God is...Light
Notes
Transcript
Thanks for coming out to Saturday Morning Bible Study.
We are looking at a trilogy of God Is… statements made by the apostle John.
Yesterday we talked about God is…Spirit as found in John 4.
Today we are going to move to 1 John 1:5 and talk about the second of John’s statements in his letter.
John is writing to a network of house churches who looked to John as somewhat of a fatherly figure. He is fond of calling them “little children”
Scholars have situated these churches in western Asia Minor.
John addresses some issues in his letter: (some of this covers all three of John’s epistles”
They are being troubled by false teachers who had left the church and were persuaded others to follow them
They denied that Jesus was the Christ
They did not believe Christ had come as a human being - “in the flesh”
They claimed to possess a higher revelation through which they knew God directly
They claim to be able to walk in sin and still have fellowship with God
They pay no attention to Christ’s commandments, particularly His commandment to “love one another”
In addressing these issues John makes a powerful statement about God lets read about it. 1 John 1:5
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
The first thing we notice in this little verse is that John is clarifying that this isn’t his message.
John is sitting around thinking up and imagining stuff.
He makes it clear that this great truth is something that has been passed down.
One of the biggest fears of mine as a minister isn’t that people are distracted by their electronic devices (although that happens) it is how fast they can now fact check you
Any claim you make, illustration you tell, within seconds they can look it up and verify or debunk your entire sermon and either tune you in more clearly or tune you out and keep on scrolling.
I’ve always had a great desire to preach and teach truth - and so I try my best to verify details, to make sure I have the facts - this sometimes means citing sources, or if I don’t know for a fact I try to put a clause in about that.
Sometimes we do this when we use the phrase, “they say”
“They say starve a fever feed a cold”
I wonder how many medical students and nurses here would agree to that statement? but I’ve heard a lot of “they’s” say it.
Here John doesn’t give his source right away -
“this then is the message which we have heard of him...”
Who or what is his source? In reality that either verifies or debunks the rest of his letter.
Well he tells us in the beginning of this letter
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
So John is telling us he is giving us this information because he heard it yes - but he heard it first handed
“I saw”
“I handled” (I touched)
“His life was manifested”
“fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ”
The message he heard from God himself is found in John 1:5 with the God is… statement
GOD IS LIGHT!!!
What is light?
In physics light or at least visible light “is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye…Its primary properties are intensity, propagation direction, frequency or wavelength spectrum and polarization. -
IN Genesis 1:3
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
There was this visible light - what is fascinating is this is the first day - no sun, no moon, no stars
God speaks “let there be light” and without hesitation or pause, light was there.
Now it is interesting that - God does not need light to see or even to work
but his creation was going to need light - we were going and still need light.
This may have been visible light but it also included all of light principles -
There have been differences of interpretation over the years about this light.
Tertullian (155 - 220 AD) belived that the light was a physical manifestation of Christ’s glory - “four millennia before the Incarnation”
Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD) believed that this “light” was a pillar of fire that later became the sun. He describes it in his speculation as a “huge bright mist or pillar of fire” after day 3 ended God repurposed that light and its heat into the sun, moon and stars.
Basil of Caesarea (329-379 AD) Concluded that God created the essence of the sun the first three days, without creating its substance until day 4 of creation week. To Basil God took the “fire” from days 1-3 and put it in a “lamp” of the sun on day 4.
Augustine (354-430 AD) a brilliant scholar and theologian believed that God created angels on the first day and that they were the light which shone on the earth for three days
The Midrash - a Rabbinical Commentary and exposition on Genesis completed around 500 AD gives discussion that the Light that shone in Genesis 1:3 was the physically manifested shekinah glory of God which later would reside in the Temple.
Matthew Poole (1624-1679) a theologian and Bible commentator believed that the light on the first day was some type of bright cloud similar to the fiery cloud in the wilderness.
Dr. John Whitcomb (1924-2020) a theologian, young-earth creationist, and author believed that the light on the frist three days was some type of proto-sun that was done away with once God created the sun on day 4.
