1 John 1:5-9 (NLT) This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
When we think of sin, we often only think of really atrocious things like murder, theft, and other things obviously abhorrent in any normal society. However when we consider that sin by definition is “missing the mark”—ANY thing that leads us away from God’s light—the light we have through salvation in Christ—then we have much more thinking to do.
If we agree that the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (cf. Galatians 5:22-23); then we must also agree that sin is anything that misses the mark and leads to hatred, bitterness, discontentment, rudeness, those things questionable or objectionable, harshness, even undisciplined actions. It includes things like malice, but also envy. It includes hatred, but also gossip. It includes rudeness, but also snippy or insulting remarks. This puts things in a little different perspective for us. I think that is one reason I appreciate the reminder, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.”
Wonderful news! There is salvation through Christ that cleanses us from all of our sins and failures leading us away from God’s light. Through Christ we can have the light of God’s Word in our hearts. What a beautiful light it is! In closing, I would like to share the words from an old familiar hymn:
“Walk in the Light” (words by Asa Hull, 19th century)
Walk in the light the Lord hath given, to guide your steps aright;
His Holy Spirit sent from heaven, can cheer the darkest night.
Walk in the light of gospel truth, that shines from God’s own Word;
A light to guide in early youth the faithful of the Lord.
Walk in the light! tho’ shadows dark like spectres cross your way;
Darkness will flee before the light of God’s eternal day.
Walk in the light—the beautiful light of God.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Forgive those things in our lives that lead us away from you. Guide us to show the light of your Word to a world still living in darkness.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The devotional Walk in the Light appeared first on Write From My Heart at
https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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