1 John 1. Living in the Light.
John gets right to the point in this letter, not even addressing anyone until the beginning of the second chapter, ampldquoMy dear childrenamprdquo (2:1), which is more general than his second and third letters as well as all the letters by Paul and Peter. Itamprsquos more like the beginning of the letter to the Hebrews. Itamprsquos as if heamprsquos writing to everyone, to me. And his point is that heamprsquos heard, seen and touched the Word of life, Jesus Christ. Heamprsquos proclaiming the eternal life that the Father brought through Jesus. Heamprsquos proclaiming this message to make his and and my ampldquojoy completeamprdquo (4).
My joy is in the light of Jesus, who is the light, which John mentions three times. There is no darkness in him (5). That is the message. And if I claim I walk in fellowship with Jesus and my spiritual community and yet walk in the darkness of sin, then I am a liar because I have not changed. My repentance is woefully incomplete. Confessing my sins and receiving forgiveness is one thing, repentance is another. Repentance means I change, turning to God and away from sin.
In this life, my change is never complete because Iamprsquom a fallen creature, leaning towards temptation and sin and making mistakes. But there still needs to be a serious change in me and my life that is evident to others however little I may see it. I need to walk in the light. Do I and have I?
The answer is yes, which is not to say I still donamprsquot sin by getting angry when my wife points out my faults and pricks my pride. It doesnamprsquot mean I still make lapses of being judgmental and unaccepting of others. But I have changed because those who know me best have told me so. Here are a couple of examples. When a long time and close friend in Canada told me this summer I had changed, I was surprised. When my son told me, I was also surprised, as I was when my Canadian daughter said the same thing.
My desire for Jesus to change me has come true to a degree I didnamprsquot expect, which accounts for the peace and happiness in my life that has been welcome but which, curiously, I fight against and so try to complain about the busyness and stress in my life, as if I need to compete with others on that front! Basically, Iamprsquom an idiot having a harder time accepting joy in my life than I figured I would.
I am a sinner, which wonamprsquot change this side of heaven, and I have sufferings and hardships to get my attention to sins that need attending to, but Iamprsquom walking in a lot more light than ever before because of Jesus in my life. I am not the same guy I was 15 years ago. The immense hardship I endured by Godamprsquos grace over that time has changed me. I have witnesses. Now to live it more fully and walk more steadily in Godamprsquos light.
Application: no more complaints about my workload and happily write 500 more words today on the essay for my course.
Lord, your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
