Walking In The Light Series

John has made it perfectly clear that Christians are still sinners

even as saints, and that to claim that one is without sin is to call God

a liar. He is not defending sin, but warning against a false kind of

perfectionism. The Gnostics attained their perfection by simply

denying that anything they did in the flesh was sin. Sinlessness is

fairly easy to attain if it is all a matter of words, for all you have to

do is define yourself into a state of perfection. Lust is a sin, but if

you call it aesthetic appreciation of art, you could define the man

who lusts into innocence.

As long as men are deceived into thinking that truth is basically a

matter of words only, they will be able to rationalize anything as

being consistent with perfection. Pious words can be weapons

against the truth, and we all need to be aware that virtue is far more

than one's vocabulary. Men mean different things by the same

words. Humpty Dumpty boasted to Alice in Wonderland, "When I

use a word it means just what I choose it to mean-neither more nor

less." It was no wonder that Alice was puzzled at his use of the word

glory, for he meant by glory "A nice knock down argument." This

kind of irresponsible use of words has no place in the Christian life.

He is to avoid deception of himself and others by calling sin what it

is and dealing with it instead of eliminating it as the Gnostics did by

playing with words.

Our fellowship with God is not based on words but on our walk,

and if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we do not have to

rationalize our sin away, for God has made provision through the

blood of Christ to cleanse and forgive us. Christian perfection is to

be realistic. It is a matter of a very real and practical condition, and

a very real and practical consequence, and it is these two things we

want to examine as they are revealed in verse 7.

I. THE CONDITION.

If we walk in the light we have fellowship with God, but if we do

not, we have neither fellowship with God nor forgiveness of sin.

This then is no incidental truth, but is essential to the Christian life.

No one can be a Christian who does not fulfill this condition. Notice

that the believers condition does not consist in making great claims

like the Gnostics. They were all talk and no walk. John would

caution us against bragging about our marvelous fellowship with

God. Beware of laying bare your soul before men, and exalting

yourself by speaking of how intimate you are with God. This leads

to a superficial and sentimental mysticism that is not edifying to

believers nor appealing to unbelievers. The Christian who is

edifying and witnessing is the one who does not have to boast

because his attitudes and actions make it clear he is walking in the

light. He shares the truths and treasures he discovers in fellowship

with God, and let's them speak rather than boast of this fellowship.

The condition all of us are to strive for is not to talk about light,

but to walk in it. Walking has these two characteristics:

1. It is voluntary. The Christian is not one who walks in the light

because he compelled or pressured to do so. He gladly performs

Christ like acts, not because they are required, but because he

chooses to do them, and would have it no other way. When

Christians do only what the organized church requires, the church

has become an institution rather than a living organism, and is a

hindrance to the true mission of the church. Christians are to

voluntarily do what they know must be done, and what is right and

good regardless of any other consideration. He loves and serves just

because he loves to serve and be a partner with Christ in reaching

the world. Out of gratitude alone he wants to walk in the light, and

lead others into the light. If a Christian is fulfilling this condition he

will be one who lives for Christ voluntarily, and not because he is

pushed.

2. Walking is not only voluntary motion, it is continued motion. It

is a series of steps. One who takes two or three steps is not walking.

The believer may take a step or two into the dark, but this is not

walking in darkness. One walking in darkness makes a continuous

series of steps in sin, and, therefore, is out of fellowship with God.

The unbeliever may take several steps into the light, and do acts in

harmony with God's will, but these steps are not walking in the