READ 1 John 1:5-10

IN THE LIGHT
What if you were to come to my house to visit. As you get comfortable I ask if you’d like a glass of water for you and your family. You say, “Yes, please.” I go to the kitchen and bring to you a glass of water for each of your family members. It’s a hot day, our home has no air, you’ve been working all day, and all of you are about to take your first sip. Then, the last thing I say right before you drink is this, “Don’t worry, there’s only one small drop of poison in each glass.” What would you do?

With something as pure and needed as water, and something as toxic and harmful as poison, it only takes one drop of poison to ruin a relatively large amount of water.

READ 1 John 1:5

QUESTIONS:

1. What does it communicate about God that he is only light and in him there is no darkness? What does that mean?

2. If there were only “one drop” of darkness in God, how would that change who he is?

3. Every attribute of God stems from his perfect holiness. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

WALKING IN DARKNESS: Yesterday we established that eternal life is knowing Jesus. Eternal life isn’t a thing to possess, but a person to know. It is knowing Jesus and fellowshipping with him that makes us the recipients of eternal life. John 8:12 says, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” It is this light of life in fellowship with Jesus that results in our eternal life and joy.

READ 1 John 1:6-7

QUESTIONS:

4. If we say we are a Christian. If we say we believe. If we say we have faith, yet we continually walk in “darkness” or “a lifestyle of sin” what does this passage say is true?

5. How does being in a relationship with someone (husband / wife / dating relationship / parent / etc.) change how you live?

6. Why does it change how you live?

7. Why will a true relationship with Jesus always result in a lifestyle characterized by “walking in the light?”

8. People sometimes ask, “Can a true Christian continually walk in sin?” The better questions is, “Will a true Christian continually walk in sin?” What’s the difference in those two questions? And what is the answer to the 2nd question? Explain.

IS PERFECTION REQUIRED TO BE SAVED?I love how thorough, yet simple John makes it to understand eternal life and salvation. Right after finishing a section that explains a person that truly believes in Jesus and has fellowship with Jesus will not walk in darkness, he immediately approaches the next question we all are wondering. “If that is true, then must I be perfect to be saved?” Answer…NO!

READ 1 John 1:8-10

QUESTIONS:

9. What does verse 8 mean in your own words?

10. What does verse 9 mean in your own words?

11. What does verse 10 mean in your own words?

FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Recap. Jesus says those in fellowship with him, those who have eternal life, will walk in fellowship with him in the light. Their lives will be characterized by a life that pleases Jesus. Immediately following that, it says anyone that continually and willfully walks in darkness proves they are not in a loving relationship with Jesus and are not in fellowship with him, i.e. outside of eternal life. Lastly, John says, “If we say we are without sin we are liars and are also calling God a liar.” HOW DOES ALL THIS FIT TOGETHER?

Two Illustrations to Help Us:

1) If I asked my daughter Jaycee, “Hey, let’s go to Fort Williams and learn to ride a bike today for the first time! Just me and you hanging out together, learning to ride a bike.” She obviously would joyfully agree! After hours and hours of failures to try to ride her bike, we go home happy, had a lot of fun, AND EVEN IN THE FACE OF MANY FAILURES, WE ENJOYED BEING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER ALL AFTERNOON PROVING SHE IS MY DAUGHTER AND THAT SHE LOVES TO BE WITH HER DAD!

2) If I asked my daughter Jaycee, “Let’s go to the mall today and let your dad take you on a shopping spree. We can finish the day off with some ice cream and come home to watch a movie together.” To that offer my daughter answers, “NO! Just give me your money. You stay home. I know what I want and need. Leave me alone and let me do what I want to.” Of course this hurts my heart deeply, because SHE DOESN’T DESIRE TO BE WITH ME AND IS WALKING IN A DARKNESS THAT I HATE AND CAN’T WALK WITH HER IN.

In the first illustration, Jaycee loves to be with me, and even after many, many failed attempts to do something I desire for her to do, every failure is simply an opportunity to rely on me more!

In the second illustration, Jaycee really doesn’t want to be with me, only wants to use me in ways to fulfill her own desires, and really just wants to be left alone to live her life like she wants to live it.

The first illustration is the picture John is trying to paint for us here in 1st John. Grace assumes there is sin, overcomes sin, and initiates fellowship. If this is true, our desire to be with Christ will allow us to come to him in fellowship, even on our worst days, full of sin, to be with him. It is this desire to fellowship with Jesus, no matter how good or bad we’ve been, that characterizes a lifestyle in the light and is evidence of someone with eternal life.

Being “in the light” is positional and proximity, not performance. If our heart is to be with him, we can run to him in the midst of failure and find a loving Savior, ready to dust us off, give us a hug, and put us back on the bike to spend the rest of the day with him.

Unfortunately, many relate much closer to the second illustration. Many just want God when times are bad. Not for fellowship, but just as a divine genie to get the selfish desires and lifestyle they want, apart from influence and fellowship with Jesus.

QUESTIONS:

12. Is your life characterized by walking in the light in fellowship with Jesus?

13. Jesus desires to forgive ALL your sins and restore you to fellowship with him. (1 John 1:9) Do you struggle with the concept of forgiveness? Is it easy or hard to receive forgiveness from God?

14. How can walking in the light raise your assurance that you have eternal life?

15. How can walking in darkness lower your assurance that you have eternal life?

What is your major takeaway today?