Walking in the light

“If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by 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.” 1 John 1:6-7
A recurring theme through John’s gospel and his first epistle is that of light. Light was the first thing God created, and it befits His character. Light is what enables us to see where we are going. Spiritual light is the truth of God revealed to us, through Jesus Christ. If we are in spiritual darkness, it is because we have not yet come into the light of God’s truth.
Whether a person is in spiritual darkness or spiritual light will be reflected in how they live, what they say and do. Someone who is continuing to live in a sinful lifestyle and doesn’t have a problem with it, demonstrates by this fact that they have not come into spiritual light, because if they had, they would be seeking to change. Elsewhere, the apostle Paul said, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Cor. 13:5)
John gives us four ways that we can test ourselves. The first is here, in 1 John 1:7 – we are walking in light, reading the Bible and doing what it says. The next is in 1 John 1:8, 10 – we don’t claim to be sinless. We recognise our sinfulness, and acknowledge that we are in need of a Saviour. The third is in 1 John 2:3-5 – we obey His commands, specifically the command to love God supremely. The fourth can be found in 1 John 2:9-11 – our love for other people is evident. How did you do on this test?