In The Light – chuckhilltoday.com

IN THE LIGHT

Series: ILLUMINATE — Message #1

1 John 1:1-10

Today we will begin a series in the New Testament book of 1 John. Now, of you know anything about 1 John, then you know it’s a really short book — but it delivers a BIG PUNCH.

And that’s because it addresses the issue of God and faith. In fact, it answers the questions that our world seems to be asking. Like:

IS GOD REAL? WHO IS JESUS? AND, HOW ARE WE TO LIVE?

Well, as we’ll see over the next few weeks — John answers these question directly.

TRANSITION:

Well, let me ask you a question. How many of you are familiar with concept of Virtual Reality.

It’s become a big player in the entertainment industry these days. Virtual reality is the term used to describe that three-dimensional space, created by a computer.

The word Virtual means ALMOST….or NEARLY, and so the idea is that a computer generates an artificial (or simulated) world that seems almost or nearly real. And, in the gaming world, it’s a big industry. And VR technology is becoming more and more convincing.

For instance, you can be in your living room, put on some virtual reality goggles and all of a sudden, be transported into a different place and times.

It can be so immersive that your natural senses get sucked right in…and your mind and body begin to function as if you’re really there. So, your balance can be affected, and your sense of spacial awareness is altered.

And so, people wearing VR goggles might feel like their walking on a path…and then actually walk into their living room wall. I’ve watched videos of guys playing a VR boxing game…and end up punching their TV or other people in the room.

And it can be really funny…when it’s a game. But when ideas and false teaching become your Virtual Reality — well, that’s a whole different thing. Then it’s no longer funny…it can be fatal.

And that was the case for the first century church. Within just a few years from the beginning of the Christian movement and the birth of the church, spiritual counterfeits and false realities were beginning to be taught with the church and culture. Virtual realities — ideas that weren’t real…but almost seemed real.

In fact, many scholars think that 1 John was written simply to confront these Virtual Reality ideas. They believe John wrote this letter to address the early forms of gnosticism being propagated in the church. By the way, Gnosticism “Special Knowledge”. It comes from the Greek word gnosis — to know.

And some of the things these gnostics were teaching, included:

That Jesus couldn’t be God — because he was human, and made of flesh. Because they believed that only the Spirit was good, but all matter (physical things) were evil. So they denied the incarnation, and the deity of Christ.

They also taught a Spiritual elitism. Saying that you could become more holy and please God by increasing your knowledge — that information was more important than application and transformation. So ascend the heights of godliness by becoming a know it all.

And the last major issue, was that they taught it didn’t really matter how you lived. Since only spiritual things could be good — the body, and the things you do with your body didn’t matter. This led to all kinds of grotesque sin and evil.

Well, these were some of the dark things that John wanted to shed the Light of truth upon. He wanted to ILLUMINATE the darkness and address the VIRTUAL REALITIES that many were embracing.

MESSAGE:

So, if you have your Bible, turn to 1 John with me. 1 John chapter 1. And we’ll begin in verse 1. Here John writes,

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 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, purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

1 John 1:1-10 (NIV)

So, John begins this letter by saying:

JESUS IS THE REAL DEAL!

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

John was saying…this is our message — and everything else is peripheral. This we proclaim… to the people of his day and to us, John says:

“Listen up! Jesus is for Real!”

The Word which we have seen…that’s REAL. THIS word, became flesh and lived among us. (This is Jesus) and He’s for real!! We have heard his voice, we have seen him walk, not simple in a vision, not in a dream, but…we have looked upon him!

But just in case they weren’t convinced, John says — in addition, we have touched him. John gives us a picture of close friendship…hand in hand, high-fives, fist-bumps, and bear-hugging Jesus.

His point is simple. Jesus is the real deal! And in verses 2-3 he adds:

2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

So, he makes it clear that our faith, our hope, our life in Christ isn’t based upon some extensive rule book. Or set of philosophical ideals. It’s not based upon us being good enough, or giving enough, or being super religious enough. Because…WE AREN’T ENOUGH! But Jesus is!

And, this isn’t some fake news or virtual reality — this IS THE TRUTH! It’s the real deal!

More than that… it’s the foundation of our faith.

And that’s what John is getting at. He’s saying, in Jesus, the Christ — God has come near. Through the wonder of the incarnation — God has became one of us…that we might know Him, and trust Him, and believe in Him.

So when we talk about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that’s what we mean: To know Him and to be known by Him. Not that we become religious — but that we experience a divine relationship with God.

And as we go further in this chapter and this book — John going to talk about how we live…but

With God, the relationship always precedes the rules!

So, John says — let’s be clear about one thing, Jesus is the REAL DEAL.

In addition, John also stresses the fact that:

2. JESUS IS THE PURE LIGHT!

In verse 5, John makes a simple but deeply theological statement about God:

He’s speaking of God’s holiness and divinity…and purity. So he saysthis is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

Unlike Star Wars, with God, there is no dark side.

When John says that God is light, he’s saying that God is beautiful and pure. He’s spiritually perfect, and morally excellent. There’s no darkness with God at all.

