Jesus told us that God is light and doesn’t have any darkness in him. Now we are telling you. If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth. But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.
1 John 1:5-7, CEV*
I love the way sunlight strikes trees early and late in the day: slanting to emphasize details of branches and trunks we don’t notice at midday. It helps us see more clearly, and it warms the trees.
I love the image of living (the NIV says walking) in God’s pure light. It’s not a one-time deal, it’s a new way of behaviour that takes practice.
We expose ourselves to His light through the Bible, prayer, listening to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and in all the ways we interact with His believers.
God’s light will reveal thoughts, attitudes or actions that we need to change. And it will warm and strengthen us. Unlike the sun, it won’t damage us if we stay too long or don’t protect ourselves.
Father, help me stay in Your light. Warm me and help me to grow. As You show me things in my life that don’t belong, help me work with Your Spirit to remove them. Help me take wrong thoughts and attitudes captive and help me continually replace them with those which will honour You. Help me behave in ways worthy of the gospel.
Here’s a catchy song from DC Talk to remind us we need to be “In the Light”.
*Contemporary English Version (CEV) Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society.
I like this. I struggled for a long time with Christ’s words that we needed to “abide” in Him. That was the KJV translation of the word. I didn’t know how to do that. How do you abide? Then the NIV came out, translating the word “remain”. It was a shaft of light to my understanding! All I had to do was “stay” where I was. Your use of that word is perfect in this case. We’re there already, if we’re in Jesus. All we have to do is stay there. Rest there. Not leave!
Ginny, I’ve had trouble with understanding the “abide” concept too. And with the NIV’s “walk in the light” in this verse although that’s a bit easier to picture.
Thanks for pointing out the connection here — we’re already with Jesus and need only stay with Him, live with Him, not leave Him.