Living In the Light 1st John 1-2:6

As we begin to read 1^st John we see John quickly letting us know about the Holy Trinity, John reminds us that Christ is God in the flesh.  “The one who existed from the beginning is the one we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life.”(1^st Jn1:1)  This is important for us to understand, because just as there are false teachers today, there were also some then; John is reminding the reader that  it is through the Holy trinity that we can come and have fellowship in Christ.  “that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”(1^st Jn1:3)  What does it mean to have true fellowship with Christ, how does this work?  It comes when we first see the light and realize that we are sinners, that only through Christ and the inner working of the Holy Sprite can we come into a relationship with God.  You see, in order to have fellowship with Christ we must have a relationship with Him.

“This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.  So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth.  But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.(1^st Jn1:5-7)  In order for us to truly follow Christ we must start to live in the light and be as Christ.  Many people are living a lie saying that they are followers of Christ, yet they are still living in darkness, living in sin and do not even realize that in order to follow, one must stop living in sin.  To have fellowship with God means that we are to fellow God; to become like God, hence the phrase Christ follower.  “Somehow many have come to believe that a person can be a “Christian” without being like Christ. A “follower” who doesn’t follow. How does that make sense? Many people in the church have decided to take on the name of Christ and nothing else.”(Francis Chan; Multiply)  You see it is by living in the light that we start the process of living a life without sin.  It is through Christ that we are forgiven, the Holy Trinity works together so that we are able to come closer to God.

John is telling us that we know that we belong to God, he wants us to realize that Salivation is found through obedience to God.  “How can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his commandments. If someone says, “I belong to God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. But those who obey God’s word really do love Him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him.  Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.”(1^st Jn2:1-6)  Even back then people were trying to fool people by saying, let me tell you that you can do whatever you want and not do what God tells you and you are going to make to heaven.  We must begin to truly live in the light of God’s salvation to come and have true fellowship with God.  By reading and studying His Word, by confusing our sins to Him so that they may be forgiven and allowing the Holy Sprite to guide and direct us in how we live our lives.