Whatever the light source was it was used by God in creation and in a very important way
I want you to notice this -
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
I don’t know how God did it - but after the light came on - then God instituted the laws and principles that cover the differences between darkness and light
Darkness doesn’t have any real principles other than the absence of light
Light on the other hand is measurable in various ways, and it takes over the darkness
You don’t shine darkness in on a lighted room - you just turn the light off.
Here in the formless and void darkness God turned on light and the darkness had to separate
So in the very beginning we are given a dualistic approach to Light and Darkness
this is the same concept John is using here in his letter
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Light brings fellowship - darkness brings hypocrisy, lies, untruthfulness
I want us to go back and think in terms of the “God is…” statement
GOD IS LIGHT 1 John 1:5
What does it mean that God is light? Well you have to realize that John is giving us a metaphorical description of an attribute of God.
We have to understand that “light is not God” but rather “God is light” John isn’t teaching pantheism (a doctrine which identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God.)
Rather he is reminding us of a great truth about God -
John uses the word “light” six times in 1 John. He uses two different variations of the word “light” in the Greek.
Variation 1 - The sense of light which means: the source of light or illumination
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
Variation 2- The sphere dominated by righteousness and holiness.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
God is light means that he is the source of righteousness and holiness. God is absolutely pure and holy.
“This”, says Harvey Blaney, the great Nazarene commentator, “is the gospel condensed to its briefest expression.”
What John is doing is reminding us that our standard of holiness, morality, and spirituality which is necessary to have the fellowship with Him - is God himself and His revealed Word to us.
This standard of holiness, morality, and spirituality necessary for fellowship with Christ is what John later refers to as “Walking in the Light” 1 John 1:7
This concept of “God as Light, in whom is no darkness” shows us a duality that is referred to often in scripture between light and dark. Light referring to righteousness and Godliness, darkness referring to evil and wickedness.
It is first mentioned in Genesis 1:3 where God created light and then separated it from darkness, thus separating himself from darkness and associating himself with light.
(Adapted from - C. Hassell Bullock, “God,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, electronic ed., Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 295.)
To expand on this idea of God as light and in him is no darkness at all John uses a series of “if” statements.
I want to read them and then we will delve into them deeper. If you write in your Bible you might underline these, or take notes on your Bible app or somewhere, these are extremely important to John’s concept of God being light.
1 John 1:6 - If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1 John 1:7 - …if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 John 1:8 - If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:10 - If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Now I want to go back and talk about these - in reality these are a series of “if” “then” statements.
These are probably addressing false teachings being circulated during this time. There are three falsehoods that John addresses in this way.
His approach does two things for us 1.) It gives us a better understanding about the statement “God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” 2.) He introduces and corrects some erroneous teachings.
Now just for some context - this letter was probably written 55-60 years after Jesus rose from the dead the church is being infiltrated with some very dangerous heresy.
Light on Fellowship: 1 John 1:6-7
Light on Fellowship: 1 John 1:6-7
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
John is saying our walk needs to agree with our talk -
People can make any claim they want - but remember the short definition for truth? “Truth is that which corresponds to reality”
We can say we walk in the light - that we have the fellowship we talked about last time- but if we walk in darkness we are lying and do not truth.
Because God is light and in him is no darkness at all.
We can’t walk both paths - we are either in the light or we are in the darkness.
And there can be no fellowship with God for those who walk in darkness -
One commentator makes note that those who do this are guilty of two offenses: “First, they are guilty of lying about their relationship with God…Second, they are guilty of not doing the truth.”
So what’s the cure for this??? Its found in the very next verse -
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 John 1:7 is the irreducible minimum of what it means to be a Christian.
This verse should take care of this first error the idea that you can be in a right relationship with God and still live a sinful life.
Now I don’t have time to deal with the concept of sin as I would like to - we usually just say “a sin is a willful transgression against the known will of God.”
1 John 3:4 “sin is the transgression of the law”
Light on Sin 1 John 1:8-9
Light on Sin 1 John 1:8-9
Now I am immediately in a conundrum
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
John tells us that we Christians are set free from the need to sin.
