1 John 1:5

God is Light –
1 John 1:5

Introductory Thoughts

· John’s epistle is a book of tests, a condemnation of heresy, and a call to holy living
· 1:5-2:2 covers the whole subject of the Christian and holiness. There is a great problem with balance in this doctrinal area
· Extreme views

Ø Ignoring the whole question is one view! “Holiness, what is that?”, say some. Many in the churches believe that a consistent Christian lifestyle is optional. They believe in conduct-neutral Christianity è examples—the lost who don’t even bother to attend, and the obviously lost (by their lifestyles) who attend church for other reasons.
Ø The other extreme view is Perfectionism (this is a very rare view in our day)

1. Overview of the entire passage 1:5-2:2

a. The True Doctrine—God is Light è 1:5

b. The First False Doctrine—Antinomianism è1:6-7. Antinomianism is against all law, is against any ethical requirement for the Christian. teaches that the evidence of a person’s life is irrelevant.
c. Second False Doctrine—Perfectionism (two varieties of error here)

(1) First Form of Perfectionism—claiming to have no tendency to sin è1:8

(2) Second statement—claiming to be sinless in practice è 1:10

d. The Balance—2:1-2, John is writing this so that God’s people will live holy è2:1a, but If we sin, we have an advocate è 2:1b

2. Now, 1:5—“This is the message we have heard…”

a. “have heard…”—the verb is in the perfect tense, speaking of a completed action. John is saying that the transmission of the truth is a done deal, a completed action, don’t look for any new message, the Gospel has been revealed.

b. This is the Gospel story that John is repeating, and to him, that story is a completed fact, not with additions to come later. There is no sense here of the modern theologian’s arrogant idea that we should interpret the Gospel anew for each generation. We don’t interpret and re-cast the Gospel, we declare it. The presentation may vary from culture to culture, from generation to generation, even from congregation to congregation, but the core content and meaning of the Gospel does not and cannot change.

c. But the particular form John uses here sounds strange to us.

(1) We are used to hearing the Gospel expressed in terms of what God can do for us
(2) Sometimes those who believe in works salvation speak of the gospel in terms of what we do for God
(3) We are used to hearing about the Gospel in terms of the decision we must make to confess and believe in Christ as our Savior and Lord
(4) But John states the Gospel at its very root and core—He addresses the Gospel here from the perspective of the Character of God. “God is Light...”

d. God went to a great deal of trouble to save us—Why?

(1) Why is it that the Son of God had to come and live and die and be buried, and rise, and ascend to intercede for us?
(2) Why is it that the blood of Christ was necessary to pay the price of our redemption?
(3) Why is it that God’s people are told to shun the unfruitful works of darkness and to live for Christ?
(4) Why is it that Jesus says that truly saved people are those who follow Him?
(5) It is because God’s character is LIGHT!

e. A perspective we must remember—we always think of whatever happens or is as it relates to man, but God looks at everything first of all as it relates to HIM.

(1) John’s presentation of the Gospel here points our attention to the fact that we must understand all Truth as it relates to God.
(2) The Gospel begins with the fact that God is Light, and we are not Light. God has Light to give, and we have no Light on our own.

f. The content of the message—Greek construction is two equal parts joined by “kai”èGod is light and There is no darkness in Him at all (a double negative in the Greek)

3. The Character of God—light vs darkness

a. Other “God is…” statements in the Bible—

(1) God is Spirit—Jn 4:24 (no definite article in the Greek, He is not “a” Spirit, He IS Spirit.
(2) God is consuming fire—Heb 12:29, also no definite article
(3) God is love—1 Jn 4:8, again , no article in the original
(4) And here, God is Light

Ø (quote from John Stott) “… It is His nature to reveal Himself, as it is the property of light to shine; and the revelation is of perfect purity and unutterable majesty. We are to think of God as a personal being, infinite in all His perfections, transcendent, ‘the high and lofty One…He who lives forever, whose Name is Holy…’ Is 57:15…”
Ø Stott also says that since the heretics claim to know Him, yet are indifferent to moral behavior, they are showing that they don’t know Him. “God is Light” speaks of the absolute moral purity of God, and “no darkness at all…,” the Greek double negative, is emphatic that God’s moral purity is absolute.

Ø Comparison of light and darkness in Scripture

b. God is Light intellectually

(1) Truth—

Psa 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."

2 Cor 4:3-6 "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

2 Pet 1:19 "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;"

(2) Truth is light, Error is darkness

c. God is Light morally

(1) Isa 5:20 "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

(2) John 1:4-5 "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."…. John 1:9 "That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world." John 3:18-21 ""He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.""

(3) Eph 5:5-16 "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

d. God is Light spiritually

(1) Our warfare is not primarily physical, mental, or even moral. Our primary battle is Spiritual, against spiritual forces of darkness—

Eph 6:10-12 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

1 Th 5:4-8 "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation."

(2) The primary warrior is the Lord Himself—Eph 6:10

e. The Character of God negatively considered—there is no darkness in Him at all—again, the Greek double negative, which is emphatic. There is not the slightest hint of darkness in God at all. He does not have a “dark side.”

(1) No darkness intellectually.
(2) No darkness morally
(3) No darkness spiritually

4. Application—

a. God is light, intellectually, morally, spiritually
b. This is why God did not just glaze over sin, He dealt with sin. Sin is not capriciously forgiven è appropriate and complete payment has been made for sin!
c. Therefore there is an ethical and moral element to the Christian Faith. God does not judiciously save us and justify us, and then leave us to treat how we live as an optional thing.
d. And this is the message that John is sending us!
e. The passage goes on from here to deal with the details of how this works out, but the message today is that God is Light, and there is no darkness at all in Him.
f. The darkness of our day
(1) The gay movement
(2) Abortion on demand
(3) Denial of the Bible
(4) The degradation of Hollywood.
(5) The destruction of families
(6) The drug trade
(7) The imitation of Christianity that exists in so many circles

g. With whom do you fellowship?
(1) Do the works and ways of darkness dominate your life?
(2) Do you find yourself more comfortable with the people of darkness?
(3) Is your mind, heart, even politics in line with the works of darkness?

h. What does God want from His people?

(1) We are to glorify Him in all we do and are—1 Cor 6:19-20, 10:31, Eph 3:21
(2) We are to be the light of the world è we are a reflection of His Light, intellectually, morally, spiritually è
Mat 5:14-16 ""You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

(3) We are to let our light shine
(4) We are to be conformed to the image of His Son—Rom 8:29