Darkness or Light?
1 John 1:5-10 “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”
Friends, read those first words from John 1:5-6 again. “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” Think about the significance of that statement. If we claim to have fellowship with him, and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
Recently, a friend attended a football game. He had connections to both teams. So, although he wore the jersey for the home team, he also cheered for the visiting team. Others around him were confused as to which side he was taking...whose side was he on?. Are we clear as to whose side we’re on...or do our choices, words and actions leave others wondering? Do our words, actions and alliances show, without a doubt, that we stand with Jesus? Or do we live with a foot in both streams, causing others to question our loyalties?
If we live in the light, we are fully committed to Jesus and our lives will reflect that. But, if we dabble in darkness, there is an absence of light. That’s not Jesus, friends. Jesus reveals what is hidden in the darkness. He is the light of the world and that light has the power and capability to reveal and disarm the darkness. Darkness, on the other hand, is unable to reveal anything. It has no power over light. But if we choose to play in the dark, it will have power over us. If we dwell with darkness, there will not be fellowship with God, nor with other believers. Darkness does not embrace the Truth, nor does it offer forgiveness or eternal security.
Light vs. Darkness
God Satan
Truth Lies
Forgiveness Condemnation
Abundance Desolation
Fellowship Estrangement
Psalm 88 describes the situation of someone who is struggling, oppressed, near death and experiencing God’s wrath. It ends with verse 18 “You have taken from me friend and neighbor— darkness is my closest friend.” Strong’s Concordance defines the word for darkness, “mahsak”, as being representative of the grave, of hell, of the dark place of God’s wrath(1). Why, then, would anyone willingly choose to fellowship with darkness??
This might give us a clue.... Satan masquerades as an angel of light. The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians of this very thing. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 14-15 “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough…And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
Friends, there is no ‘in between’ option here. We cannot be both in the light and have dalliances with darkness. We cannot cheer for both teams. We can’t wear the colors of one team and cheer for the other. We can’t align ourselves with Jesus on Sunday and party with the world the remainder of the week. We’re either fully in the light, or we’re consumed by the darkness. And if we think we’re successfully juggling both, well, we’re deceived.
What choices are our sons and daughters making? Are they playing in the darkness while claiming to walk in the light? One cannot embrace both and come out unscathed. Either you’re for Jesus or against Him. Many think the darkness will hide their sin, but Jesus sees. He knows. His light will reveal it all. Darkness will never win.
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters choose to embrace Jesus and live in His light. Pray they would not be deceived by the Enemy who masquerades as light but leads people to a life of darkness, separated from God. Pray that they live out the truth in authentic, visible ways that would clearly show Whose side they are on and they would do it without compromise.
Pray without ceasing.
H4285 - maḥšāḵ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4285/niv/wlc/0-1/