Living in the Light: A Journey of Transformation
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound truth that God is light, and in Him, there is no darkness at all. This foundational statement from 1 John 1:5 sets the stage for understanding the nature of God and our relationship with Him. In a world where technological advancements and scientific discoveries often leave us unimpressed, it's crucial to pause and reflect on the majesty and holiness of God. The imagery of God as pure light underscores His absolute holiness and the impossibility of darkness coexisting with Him. This understanding challenges us to examine our own lives and the authenticity of our fellowship with God.
We delved into the implications of living in spiritual darkness while claiming fellowship with God. John makes it clear that such a contradiction is a lie, and true fellowship with God requires living in the light. This involves acknowledging our sins, confessing them, and embracing the cleansing power of Jesus' sacrifice. The call to live in the light is not about achieving sinless perfection but about a continual journey of transformation, aligning our lives with God's holiness through obedience and repentance.
Furthermore, we discussed the role of Jesus as our advocate and the significance of His atoning sacrifice. Jesus not only pleads our case before the Father but also invites us into a loving relationship with God. This relationship is marked by obedience to His commandments and a commitment to live as Jesus did. Discipleship is a lifelong process of transformation, where we are called to reflect Jesus' goodness to the world and make other disciples.
In closing, we were reminded that our life's purpose is not fulfilled at the moment of surrender but is a continuous journey of transformation. We are encouraged to lay down our own plans and desires, allowing God to transform us into new creations. This journey requires us to acknowledge our sins, confess them, and seek God's guidance for our next steps in obedience and transformation.
Key Takeaways:
- God's Holiness and Our Call to Light: Understanding that God is light and there is no darkness in Him challenges us to examine our own lives. We cannot claim fellowship with God while living in spiritual darkness. True fellowship requires living in the light, acknowledging our sins, and embracing the cleansing power of Jesus' sacrifice. [36:42]
- The Role of Jesus as Advocate: Jesus is not only our advocate who pleads our case before the Father but also the atoning sacrifice for our sins. This dual role emphasizes both the legal and relational aspects of our relationship with God. Through Jesus, we are invited into a loving relationship marked by obedience and transformation. [58:19]
- The Journey of Transformation: Our life's purpose is not fulfilled at the moment of surrender but is a continuous journey of transformation. We are called to lay down our own plans and desires, allowing God to transform us into new creations. This journey requires us to acknowledge our sins, confess them, and seek God's guidance for our next steps in obedience and transformation. [01:02:47]
- Discipleship as a Lifelong Process: Discipleship is a lifelong process of transformation, where we are called to reflect Jesus' goodness to the world and make other disciples. It involves both surrendering to Jesus and actively obeying His commands, reflecting His love and truth to others. [01:00:20]
- Living Like Jesus: Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. This call to live like Jesus is a call to transformation, where we continually seek to align our lives with His example through obedience, humility, and repentance. [01:05:33]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [26:51] - Introduction of Abner and Lupita
- [33:56] - Prayer and Introduction to 1 John
- [36:42] - God is Light: Understanding His Holiness
- [39:08] - The Callousness of Modern Society
- [41:52] - The Challenge of Being Overwhelmed by God
- [44:38] - Living in the Light vs. Spiritual Darkness
- [47:50] - The Cleansing Power of Jesus
- [50:34] - The Importance of Confession
- [52:49] - The Role of Jesus as Advocate
- [55:21] - The Journey of Transformation
- [58:19] - Discipleship and Obedience
- [01:00:20] - Living Like Jesus
- [01:02:47] - Our Life's Purpose: A Journey of Transformation
- [01:05:33] - Closing Reflections and Psalm 32
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- 1 John 1:5-10
- 1 John 2:1-6
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Observation Questions:
1. What does 1 John 1:5 reveal about the nature of God, and how does this set the stage for the rest of the passage? [36:42]
2. According to 1 John 1:6-7, what is the relationship between living in the light and having fellowship with God and others? [44:38]
3. How does 1 John 1:9 describe the process and result of confessing our sins? [47:50]
4. In 1 John 2:1-2, what roles does Jesus fulfill in our relationship with God? [52:49]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the imagery of God as light challenge our understanding of holiness and our own spiritual state? [36:42]
2. What does it mean to live in spiritual darkness while claiming fellowship with God, and why is this considered a contradiction? [44:38]
3. How does the concept of Jesus as our advocate and atoning sacrifice deepen our understanding of grace and forgiveness? [58:19]
4. What does it mean to live as Jesus did, according to 1 John 2:6, and how does this relate to the idea of discipleship? [01:00:20]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt spiritually calloused or unimpressed by God. What steps can you take to renew your sense of awe and reverence for His holiness? [39:08]
2. Are there areas in your life where you are living in spiritual darkness while claiming fellowship with God? What practical steps can you take to align your life with the light of God? [44:38]
3. How can you make confession a regular part of your spiritual practice, and what impact might this have on your relationship with God and others? [47:50]
4. In what ways can you embrace Jesus' role as your advocate in your daily life, especially when you struggle with sin? [52:49]
5. Consider your current journey of transformation. What is one specific plan or desire you need to lay down before God to allow Him to transform you into a new creation? [01:02:47]
6. Identify one commandment of Jesus that you find challenging to obey. What steps can you take this week to live more fully in obedience to that command? [01:00:20]
7. Think of someone in your life who does not yet know Jesus. How can you reflect His goodness to them this week and invite them into a conversation about faith? [01:00:20]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Light and Our Spiritual Darkness
In a world filled with distractions and superficial advancements, the profound truth that God is light and in Him, there is no darkness, calls us to examine our own lives. This understanding challenges us to confront the areas where we may be living in spiritual darkness while claiming fellowship with God. True fellowship requires us to live in the light, which involves acknowledging our sins and embracing the cleansing power of Jesus' sacrifice. This is not about achieving perfection but about a continual journey of transformation, aligning our lives with God's holiness through obedience and repentance. [36:42]
1 John 1:6-7 (ESV): "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."
Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you feel you are walking in darkness. How can you bring this area into the light through confession and seeking God's guidance today?
