John wrote the first of three letters to believers who had experienced a division in their churches as a result of Gnosticism. The Gnostics were those who based their beliefs on the knowledge of spiritual truth apart from the actual practice of it. They perverted the Gospel in three ways: 1) their failure to accept Christ as deity in earthly form; 2) that faith alone was necessary for salvation without morality and 3) their failure to exhibit the love that exists in the family of God. In these particular verses, John is establishing once again the idea that genuine believers will acknowledge their own sinfulness and walk in the light of God. He starts out by reminding his readers that he was with Christ in the flesh and had heard, up close and personal, what he was about to share.
As modern day believers in Christ, we must understand the basic concept that God is truth and in Him is no falseness; He is the light and in Him is no darkness. Because of that, we are to live in the light of that truth as well. If we continue to live in darkness after knowing that our sins are forgiven then we are not in proper fellowship with God. Just knowing that Christ’s blood cleansed and purified us from each and every sin should make a profound difference in the way we live; however, that doesn’t mean we are to go about simply living good lives under our own power. Our limited resources could never sustain us. We must fully embrace our relationship with God. It’s up to us to live out the truth in our lives and walk in the light even as He is in the light and is the light. We must also understand that we will sin again, for we are human. In that event we must be quick to repent and receive afresh and anew His cleansing forgiveness. We mustn’t make the grace He has lavished on us a cheap thing, but in full appreciation and understanding of what has been done for us, we must live accordingly.
WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!
