GOD IS LIGHT

Introduction

[For Sure: I John]

What is I John all about?

“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” - I John 5:13

What did we talk about last time?

Being for sure...1) Comes from trusting Jesus alone (The God-man).2) Result in fellowship with a local church and joy.

[Read I John 5-10] [Prayer - Kingdom growth in Church Hill, all the “courts”]

God is Light

[Scaremare/Darkness] #1 God is Light

Darkness is a universal picture of straight evil.

“But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness.” - I John 2:11

[I John 1:5]

What was the message?

Where did they hear it?

Light and darkness in John means good and evil. There is no darkness in God means is absolutely no evil in God. There is only pure goodness, love, and truth. He is completely good and all he does is good, even hell.

“Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!” - Psalm 106:1

“If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.” - John 14:7

What about Jesusʼ life demonstrates the goodness of God?

Blinded by Rebellion

There are three different ways people respond to the goodness of God and his hatred of evil. First, you can be blind to Godʼs light by rebellion.

[I John 1:6]

How is the person in this verse blind?1) Claim to have fellowship2) Walk in darkness

What does it mean to live in spiritual darkness?

[Irene/Darkness]

“And the judgment is based on this fact: Godʼs light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.” - John 3:19, 20

[Roscoe/Ready?]

How were you living in darkness before you got saved?

What is true about someone if they claim to have fellowship with God, but walk in darkness?1) Lying to themselves/others 2) Not living in the truth

Do not be deceived here if you walk in darkness, youʼre fooling yourself. You do not have a relationship with God. God is light, him and darkness have nothing in common. Many people are deceived into thinking they are ok, but are stilling rebelling against God.

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ʻLord! Lord!ʼ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ʻLord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.ʼ But I will reply, ʻI never knew you. Get away from me, you who break Godʼs laws.ʼ” - Matthew 7:21-23

Typical areas of blindness:

1) Sexually immorality 2) Lying 3) Stealing/selling drugs 4) Using drugs/being drunk5) Greed/Pride/Self-centeredness

Blinded by Religion

Second, you can be blinded to Godʼs light and goodness by religion. Religion is manʼs attempt to please God through his own goodness.

[Curtis Blow]

[I John 1:8, 10]

Religion says all I have to be is good enough and Iʼll be ok with God. So, this view minimizes how deep sin is in our lives.

[Eva/Confederate Statue]

The distance between her and the statue was incredible. The distance between Godʼs goodness and us is infinitely greater than Eva and the statue. If we downplay sin in our lives, it shows we truly donʼt understand God is pure goodness and weʼre straight wicked.

What is true about us if we downplay sin in our lives according to these two verses?1) Fooling ourselves 2) Refuse to accept the truth 3) Calling God a liar 4) Reject his words

Donʼt assume this verse isnʼt talking about you. If youʼre thinking this isnʼt me, it most likely is you. Christians can even slip into thinking that by their obedience theyʼre somehow pleasing God or deserving of something from him.

What does it look like for Christians to downplay sin and become religious?

1) Stop repenting (Luther). (What are you repenting of?)2) Stop confessing sin. (Who are you confessing to?) 3) Youʼre judgmental 4) Youʼre critical of others/not yourself5) Youʼre not in awe of the blood-stained cross

“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” - Isaiah 64:6

A true Christian is constantly growing in their awareness of their sinfulness and Godʼs goodness. The apostle Paul one said that he was last of the apostles. Later in his life he said he was last of the Christians. At the end of his life he said “I am the worst of all sinners.”

“Unmask to me sinʼs deformity (ugliness), that I may hate it, abhor it, flee from it.” - Valley of Vision

Live in the Light

The third way you can respond to Godʼs light that we seen in the text is living in the light.

[I John 1:7, 9]

What does it mean to live in Godʼs light?

“And the judgment is based on this fact: Godʼs light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.” - John 3:19, 20

1) Loving Godʼs purity, goodness, holiness (commands?)2) Youʼre actions arenʼt evil3) You come to the Light

“absolute sincerity (100 with God and others)...to have nothing to conceal, and to make an attempt to conceal nothing (Quoted in Stott, 80).”

[Ghetto Bird/Ice Cube]

God already sees all your sin. Youʼre caught under his good light. The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is we donʼt run from being exposed.

[Children of the Light/Lecrae]

“Yeah, I notice when people notice meMy exterior is the only way they know it's meI'm full of holes and scars, my skin's marked upBut qualified to light up a world of darknessA day walker, I love walkin' in the sunlightI look dirty but I've been cleaned on the inside” - Lecrae

What should be true about us if weʼre living in the light?

1) We have fellowship with one another2) Jesus blood cleanses us from ALL sin (Acknowledge sin, confess it, go to the cross)3) We confess sin

“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you wonʼt have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” - John 8:12