"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. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:5-9
INTRO: This is room number four: “Light exposes”. Before entering the room, peer through the window at the restaurant scene. In dim light, we cannot see clearly; things may look fine or even wonderful. But bright light exposes the true condition of a thing. Enter the room and take a closer look in the full light.
WHAT IT MEANS:
The Bible teaches we are born with a nature of darkness and over time we become utterly darkened in our understanding (Ephesians 4). We live our lives in the domain of darkness (Colossians 1) . The strange thing is that, despite our hearts being ingrained with sin, we cannot see it. Because we dwell in a dark world we cannot see our sins or we see them faintly. But when God begins to work in our hearts we suddenly (or gradually) begin to see that every part of us, inside and out, is dirty. Theologically this is explained as the natural result of seeing the holiness of God (Isaiah 6). Holy is not merely that God is perfect but it’s that God is wholly other. He is infinitely distant from sin. It is impossible for him to dwell with sin. The awareness of our sinfulness in light of God’s holiness makes us realize that we desperately need our sins to be removed before we meet this holy God that the Bible says “dwells in unapproachable light”. The message of Jesus is clear that unless our sins are removed, we will not be able to stand on the day of judgment. All who die in their sins will not make it into heaven.
PRAYER: I was born in darkness, and it’s all around me. I can’t clearly see my own darkness. In the middle of this murky world, it doesn’t seem so bad. But compared to your light, my darkness seems exceedingly dark. You are all light and no darkness—not even a speck! You are completely distant from the unclean things I want to hide in the darkness. God, who can even come close to you? Who can stand in your gleaming light? Next to your perfect light, I see the dirt and grime in my own heart. I thought I was good, but in Your light I’m hopelessly marred. How could I ever face you in this dirty condition? God, please have mercy on me. Wash me clean. Bring me out of darkness and into light, so that I can run confidently to you!