Anytime I have talked to other people (typically those who claim to be Christians but don’t believe God has the power to deliver from sin) They nearly always go to 1 John 1:8 and 1 John 1:10
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
I want to shake them and ask - but did you read all of John’s letter?
This sounds contradictory - but I think there is a realistic and Biblical answer to this -
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
There is some different ideas as to what John is referring to here. Two main interpretations exist:
1.) That John is referring to the sinful nature (many commentators teach this among
2.) That John is referring to those who taught they did not have guilt for actual sins.
These were Gnostic ideas perpetuated by teachers of false teachers of that day, but they sound uncannily like those who teach once-saved always saved as well.
As best I can tell and at least the idea most frequently discussed today from these verses is that it doesn’t matter what they do - they automatically have forgiveness - it’s not sin to them.
The denial of sin according to John causes two severe consequences - 1.) We are self deceived 2.) We do not have the truth
Now John cannot be writing about those who are truly walking in the light - because of those he says:
they are cleansed, they do not commit sin, they walk in the light.
So what is the remedy of this “if”
another “if” or in reality a “then”
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we really do have sin the way to remedy it is to own up to it.
Acknowledge it
Confess it
The word “confess our sins” is an interesting word. I had always thought it meant to just tell God what you did - which it includes that but it’s an interesting Greek verb that means to say the same thing - to agree with God that your offense is in fact sinful and against God and walking in darkness.
If we do that - if we confess that sin- then He the God who is Light - is faithful and just to forgive us our sins - and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
“Willful sin has no place in a Christian’s life. The only way to have fellowship with God is to walk in the light as He is in the light which means practical willful obedience.” Dr. Allan Brown Sermon
More Light on Sin - 1 John 1:10
More Light on Sin - 1 John 1:10
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
This error is a denial - they denied ever having committed sin. It is such an absurd idea that John doesn’t waste his time on refuting it.
He just says anyone who would dare make such a claim is calling God a liar and God doesn’t lie.
Chapter two continues this light and dark, truth and deceit thought:
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
After a reading of all of these scriptures I can’t understand how anyone can teach a sinning religion. I understand some people struggle with issue, and there are besetting sins, and that if someone does sin after they become a Christian we have an advocate with the Father....
But to live a life that says “I sin in word, thought, and deed, every day” and that’s ok I’m forgiven is a presumption of the Grace of God and a treating the Cross of Christ as nothing. A dangerous place to be.
John is clear and says it plainly over and over and over again that those who are walking in the Light of the God of light will be like the Light they are walking in.
They do not become the light - but they are in the light and affected by the light
I trust each of you have this type of victory over the World - over the Devil - over sin!!!
God is LIGHT - the essence and standard of HOLINESS -
Light is not only illuminating but energy - no doubt why one of the Biblical writers talked about the unapproachable light, and declares that “our God is a consuming fire”
We also see that Jesus was a physical manifestation of that light
Jesus declares this himself
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
and John declares about Him
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
That is one of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus but I especially love verse 5
KJV uses the word “comprehended it not” the Greek word there doesn’t have to do with cognitive retention, or gained understanding or knowledge - it means rather “to overtake”
I appreciate so much that message last night - not just because it was by my big brother, but because it was truth.
Man left to himself is darkness and that darkness connects with other darkness and it just becomes all blackness and emptiness
but John makes it clear - no matter how dark this world gets - no matter how much darkness there is - “There’s not enough darkness to put out the LIGHT” God is light and in Him is NO DARKNESS
New Section of Christ the Light (if time)
New Section of Christ the Light (if time)
I can see it now...
The dark middle eastern night.
The bleating of sheep nearby -
the snoring of a shepherd who had put in a hard day’s work and had set still a bit too long.
The fire flickering casting shadows on the hills surrounding the shepherds on that Bethlehem night so many years ago.
When in the middle of the uneventful and ordinary night - a bright light appears, a being in shining white declares in a heavenly and booming voice, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. “ (Luke 2:10).
As the shepherds pinch themselves to make sure they’re awake and then scrambled into town to see the child, I want us to stop and think about these tidings.
What did they contain?
what do they say?
