Walking In God's Light: Overcoming Daily Struggles With Sin And Confession

Walking in God's Light: Overcoming Daily Struggles with Sin and Confession

1John 1:5-10

Introduction: The Light Switch

Have you ever tried to navigate your house in complete darkness? Maybe the power went out, or you were trying not to wake someone up. You stub your toe on the coffee table, bump into walls, and feel completely disoriented. But the moment you flip that light switch, everything changes. You can see clearly, walk confidently, and move with purpose.

This morning, we're going to explore what it means to walk in God's light versus stumbling around in spiritual darkness. Turn with me to 1 John 1:5-10, where the apostle John gives us one of the clearest pictures in Scripture about authentic Christian living. John writes to believers who were struggling with the same issues many of us face today – issues like…

How do we live authentically as Christians when we still struggle with sin?

How do we maintain fellowship with God when we fail daily?

I believe we’ll find that John's answer is both challenging and comforting, informing us that we must walk in the light and practice honest confession.

Point 1: God's Nature: Pure Light

Let's begin with verse 5: 1Jn 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

John doesn't say God has light or gives light - he says God IS light. Now, this isn't talking about physical illumination, but about God's absolute moral purity, His holiness, His truth. When John declares there is "no darkness at all" in God, he's using the strongest possible language. Not a shadow, not a hint, not even the possibility of moral compromise exists in our heavenly Father.

This truth should both humble us and give us hope. It humbles us because it reveals the vast gap between God's perfect holiness and our daily reality. We wake up with good intentions, but by noon we've already had impure thoughts, spoken harsh words, or acted selfishly. The standard isn't just high - it's absolute perfection. God’s command for us is, 1Pe 1:16 …"YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." And the thought of achieving this level of perfection should humble us, but it should also give us hope, because this same perfectly holy God has made a way for us to have fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ, who is our holiness, our perfection. The light that exposes our darkness is the same light that cleanses us.

However, far too many who claim to be walking in the light have actually fallen into…

Point 2: The Deception: Claiming Fellowship While Walking in Darkness

Verse 6 confronts us with a sobering reality: 1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

John is addressing what I call "Sunday Christianity" - people who claim to know God but live as if He doesn't exist Monday through Saturday. This isn't about perfection; it's about direction. Walking in darkness means deliberately choosing sin, living with unconfessed rebellion, or maintaining patterns of behavior that contradict our faith.

Let me give you some practical examples. Walking in darkness might look like:

1) Claiming to love God while harboring unforgiveness toward someone who hurt you; saying you trust God while living in constant anxiety and worry;

2) Professing faith while engaging in business practices you know are dishonest; or

3) Declaring God's love while speaking harshly to your family behind closed doors.

John says when we live this way, we're lying - not just to others, but to ourselves. We're living in self-deception, thinking we can compartmentalize our faith. But God sees it all. He sees our hearts, our private moments, our secret thoughts. We cannot claim fellowship with perfect light while choosing to walk in darkness.

You know, I can’t help but think of a situation I found myself in as the pastor in Higgins. One of the church’s founding members displayed such open and public hostility to a young girl who wanted to participate in a Christmas program at the Church. I was appalled and flabbergasted at the display that I had to confront her privately about it. We had two people never return after that. The woman I confronted and the young girl that woman publicly embarrassed.

But friends, hypocrisy will reveal itself to everyone eventually, but God sees it as soon as it pops up in the heart. Don’t be deceived, you cannot serve two masters – you cannot claim fellowship with the light when you’re walking in darkness, which brings us to the next point, that…

Point 3: The Truth: Walking in Light Brings Fellowship

But verse 7 gives us the beautiful alternative: 1Jn 1:7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.