For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. (Ephesians 5:8-13)
A GREAT CONFUSION
We all know—and have been told ad nauseam—that as Christians we are to live in the light. This is true, and it is one of the most important pieces of advice that we can give or receive in our faith journey. But over the years I have observed that many believers, without realizing it, have made the biblical concept of "living in the light" synonymous with the act of confession. This is a catastrophic confusion with devastating consequences in our relationship with God.
Confession is not the same as living in the light. Confession is one part of what it means to live in the light.
Take a moment to read the above sentences nine or ten times. Memorize them in English, Spanish, Latin or Mandarin if you need to. Anything to get them solidly in your mind.
To live in the light is to live in such a way as to please God with our thoughts, intentions and actions. Confession occurs at the point where darkness meets light. We bring something hidden (a sinful thought, attitude or action) into the light (visibility to others) in order to be rid of them.
Many disciples are discouraged because they confess ongoing sins and things don't change. That sexual sin, or anxiety, or sins of fear, or sins of bitterness, or covetousness, don't seem to lose their power. They are robbed of joy and peace at every turn. But they say, "I've been living in the light!" and they are confused and discouraged.
Brothers and sisters, to confess sin is to come into the light, but to live in righteousness (by God's grace) is to live in the light. If you come into the light (through confession) and leap immediately back into your lust, fear, anger, covetousness, rebellion or grumbling, then you are right back in the dark!
John's Gospel puts it this way:
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:19-21)
You see, when we "live by the truth" we are free to "live in the light." We are not in fear of being exposed because we are living in such a way that is pleasing to God and honorable in the eyes of godly men and women. We're not afraid of our thoughts being known, because they are pure, humble and just. We're not afraid of our actions being known, because they are faithful and loving.
HOW CAN WE DO THIS?
In his letter, John the Apostle is greatly concerned that believers live in God's light, and he devotes much of his time to explain how this is done. We would do well to learn from him and see how much more there is to living in the light than just confession.
THE RESULTS
Scripture tells us what the results will be in our lives if we live in the light and continue in the light. Read what John has to say:
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)
How can we know if we are really walking in the light? The apostle gave us two results that we can see in our life if we are truly walking in the light of God:
FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER: Darkness divides people. It obscures our view. John tells us simply that if we live in God's light, we will "have fellowship (koinonia) with one another." We will be connected. Our lives, our joys, our sorrows knitted together beautifully by the Holy Spirit. If you find yourself in broken fellowship—sins of accusation, sins of bitterness, sins of anger, sins of isolation—then you can know for certain that there is darkness in your walk separating you from the life-giving power of the Spirit in Jesus Christ.
PURIFICATION FROM ALL SIN: John doesn't simply say, "forgiveness from all sin." No, this is something even greater! Purification means that Jesus' blood will continue to actually cleanse us and free us from the power of sin. In the light, day by day, we will see the hold of lust, greed, fear, anxiety, anger, grumbling and bitterness lose its grip under the cleansing power of Christ's blood. When we see these sins increase their grip on us, rather than decrease, we can know for certain that there is darkness in our walk.
THE ACTIONS
Continuing, John wants to tell us how we can concretely and practically put "walking in the light" into action on a daily basis. He is concerned that this not become some mystical, or "spiritual" exercise, but rather something that really transforms our daily lives:
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. (1 John 2:9-11)
HATING YOUR CHRISTIAN FAMILY IS DARKNESS: John's main definition of living in the dark is not to have unconfessed sin, but rather to be living in hatred towards your Christian family. "Hatred" [the Greek μισέω (miseō)] is not what we often imagine it to be. Vine's Expository Dictionary gives it this definition:
Hatred: malicious and unjustifiable feelings towards others, whether towards the innocent or by mutual animosity
The act of murder is the outward expression of the same thing by which hatred is the inner expression. It is the desire for someone to go away. To get out of your way. John tells us that this lifestyle results in a life of living in the dark.
When we live in the dark, we "do not know where we are going" because the darkness has blinded us. We begin making foolish decisions. We begin to take actions that have consequences harmful to ourselves and others. Yet, we may even feel justified because we are blinded by darkness.
LOVING YOUR CHRISTIAN FAMILY IS LIGHT: On the other hand, when we live in Christlike love towards our Christian family, we enjoy the fruit of the light. We're not talking about sentimental emotions. We're talking about something concrete, Jesus-honoring choices to walk in patience, kindness, trust, hope and perseverance. We're talking about turning from envy, boasting, pride, dishonor, self-seeking, anger, and holding on to past wrongs.
When, by the Spirit of grace, we walk in this love towards one another, there is nothing in us to make us stumble. Nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to hide and nothing to fear. You see, walking in the light is not confessing your sins and reading your Bible alone. It is demonstrating the love of Christ, through our actions, intentions and thoughts towards our brothers and sisters in Christ.
FEAR AND LOVE: Finally, John makes an important contrast at the end of his letter. He shows us that just as darkness is in contrast to light, so fear is in contrast to love.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:16-21)
When we refuse, for whatever reason, to not let the love of Christ control our mind and actions, we will become more and more dominated by fear: Fear of people. Fear of exposure. Fear of death. Fear of judgment. Fear, fear, fear. But as we choose love, we will find fear more and more expelled from our lives.
Love is the visible expression of light. Fear is the visible expression of darkness.
In conclusion, my dear brothers and sisters, we need to shake off any legalistic and technical view of "living in the light." It is so much deeper, so much richer, so much more rewarding than simply confessing sin. By all means, confession is a crucial part of escaping darkness in our lives (see 1 John 1:8-10), but it is nowhere close to the fullness of meaning living in the light has in Christ.
May we, by God's grace, be a people who spend our every waking moment thinking about, planning and acting on the love of Christ towards all those around us. Not consumed by self, or fear or sin, but poured out in daily love.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16
Shalom!
Essene Press Team
