Sunday Livestream | 1 John 1:5-7 God is Light

This week, we were preparing the baptismal for a baptism we're doing at the end of the service today. And, when we do that, we it kinda really just involves three simple things. We we clean it, which I'm certain you're glad to hear that. Because we have yet to find a lid that really fits it, we fill it with water, and then we check the water with these little things we call litmus tests. They're they're pretty simple, pretty easy to use. If you've never used one, you take this small strip that has four squares on it, [00:37:44] (38 seconds)  #BaptismPrepLitmus

four little litmus squares on it. You dip it into the water for about fifteen seconds, and you pull it out and you compare it to the colors on the back of this little bottle that they send with it. And when you do that, you're able to check the, bromine, the hardness, the alkalinity, and the pH of the water. So in other words, this litmus test reveals the true nature of the water. And like litmus test work to reveal the true nature of water, God has given us a letter in his word that we can dip into the waters of our hearts that works just like a litmus test [00:38:22] (45 seconds)  #LitmusOfTheHeart

to reveal the true nature of people, to help us know whether or not we are truly saved. That letter is first John, and we began studying it last Sunday. This morning, we're gonna continue dipping the litmus test of first John into the waters of our heart so that we may know. So if you have your bibles, I'm gonna ask you to take them out and open them with me to first John chapter one. Today, we're just gonna be looking at three verses, verses five through seven. [00:39:06] (37 seconds)  #FirstJohnStudy

So if you wanna know if someone's saved, if you wanna know if you were saved, if you wanna know if a teacher that you are listening to is a true teacher or a false teacher that you should avoid. John writes, if we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. Today, we would say, if we say we have eternal life or if we say we are saved. Back then, John says they would say, yeah, I have fellowship with him. John just simply means if a person says, I'm saved while they walk in darkness let's break that down for a moment. To walk means to live, to behave. [00:55:12] (43 seconds)  #WalkNotWords

And this here refers to a continuous walk, a continuous living in a certain manner, in a certain way. So John is talking about a habitual continuous lifestyle in a certain manner. So he's saying, if if we say we're saved with God who's light, while we heal habitually walk in darkness to walk in darkness means to walk in evil, to walk in wickedness, to walk in unholiness or unrighteousness. As we're gonna see throughout this letter, walking in darkness will be equated to walking in unrighteous living and not loving one another. John saying if I wanna know if a person's saved or not. Don't just listen to their profession. I have fellowship with God. I'm saved. He says, look at the fruit in their life. [00:55:54] (49 seconds)  #HabitsRevealFaith

So let me ask you this. When this litmus test of darkness and lies, light is dipped into the water of your life, what does it reveal? Does your life consist more of adultery, murder, stealing, coveting, sexual immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, foolish talk, vulgar joking, and idolatry? Is it more defined by carousing, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, debauchery, strife, and jealousy? If so, the litmus test of righteousness is saying your profession is not true. You may think you are saved, but you are deceived, you are still in your sin, and the blood of Jesus has not cleansed you. So what is it revealing? [01:14:09] (53 seconds)  #FruitOfDarkness

The good news is this, if it's revealing nothing but darkness, a life that's consumed with more darkness, the good news is you can still be saved. There's still time. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was buried. He rose on the third day. This is good news because the blood of God's son cleanses people from all their sin. If you'll confess your sins to God, turn in faith to trusting in his son who died and rose again for your salvation, the promise of God's words, he'll cleanse you of all your sins, give you his righteousness, and bring you into fellowship with him. Then you can truly say, I have fellowship with God. [01:15:02] (51 seconds)  #ForgivenessThroughChrist

You know, study of the scriptures and in particular, the gospel of John, the same author who wrote this letter, we can grasp what God is light means. First, God is light means that God is by his very nature and his very being the source of life. He is the source of physical life, and he is the source of spiritual life. Jesus, God the son, said he is the light of the world. Anyone who follows him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. So through Jesus, God the son, the one who came in the flesh, through him is life. The one who is the light of the world. [00:50:21] (42 seconds)  #GodIsLight

God is light means that God is by his very nature and his very being the source of life. He is the source of physical life, and he is the source of spiritual life. Jesus, God the son, said he is the light of the world. Anyone who follows him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. So through Jesus, God the son, the one who came in the flesh, through him is life. The one who is the light of the world. [00:50:31] (31 seconds)

physical life, and he is the source of spiritual life. Jesus, God the son, said he is the light of the world. Anyone who follows him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. So through Jesus, God the son, the one who came in the flesh, through him is life. The one who is the light of the world. Through him, we have the light of life. We have fellowship with God. [00:50:41] (27 seconds)