Certain Eternity Part 11 – Light and Truth
1 John 1:6-10 November 17, 2024
Introduction
Drive around England and will often see old buildings with windows bricked up. If
more perceptive, may even see fake windows painted onto buildings. Window
Tax in England in 1696 to 1851 was meant to tax the wealthy with many
windowed homes….but turned into a cause for people of all socioeconomic
classes to reside in darkness.
1 John 1:5-10 “5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to
you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have
fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his
word is not in us.”
Correlation of Light and Truth
John 3:19-21 “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and
people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the
light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes
to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in
God.”
Darkness (GK skotos or skotia in 1 John 1:5) literally, the absence of light.
Spiritually, the absence of the presence of God/Holy Spirit, leading to ignorance
and a darkened mind.
Truth (GK alētheia) – what is objectively true (regardless of subjective reason or
perspective). Carries the idea and understanding that what is being expressed
(truth) is the manifestation of a hidden reality.
o One can only proclaim truth if it has been manifested to (by some means
outside themselves), understood by, and submitted to.
o Truth then is the correspondence between reality and a statement of
representation which claims to set forth or describe reality. Put differently,
words spoken or written are true when they correspond with objective
reality – which is only wholly true if it contains spiritual truth alongside other
categories of truth.
Jesus is both light and truth – and is the full and complete manifestation of God
to creation.
o John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life.””
o John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me.”
Characteristics of Light in 1 John 1
Light/Truth vs Darkness/Deception:
Light Exposes, Darkness hides
o 1 John 1:6 “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in
darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
o NYC Times Square – five blocks along Broadway and then spreads out
several blocks covering the entire theater district; enough energy to power
161,000 homes when all lit up. Lower crime rate than rest of city
(depending on which report one reads, crime is currently on the decline in
Times Square as of ‘23), pickpocketing and theft most prevalent.
o Augustine wrote, “Before God can deliver us we must undeceive
ourselves.”
We, of course, cannot “undeceive” ourselves by our own strength.
What we can do is submit to the Lord to expose our deception and
then trust His truth instead of the lies we’ve been led into.
o Job 24:13-17 “13 “There are those who rebel against the light, who are not
acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths. 14 The murderer
rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy, and in the night
he is like a thief. 15 The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight,
saying, ‘No eye will see me’; and he veils his face. 16 In the dark they dig
through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the
light. 17 For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends
with the terrors of deep darkness.”
o Sin is always evidence of deception on some level – perhaps momentarily
perhaps systemically – and sin seeks to remain hidden by darkness.
Light/truth works to expose or undeceive by revealing our sin
Light Illuminates, Darkness Isolates
o 1 John 1:7 “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 cleanses us
from all sin.”
o Ben Franklin’s Lantern – hung lantern out for passersby to show the way
forward and to invite in for fellowship
o 2 Samuel 22:29 “For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my
darkness.”
Moments of revelation and confirmation happen most often in
community – in fact, reconciliation, by definition, is a communal act –
at least two people are involved (God and you….and often others
who either you have wronged or who have wronged you)
Light Guides, Darkness leads astray
o 1 John 1:8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us.”
“have no sin” understood 2 ways: 1) no sin nature (i.e. man is born
“good”, not fallen, essentially good beings), 2) I am sinless
o Alfred Plummer writes that the truth is not in us because “we are in an
atmosphere of self-made darkness which shuts the truth out. The truth may
be all round us, but we are not in contact with it: it is not in us. One who
shuts himself in a dark room has no light, though the sun may be shining
brightly.”
o “we deceive ourselves” (GK planaō) literally, to lead yourself astray
Isolation leads to no accountability/correction and, inevitably,
deception and the leading of oneself into deeper
darkness/isolation/sin (unhealthy spiral into death)
o Aircraft carrier turning on lights in Pacific during WW2 – lit up in dangerous
waters to guide aircraft home
o Isaiah 42:16 “And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in
paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness
before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the
things I do, and I do not forsake them.”
Light Clarifies and Comforts, Darkness confuses and makes anxious
o 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
o Matthew’s first word “ight” – loved the lights, would calm and comfort him
o 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 “4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that
day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of
the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”
Light Warns and Convicts, Darkness leads to destruction
o 1 John 1:10 “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his
word is not in us.”
o Thieves who stole GPS – blinked and buzzed…and led police right to them
o John 12:35-36 “35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a
little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake
you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons
of light.”
Note: all qualities of Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Truth, Helper, Comforter, Convicter
o John 14:16-17, 26 “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You
know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you…. 26 But the Helper,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all
things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
o John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear
witness about me.”
o John 16:7-8, 13 “7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage
that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if
I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world
concerning sin and righteousness and judgment…13 When the Spirit of
truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his
own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to
you the things that are to come.”
Conclusion
Window Tax led to sickness and death as folks received less sunlight and fresh
air. Lead to outbreaks of smallpox and other diseases until doctors in the UK
finally convinced parliament to repeal the tax.
Allow light into your life. We must not remain hidden in darkness…trust the lord
to:
o expose lies
o illuminate truth – especially through godly community
o guide you to spiritual safety in right application of that truth
o clarify and comfort you as you see your sin more clearly, confess it, and
operate in the forgiveness of our God
o Warn away from and convict of new lies that would seek to draw you into
more sin