Encountering JesusSample

DISCOVER

John emphasizes the importance of walking the light of Christ in this verse. The light of Christ is a representation of how believers are called to walk in the grace of God and live in accordance with God’s Word. It also highlights the dangers of denying the reality of sin in our lives. If we do this, this means that the Word of God is not truly within us.

LEARN

To walk in the light means to persistently pursue God’s commands and emulate His character. As believers, we outwardly admit that we are sinners from birth, but we cannot naively forget that there are people who practice Christianity and do not understand what it means to have a heart of repentance, and to truly understand their need for a savior. Confessing our sins is not intended to be a simple recitation of our misdeeds. If we are to walk in the light, we must confess our sins by both owning up to our wrongdoings and aligning ourselves with God’s commands. God can forgive and cleanse us from terrible transgressions- all we have to do is ask Him for forgiveness and recenter ourselves in His marvelous light.

APPLY

If I enter a lighted room and walk around in it, I am walking in the light; I am moving around a space that the light illuminates as it shines not only on me, but upon everything around me. If I were to personify the light, I could also say that I was walking in the presence of the light. According to this passage, God not only is light (v. 5), but He is also within the light, so to walk in the light means to live in God's presence, exposed to what He has revealed about Himself. We expose ourselves to His presence through prayer and learn about Him through studying His Word. By contrast, to 'walk in darkness' (v. 6) is to hide from God and refuse to acknowledge what we know about Him. God cleanses us at conversion and promises that He will never bring us into condemnation for our sins (Rom. 8:1; 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 1:7). However, we need continual cleansing from the defilement that sinful daily living brings, because it hinders our fellowship with God. Confess your sins and walk in His light.