Night Light part 5
Take a ride with me as I try to finish off this Rant series. 1 John 1:7, "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." Ok. Well, I think this verse is phrased backwards. I think the way it sounds is an if-then statement. "IF we walk in the light THEN we will have fellowship one with another." But hopefully what we've been seeing (with the light shining so we can see clearly) is that we let our light shine BY fellowshipping one with another. The blood of Christ HAS cleansed us from all sin. That happened 2,000 years ago on an old rugged cross. And, really, it happened from the foundation of the world. So its not that we need to walk in the light in order to make something happen. But WHEN we walk in the light we can SEE what happened. We can EXPERIENCE what happened. Let me say it another way: The truth is the truth whether you know it or not. But knowing (and believing) the truth is what makes it true... for you. The truth HAS set you free and made you free. But if you don't know you're free you'll keep acting like a slave. You'll keep trying to get something you think you haven't got, but that you've had the whole time. You'll keep trying to earn something that was freely given. See, the light doesn't CHANGE things. The light REVEALS things as they truly are. The cross didn't change us into something God could finally love. He always has and always will love us. The cross changed us into something that could finally receive God's love. The cross is where we died to sin. Because Jesus drew us into Himself and became sin and died. So sin died. And then (with us still inside Him) He rose again. So death died. That's the new reality. The true reality. On the cross Jesus remade the world in His image. The consuming fire that is love--and don't forget that light comes from fire--consumed everything except itself (HIMSELF). Leaving only love behind. All we have to do is see it. Because what we see is what we be. See love, be love. Be loved... love. That's the New Commandment. That's the New Covenant. That's the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God. Life of love! Walking in the light IS having fellowship with each other. And we can only really do that when we understand the power of the blood. Because if we're all wrapped up in our (and each other's "sins") then there's not much chance of relationship. But when the light shines in the darkness, the darkness flees. God is light and there is no darkness in Hiim at all. How could there be? When you're in a dark room, and you turn the light on, you aren't in a dark room anymore. When you WERE a sinner, then you got saved by grace, you aren't a sinner anymore. You're a saint. A Son. God's beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. The light of the world. The light of love. Giving everything you are and everything you have. That's what it means to walk in the light. That's what it means to shine. Feed the hungry. Take care of those in trouble. Give what you've got to those that need it. Let your light shine among men and let men know who you are and what (WHO) you represent!