Day 2: Jesus as Our Advocate
Jesus plays a dual role as both our advocate and the atoning sacrifice for our sins. This emphasizes the legal and relational aspects of our relationship with God. As our advocate, Jesus pleads our case before the Father, ensuring that we are seen as righteous through His sacrifice. This relationship invites us into a loving connection with God, marked by obedience and transformation. Through Jesus, we are called to live in a way that reflects His love and truth to the world. [58:19]
1 John 2:1-2 (ESV): "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."
Reflection: Consider how Jesus' role as your advocate impacts your relationship with God. How can you deepen this relationship through obedience and transformation today?
Day 3: The Continuous Journey of Transformation
Our life's purpose is not fulfilled at the moment of surrender but is a continuous journey of transformation. We are encouraged to lay down our own plans and desires, allowing God to transform us into new creations. This journey requires us to acknowledge our sins, confess them, and seek God's guidance for our next steps in obedience and transformation. It is a lifelong process where we are called to reflect Jesus' goodness to the world and make other disciples. [01:02:47]
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
Reflection: What is one plan or desire you need to lay down before God today? How can you allow Him to transform you in this area?
Day 4: Discipleship as a Lifelong Process
Discipleship is a lifelong process of transformation, where we are called to reflect Jesus' goodness to the world and make other disciples. It involves both surrendering to Jesus and actively obeying His commands, reflecting His love and truth to others. This process is not about achieving perfection but about a continual journey of aligning our lives with Jesus' example through obedience, humility, and repentance. [01:00:20]
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV): "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Reflection: Who is someone in your life you can disciple or encourage in their faith journey? How can you take a step towards this today?
Day 5: Living Like Jesus
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. This call to live like Jesus is a call to transformation, where we continually seek to align our lives with His example through obedience, humility, and repentance. Living like Jesus means reflecting His love, truth, and goodness to the world, making His presence known through our actions and words. [01:05:33]
1 John 2:5-6 (ESV): "But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
Reflection: What is one specific way you can live more like Jesus today? How can you incorporate this into your daily routine?
Quotes
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you. God is light and there's no darkness in him at all. So, lost my place. So, we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God, but go on living in spiritual darkness. If we here's humanity. Thank you. We are not practicing the truth. [00:34:43] (26 seconds)
But if we are living in the light as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. [00:35:08] (26 seconds)
God is light and there's no darkness in him at all. I spent some time pondering this verse this week. One commentary I read claims, it was interesting, claims this verse, according to this one commentator, held that this verse holds one of the greatest theological statements in the entire Bible, God is light. [00:36:08] (24 seconds)
And maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's worth pausing and appreciating what the word God means here and who he is. I've spent some time in the past talking about the attributes of God, the omniscient, omnipresent, all-powerful, eternal creator of the universe. And we can dig into those attributes and we can try to wrap our minds around them and we will fail. [00:37:40] (29 seconds)
John's pointing to the message Jesus shared and uses the imagery of light. God, the all-powerful, eternal creator of the universe is pure light, completely holy. Pure light, without a spot of darkness, purity, pure holiness, pure, all-powerful, eternal holiness that nothing can blemish and nothing can encroach upon. [00:42:48] (41 seconds)
This all-powerful, overwhelming God who we can't wrap our minds around loves us and desires relationship with us and desires relationship with us and is accessible to us through his son, Jesus. And because of Jesus' sacrifice and only because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can approach God, we can be reconciled to him. [00:44:10] (28 seconds)
John states boldly that walking in darkness and having fellowship with God cannot be done at the same time. One cancels the other. Sin separates. Sin and darkness put us on a trajectory away from God and life. They corrupt our connection or fellowship with God and one another. God cannot be compromised. He is perfectly holy. [00:46:49] (32 seconds)
But then verse 7 comes and shares the good news. Jesus. Because of Jesus, his perfect life, his unjust execution, he became the perfect sacrifice on our behalf, allowing us to claim his sacrifice as payment for our sin. Accept forgiveness. Be cleansed from sin. And be in fellowship with God and each other. But we have to be honest with ourselves. [00:47:56] (35 seconds)
We need to confess our sin to God. And with indescribable mercy and grace, we are offered forgiveness through Jesus. And more than forgiveness, a complete cleansing before God by humbly surrendering and confessing and accepting the free gift of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. Let's keep moving. Chapter 2, verse 1. Because John continues in this direction. [00:53:26] (40 seconds)
He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins, and not only our sins, but the sins of all the world. And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, I know God, but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. [00:54:05] (22 seconds)
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. Do you catch the words John is using here? They're relational words. Know. Obey. Live in truth. Love. Relational words. John is pointing us toward relationship and a lifelong process of transformation, of discipleship. [01:00:20] (30 seconds)
Our life's purpose is to be a continual journey of transformation until we stand before the throne of God. Our life's purpose is to be a heed to the throne of God. Thank you. Our life's purpose is not to sit still, clutching onto that moment of surrender and just hold out until this life ends and we arrive at heaven. [01:02:10] (22 seconds)
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