Walk in the Light
What does the expression "walk in the light" as found in 1 John 1:7 mean? Light and darkness have always been used to represent good and bad, right and wrong, righteousness and lawlessness. Walking in the light is doing good, whereas walking in the dark is doing evil.
Avoiding doing what is bad is not being good. Refraining yourself from doing evil is good only when it is connected with a life of doing good for God.
You see, to overcome character weakness, you must be engaged in building character strengths, because you overcome evil by doing good (Rom. 12:21). Now, God knows human nature is lazy, indifferent, contentious, slothful and evil. It wants to do what is good but is unable. This is because the pull for evil inside is greater than the pull for good.
So a plan had to be devised in which all could have an opportunity for Salvation - the lonely, the rich, the noble, the lame and the blind - everyone! The god of the carnal heart, Satan, had to be crushed and removed from the heart, and only God could do that (Rom. 16:20). The desire to do good had to be strengthened, and only God could do that. Godly character had to be built, and only God could do that (1 Cor. 3:7). Human nature had to be perfected, and only God could do that (1 Peter 5:10). But what could man do for his part? Repent!
Repent means be willing to change your ways. Change your ways to God’s Ways. How? By disciplining yourself to perform acts that please God daily. Is it hard? Jesus Christ said His Way is easy and pleasant and a child would not have any trouble performing it daily (Matt. 11:30).
When you walk in the light as Jesus Christ did by only living to please the Father, you are obeying Jesus Christ and will be sprinkled with His blood (1 Peter 1:2). The blood of Jesus Christ will then cleanse you from all your sins (1 John 1:7). Jesus Christ bore our sins in His body so we might die to our sinful natures by living a righteous life (1 Peter 2:24). We prove that we are God’s children by practicing righteousness daily for God (1 John 3:7, 10).
The one who does good daily for God is of God (3 John 11). This good is done daily by sharing food and clothes with widows and orphans (Heb. 13:16; Luke 3:11; James 1:27). This good is done by acts and words of kindness and charity - to the blind, the lame, the old, the young, your wife, your children, your folks - all done in the name of our precious Lord and Master, and soon to return King, Jesus Christ (Acts 9:36; Col. 3:17).
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