Walking in the Light
“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. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7).
This is a letter of John, the beloved disciple, writing at a very old age to Christians divided over the country. Given the descriptive language of God’s creative work, light was necessary to separate the darkness. Light was formed, it illuminated the darkness and prevailed (Gen 1:5). Light, as we know, is one of God’s attributes.
Immediately we came out of the baptismal waters, we became newborn, leading new lives with God. Baptism is just a starting point in our walk in the light. There are ups and downs in the walking, but a sincere walk, in a manner befitting God’s standards is full of purity, faithfulness, graciousness and holiness; all these are consistent with God’s character. But why do we stumble in our walk in the light? Because we are not very close to God. There is also a life of compromise that draws us away from God. We need to fellowship with God in order to match this walk. And it is only this fellowship that strengthens our walking, and guarantees us the cleansing blood of Jesus whenever we backslide. Paul writing to the Ephesians discarded the following: hardness of heart, impurity, old self, falsehood, anger that leads to sin, corrupt talks, clamour and slander (Eph 4:17-22).
Since the walking is a journey that will bring God into your life:
Let us avoid sin eg corruption, “Let’s store up the ‘word’ in our hearts that we may not sin against God” (Psalm 119:11).
Learn to live the truth, 1 John 1:8. We must first read, believe, practise the word of God. It is only in the word that we can be taught His ways so that we obey and follow in the walk of God. Also, the truth must be born in us, ie if we mean ‘yes,’ let it be yes, and if ‘no’, no. An example is David who had nothing but a sling when he confronted giant Goliath, but spoke and lived the truth. With that he killed the giant.
Here poses a question: How can we be a light to the ‘darkness’ outside if we ourselves are in total darkness? And again we should not defy the command to be a light unto the Gentiles, in this context, those who have not known the truth (Acts 13:47). We should take a quick change by casting off the works of darkness and putting on the armour of light (Rom 13:12). We need not be scared for we have an assurance from Christ who pleads for our cause with the Father and who promised to ask God to send the Spirit of truth to guide us, His elect, in the walk (John 14:15-17). What a helping hand! Let us pray that the darkness be cast off our eyes that we may see with our inner eyes the light that leads to eternal life. The time is still “today”.
Bro Lawrence K’owiti (Katito, Kenya)
