our words, we are in darkness.
He then goes on to say in verse 7 that "... 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, purifies us from all sin." Notice he says there if we walk in the light - if we behave in a way that says "I am on God’s side", then we have fellowship and we are forgiven.
THE SECOND LIE
John then exposes the second lie. In verse 8 we read "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."
What he is saying is if we deny that our nature is bent towards sin; if we deny the reality of our sinful nature, then the truth is not in us. Because if I say that I am without sin, then I am saying that I have no reason to repent.
And if I do not repent, then I choose to live on the dark side - the losing side. If I do not repent, then the truth - which is manifest by the Holy Spirit - is not present in me.
John now tells us the truth that contradicts that lie. He says that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." The opposite of saying "I have nothing to repent of" is to confess our sins - for in repentance and confession we find forgiveness through grace.
THE THIRD LIE
The ultimate lie is now exposed. Verse 10 warns that "If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
While we’re on earth, God relates to us as sinners. This can be seen because He has acted through history to redeem us from our sins. The ultimate act of His redemption was on the cross when He poured out His wrath upon His own Son. Romans 5 tells us that "...at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
We are now in a relationship with God because of His gracious provision of Jesus as our redeemer.
As John says "If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar". If we do that, then we are telling God that we can not and will not relate to Him in the way He has told us we need to relate to Him. We are saying "God - you are wrong because I don’t need what you are offering" and it is the saddest lie you will ever hear!
OVERCOMING THE LIES: CONFESSION - THE MEANS TO AN END
I mentioned before this idea of confession. Confession is the God-given means for us to walk in the light, to have fellowship with each other, and to have fellowship with God. Psalm 66 summarises this by saying "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."
Now there’s a funny thing about confession - we’re not telling God anything He doesn’t already know. But He wants to hear it from our own lips. To confess is to agree with someone. It is our acknowledgment that we need Jesus’ death. I agree with God and in front of Him what my sins are - and I thank Him for sacrificing His Son on my behalf.
Repentance and confession are our response to what God has already done for us in Christ.
When we confess our sins before God, we are acknowledging and calling upon the greatest act of love and sacrifice that mankind has ever known - the death and resurrection of God’s own Son. It is an enormous event we recall when we confess - we are reaping the benefits of Easter every time.
And when we confess, God is faithful and just. He is faithful to His promises and He is just to His nature. Job learns this great lesson about the justice of God when God asks him in Job chapter 40 "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?"
It is through repentance and confession that we obtain forgiveness. But forgiveness for us should not be an excuse for sin, it is our assurance that we have been delivered from its power.
PROPITIATION - GOD’S PROVISION
But what is the basis for our forgiveness and how does it really work? The first 2 verses of Chapter 2 assure us that "if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
In these verses 4 things are specifically mentioned:
Firstly, Jesus is described as the "righteous one". Our forgiveness is based on Jesus righteous character - He was the perfect sacrifice. Peter sums this up when he says: "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
Secondly, Jesus is the "atoning sacrifice". The Greek word here is better translated as propitiation - which means to deliver from wrath. Jesus bore God’s wrath on the cross so we can be delivered from it. Romans 5:9-11 tells us that "Since we have been justified by Jesus’ blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!"
The idea of atonement in the NIV carries with it the idea of effecting reconciliation - that we can be reconciled to God.
Thirdly, John says "we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence". It’s a bit like being on trial before a jury and we are our own prosecution. Whilst our own sinful nature seeks to condemn us, Jesus is there defending us!
And fourthly, we read that Jesus death was "not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world." Jesus atoning sacrifice or propitiation is enough. John is not saying that everyone’s sins will be forgiven - for that only comes through faith, but he is saying that Jesus death is sufficient. Nothing more is needed to pay the price for our sin.
IN LIGHT OF THAT ...
John in this chapter has dispelled three lies about our nature. The first thing he told us is that we should live by the truth - not just talk about it, but do it.
Secondly, he told us we are sinful - and when we acknowledge that; believe in Jesus; and repent, then the truth is a part of us.
Thirdly, he tells us that we have sinned - and when we face that, we must face God on His terms. And that means taking Him as He is - as the epitome of holiness, truth and gloriousness - and also as a God who is faithful and just.
John has shown us the reality of our sin - but he doesn’t leave us in the dark (so to speak) - he also tells us the remedy - and that is the forgiveness that is available through Christ’s death.
God’s provision of Jesus enables us to live in the light because confession frees us to have fellowship with each other and with God.
John shows us that real fellowship can only occur in a relationship where our sin is confessed. God has already dealt with our sin on the cross, but we’ve got to own up to it.
God’s provision for our sin as He poured out His wrath on His Son is effective because Jesus was a man who was righteous.
And how do we respond to such a great act of love and sacrifice? We respond by "living in the light".
We live in the light by renouncing sin as our way of life; by confessing our sin to God; and by believing and trusting our God who is faithful and just.
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© Gary Bennett June 1996
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission.
