WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: Imagine you are in a small first-century church, and a letter arrives. What would convince you that the writer is a genuine Christian and not trying to lead you astray? God is light John understands the suspicions of the churches, so he lays out his credentials in the first four verses. His authority is that he has actually lived with Jesus from the beginning (v 1). He knows that Jesus was both God and man. And he was a close friend. Having assured his readers of his authority, John goes straight on with his message. God is light, he says (v 5); he is completely pure, good and holy. But it is not a spotlight, just illuminating one thing. God’s clear piercing light illuminates everything around. There are no shadows with this light (v 5). Forgiven people Darkness, that is wickedness, sin and evil, cannot exist in God’s light. So it follows that if we live sinfully we cannot be in God’s light and therefore do not have the privilege of being in fellowship with him (v 6). But although everyone sins (v 8), because we have owned up to our sins we can live our lives as a forgiven people (vs 7b,9) in fellowship with God. But we are not alone. Spiritual union with God means friendship, empathy and a sense of belonging with all other Christians, whatever their denomination (v 7a). Respond: Pray for those Christians in countries where they are in a minority and face persecution. http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-09-24