How do you speak truth into a world that is hostile to it without sounding hostile yourself? Truth in love? Easy when the hearers are ripe to hear. No longer, however, do we have a biblically based moral code that is held by the majority. Christ’s message is not popular, especially when it conflicts with deeply held societal beliefs. The Christian message of grace and peace often is received as hate or bigotry.
All the more reason to remind ourselves of who God is, who we are, and what Christ has done. In his epistles, John reminds us of God’s attributes, the necessity of confession of sin, and of the finished work of Christ. We must hold fast to these truths, lest our confusion over the current state of the world give way to doubt. John’s letters reflect his great concern over sound doctrine. Believing who God has revealed himself to be is foundational.
Reflect
“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.” 1 John 1:5
If you are taking this study, chances are you are a believer. Even if you are a long time follower of Christ, the continuing pursuit of knowing God is essential to your relationship with him. It is easy to get caught up in the traditions and service of Christianity, and lose sight of who we are worshiping and serving. We must not lose focus on the knowing in the midst of the doing.
In his goodness, God has revealed himself to us through his Word, so we have every opportunity to “know that we have come to know him” (1 John 2:3). A person who comes to know God can never exhaust their reasons for praising him!
1. Read the following scriptures and record attributes of God. Write a prayer of thanks and praise simply for who he is!
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.” 1 John 1:7
This is a beautiful and hope-filled truth. If we follow God— that is, stay in his light— that light will illuminate all of us so that we can have fellowship together. After all, we can’t find each other in the dark.
But also tucked in these passages are two frightening prospects: if we walk in darkness, we lie to God (1 John 1:6); and if we say we don’t sin, we make god a liar (1 John 1:10).
So how do we know, really know, that we are walking in the light? In Psalm 139:23-24, the Psalmist writes, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there by any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” This should be a daily prayer for all who would long to be in the light of God. There are days when I know I sin, and others when I feel pretty good about myself in the no-sin department. I want to have my propensity to sin ever before the Lord so I don’t lie to him, and worse, make him a liar.
On the surface, most of us have not committed the big, overt sins, like murder or adultery. But Romans 14:23 tells us “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” Jesus’s standards, remember, are as high as Heaven itself. So it’s the subtle sins, dimmed by the subtle overarching sins of rationalizing and relativizing, that we need to guard against with fierce vigilance and Psalm 139-like prayer.
We all rationalize and relativize. We say things like, “Well, what he said hurt, so I had a right to become angry.” Or, “I’m not as heavy as I could be, so I’ll eat the sixth brownie.” Or, “We spent an awful lot this month, so I’ll tithe when the coffers are a little fuller.” If we do not have a clear understanding of sin, and we do not examine our hearts by asking the Holy Spirit to search us, we run the danger of becoming pretty comfortable with how relatively wonderful we are.
2. Read the following scriptures, and make a list of the subtle sins that so easily creep into our hearts. Be discerning. Sometimes they’re lumped in with the big ones.
3. Another way of being aware of personal sin is to know what it means to walk in the light. If we are following Christ, what will that look like?
Read the following scriptures, and list ways God tells us to walk.
Pray
Dear Father, we believe you are who you say you are. Thank you that you are good, and help us to trust that goodness when your sovereignty leaves us tempted to doubt. Help us to reach out to you for guidance and to convict us of sin, especially when our sin is subtle, and we don’t recognize it. Help us to keep you as our focus, so we can love others from your light. Amen.