This is an important statement. Contrary to the Gnostic philosophy, which said that Jesus could not have come in the flesh, John says not only did Jesus come in the flesh and Hs holy. He is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

In saying this he is not only contradicting Gnostic philosophy, but is also addressing the way the Gnostics lived. Because they believed that all matter was evil, many of them claimed that they could do anything they wanted in the flesh, because flesh was, after all evil. So, they saw no problem with sin and living an unrestrained life.

Consider how this truth collides with the teachings of a post modern world — which says there is no absolute truth.

And John wanted them, and us to know — that if we walk with Jesus…then we are walking in the light.

In other words, our fellowship with God means that our lives will change. Our habits will look different. Our practices will be altered.

So, God is light, and there’s no darkness in him, but there’s plenty of darkness in us. Right?

In John 3:19, Jesus says,

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

John 3:19 (NIV)

There’s something in us that knows what is good, but is drawn to what’s wrong. But that’s why we need to open our eyes and see the light. In the light, the darkness flees.

— so, Jesus is the REAL DEAL, and He’s the PURE LIGHT, but, JOHN ALSO SAYS:

3. JESUS OFFERS US TRUE LIFE!

Listen again to verses 8-9. He says,

In verse 9, John gives us the best news ever, when he we can live differentLy. We can experience the TRUE LIFE designed and promised by God. A life of freedom from sin and a life of purpose in Him.

A life unencumbered by sin. Free to live without guilt and shame and secrecy. To live openly and transparent before God and others. A life full of joy and peace and confidence.

He’s saying, when we believe the gospel, the gospel transform us. And our lives begin to be illuminated by Jesus. And as we see things in Jesus…we begin to live like Jesus.

Some people believe that because God is so gracious, it doesn’t matter how we live. We can trust in the gospel and then go on living however we want. But John says that’s not the case at all. He tells us our son is a problem. And, It matters how we live. It matters what we do with our sin.

His suggestion isn’t to hide it or deny it…but to bring it to Jesus.

Just listen to it again. In 1 John 1:9, we are given the Etch-A-Sketch verse of the Bible. As John puts it…

9 If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

It’s a simple no-nonsense promise stated in plain language for anyone to understand. The condition is that we confess our sins. The promise is that God wipes the slate clean.

So, how does this happen? How do we experience the TRUE LIFE that is found in Jesus?

We have to first come to grips with your sin. You have to acknowledge it’s reality…and it’s presence in your current life. But when you do, when you confess it to God — you can be completely forgiven!

There’s actually an old joke about a children’s Bible Class that was taking place, and teacher asked the class, “Children, what we must we do in order to be forgiven of sin?” One little boy raised his hand and said, “Well, first, you have to sin.”

And that’s true. First you have to sin, and we’ve already accomplished that step.

Second, you have to acknowledge it. You have to face it. You have to come to grips with it.

But, the truth is, we tend to be better at step one than we are at step two. And so, we often try to deny the existence of our sin. To play it down and act like it’s not there. Sound familiar?

That often happens, but — that attitude prevents us from experiencing TRUE LIFE and total forgiveness.

But when we acknowledge our sin — and we confess it to God, He does what we can’t. He forgives it. And gives us TRUE LIFE!

John says, when we confess our sin to God — that He will forgive us of all unrighteousness. Every bit.

Maybe you think that’s a promise too big for God to keep. But He will. He said it. And He doesn’t lie. That’s what Pastor Chris was dealing with last week, when he talked to you about God’s grace. His grace is greater than ALL YOUR SIN.

Every sin you’ve ever committed — and every sin you will ever commit.

As Pastor Erwin Lutzer says, “There is more grace in God’s heart than there is sin in your past.”

Come on…that will preach — and that’s good news for you and me! Amen?

1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:1-2 (NIV)

Don’t miss this — John says, Jesus is the REAL DEAL, He is the REAL LIGHT, and He gives us REAL LIFE. A life of hope and peace and joy. A life of freedom and total forgiveness.

Because, when Jesus gave His life on the cross for you and me, it was enough. It was enough to pay for your salvation, for your full forgiveness.

You don’t have to earn it.

And there’s no “co-pay” option.

You can only receive it.

So today, I challenge you to believe in Jesus. Really believe. And not just for the promise of heaven — but also for the promise of true life. That which Jesus promised in John 10:10.

“I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully.”

John 10:10 (NCV)

The freedom found in His goodness and grace to live. To live free of sin…to live full of hope and joy and passion.

True life. Recognize that He is God’s Son, He came in flesh to save us. And wants to illuminate your life from the inside out.

So, trust in Jesus — and live your life in the light!

CONCLUSION:

As we close, I want to offer you the opportunity to be forgiven. Not by me — but by God.

And if you’ve made lots of mistakes and broken his word many times — He will forgive you as many times as is necessary, because his goal for you goes far beyond merely wiping the slate clean — he wants you to learn to walk in the light.

He wants you to live in a right relationship with him and in a right relationship with his people.

He wants you to experience his power, his wisdom, his presence, his anointing, his fullness — he wants you to walk in the light as he is in the light.

And, nothing in the world compares with the brilliance of walking in the light of God’s love.