What do they mean?
These tidings were the fulfillment of some promises. -
The first of these promises found in our passage. The promise of light.
The Promise of Light (Isaiah 8:19-9:2)
The Promise of Light (Isaiah 8:19-9:2)
1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, When at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, Beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
The Darkness -
The Darkness -
The songwriter Philip Bliss penned the words, “The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin.” This is a pretty close idea of what the Prophet Isaiah is telling us about in our passage.
The Darkness is real
The Darkness is real
I want us to get an idea of the darkness - the real darkness that permeated the time of this writing.
In Isaiah 7:1-14 we find King Ahaz - who in belligerence and pride chose his own way - he refuses the challenge to trust God and receive the sign of His promise. His refusal to trust God drove him to trust Assyria instead of the Lord.
because of this misplaced trust, God says through Isaiah that Judgement was coming. God was going to use Assyria to bring judgment.
Isaiah 8:20 - They don’t speak God’s Word because there is no light in them Isaiah 8:22 - Behold - trouble and darkness
that sounds bad but he doesn’t stop there it gets worse
The Darkness Deepens
The Darkness Deepens
dimness of anguish - and then— “they shall be driven to darkness.”
If we refuse to obey God’s revelation we like Ahaz and his people will end up in darkness.
Matthew 6:23 declares, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
But I also want to tell you today - if you are sitting here this morning in darkness - in great darkness - if you are driven to darkness - This is not where God wants us.
I love what Dr. John Oswalt says, “God’s intended last word is never judgment. His intended last word is hope!”
That is what happens here -- under the heat of judgment and in great darkness - the prophet stops for a moment and flips the light switch on. He brings hope!!!
The Darkness Destroyed
The Darkness Destroyed
I love how he starts chapter 9 - Nevertheless - It’s dark - it’s gloomy - it's bad but…
...The KJV uses “Nevertheless” it’s not going to be as bad as it was -
I like how the NASB translates this verse - to me it brings the obscure meaning of the passage to light:
“ But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.”
I want us to pause for a moment and spend some time dealing with these places listed in Isaiah 9:1 The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali - these were two of the northernmost tribes - they were in the way of the Assyrian’s as they were making their attack on the Northern Kingdom. In 2 Kings 15:29, they were the first two tribes to be carried away by Tiglath-pileser in 733 BC.
Now there is a slight translation issue in the next clause where the prophets writes, - “And afterward did more grievously afflict...” This can be translated as the KJV and the NKJV translators have it - a negative and greater oppression.
However, this same word can also be translated as positive - to make greater and more glorious. as the ESV, NASB, NIV have it.
Matthew 4:15-16 where the Gospel writer quotes this passage - leaves the clause out completely -
Contextually, however - the positive - “in the latter times, he has made glorious” fits better because of the next verse -
Isaiah 9:2 - The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light..”
Isaiah 9:1-2 are in the “prophetic perfect” sense future events but described as if they had already happened.
This is also quoted in Matthew 4:15-16 where Jesus the light of the world - walks out of the wilderness temptation and walks into Galilee where the majority of his time was spent. He ran to the darkness -not because he loved the dark - but because HIS LIGHT WAS GREATER
…Isa 9:2b “They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death” an extremely dark place - on them hath the light shined.
The Light of God is greater than the darkness of men and devils.John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. The darkness cannot overcome the light - there’s not enough darkness to put out the light one songwriter penned.
One of the “Great tidings of joy” was the promise has come to pass - those in great darkness now have the light - give it about 30 years and those shepherds were they still alive could have overheard this baby as he stood as a full grown man and declared - “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”! He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).
The world's longest night took place in a.d. 1752. This was the time of the changeover from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. People went to bed on September 2 and when they woke up it was September 14. That was truly a long night, but far longer was the night of sin in which we all lived until Jesus Christ "brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows: A Speaker's Sourcebook of Illustrations, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing, 1997), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under "D".
I’m so thankful for Jesus the Light of the World
I’m so thankful that God is LIGHT
Thanks for kind attention and tomorrow we will look at another God is.. statement of John - “God Is Love”