[Maximum Joy Series] Dealing With DarknessSample

The Premise: God is Light; in Him there is no Darkness at all (1:5)

This devotional intends to guide you towards experiencing complete and ultimate joy. The kind of joy that flows from having fellowship with the Lord. If you are not experiencing this type of joy, it is because there is a barrier blocking your way. This barrier is called sin. Sin produces guilt, and we all know how difficult it is to live with unresolved sin and guilt. 

The structure of the passage we will study through this devotional is simple. John presents the truth in triads. The sentences introducing each part of the triad start with the phrase “if we claim…” (NIV) which occurs three times (vs. 6, 8 and 10). These “if” clauses give us three hypothetical responses to the message that God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. Each of these responses is an improper response, which John quickly corrects with the related truth. 

The premise is: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all (vs.5).

John begins the body of his letter with a basic concept about the character of God. The insight is expressed as one would look at two sides of the same coin. On one side it says, “All light.” On the other side, we have the same exact truth but stated negatively: “No darkness.” Darkness represents sin and anything contrary to God’s character. The premise states that there is nothing about God’s character or actions to impugn Him of evil. There is no darkness in God, He cannot produce it, it is not in His genes. Nor can He use others as instruments to produce it.

Needless to say, this truth leaves fallen man and the born-again Christian both with a problem. If evil has no part in heaven and no part of God, then how can we, having a sinful nature, be close to God? Well, this is precisely what John addresses all through this letter: how can sinful Christians be close to a sinless God? The answer: By the blood of Jesus. 

As the writer of Hebrews tells us, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. Jesus took our place at the cross, and His blood cleanses us on two levels: position and condition, or relationship and fellowship. The apostle Paul speaks of forgiveness for our position in Ephesians when he states, “In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (1:7). And John speaks of forgiveness for our condition when he says, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, the blood of His Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Being in Christ states position; walking in the light indicates condition.

It is precisely this type of fellowship forgiveness that brings us close to the Father and the Son, and their joy is reciprocal. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.