Certain Eternity Part 10 – Light and Holiness
1 John 1:6-7 October 20, 2024
Introduction
#1 Goal of this series in 1 John is to know and live a “Certain Eternity.”
o Major themes in establishing certainty so far: life, fellowship, and joy;
o Been diving into reality of the statement that God is light. God as light in 4
ways:
1) LIGHT and GLORY (From the beginning of scripture to the
end)
2)LIGHT and LIFE (both physically and spiritually)
3) Today as we’ll find out, God as light hits the ground running,
or in the case of 1 John, walking. What does it mean for us to
walk in the glorious, life-giving light of God? Well, light sets us
apart from the sin, disobedience, and disorder that
characterizes darkness. So walking in the light is walking in
righteousness, obedience, and order; in a word,
holiness…LIGHT and HOLINESS
4) Spoiler alert, God as light illuminates truth…LIGHT and
TRUTH.
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.”
Praise God John makes things black and white for us. Light/Darkness…
Righteous/Unrighteous… Truth/Deception… There is an easy and simplified
order to life so far as John is concerned. Here’s a rhetorical question: Who here
would describe themselves as a black-and-white thinking person? All-or-nothing?
If that’s not you, someone may have come to mind who thinks in these terms.
Maybe you’re the person who says, “It’s not that simple. Life is chaotic,
complicated, and nuanced.” Here’s another question, “Do you desire order and
simplicity in your life?” I think most, if not all, of us would answer, “Yes!”
We live in a world that is quite literally spinning out of control. It’s one of the very
few scientific laws of our universe—recognized by Christians and non-Christians
alike. The Law of Entropy basically states that every system whether it’s as big
as the universe or microscopic like a cell will either remain constant or be
constantly increasing in disorder and disorganization over time. In short, without
outside intervention, things fall apart….everything is moving to disorder unless
something keeps it organized.
Holiness
1 John 1:6-7 “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.”
o The good news is that we have been called from the kingdom of darkness
into the kingdom of light. Even though things may be falling apart all around
us, we as Jesus followers are held together and set apart to walk in a
confident certain eternity, which gives our lives hope, meaning, value, and
consistency where there otherwise would be none. We are called to walk in
the light.
This “set-apartness” is the third facet of light we’re examining. The word scripture
uses for this characteristic is “holy.”
o Holy means set apart or dedicated for a sacred purpose.
o 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us who we are in Christ: “But you are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you
may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into
his marvelous light.”
When we looked at light’s first appearance in Genesis, we saw that it was
separated from the darkness.
o Genesis 1:3-4 “3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4
And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the
darkness.” This day one light (remember, different from day four light) is the
presence and power of God (Shekinah glory) pushing back the darkness
and bringing His cosmic order to all things. One of the primary
characteristics God’s holiness brings is order….the separation from
darkness.
This is why one of the evidences of a life that has been redeemed by
Jesus through faith and trust in His payment for our failures, is that
we ourselves learn to walk in the light more and more.
As believers we are set apart from the darkness – or made holy – in three
important ways: Principle, Position, Practice
1) We Are Set Apart by Principle
Part of God’s light bringing order through holiness involves the principle of
separation, a principle seen throughout scripture.
o God makes His presence and boundary lines very clear for the world.
Romans 1:19-20 says, “19 For what can be known about God is plain to
them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes,
namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived,
ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So
they are without excuse.”
God is crystal clear in his Word—black and white—from the very beginning. In
Genesis, he separated the day from night and the heavens from earth and Adam
and Eve from the garden. In Leviticus and Exodus he separated clean and
unclean, right from wrong, rewards and consequences, blessings and curses;
dividing His people out from all other people when he gave the Law and requiring
obedience to it.
God also knew from the beginning that the gap presented between each of those
black and white options was too great for any human to overcome through their
own strength, effort, and merit.
o So He promised Jesus to fulfill the law and show us how to walk in the light.
This principle of separation is an eternal one. Those who do not submit to
Jesus will remain eternally separated from God.
o God’s ultimate desire is that no one would be separated from him, but walk
in fellowship and be cleansed by Him and walk in fellowship with one
another. As our primary text of 1 John 1:7 tells us, “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.”
2) We are Set Apart by Position
If we want to be in the light of God’s presence, holiness is not an option. It’s who
God is. It’s his ultimate position and, if we are children of God, as cleansed and
saved followers of Jesus, it is our position as well.
1 Peter 1:14-16 “14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of
your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all
your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
o “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” This is what Scripture calls us believers
by name. We are holy.
In Greek, the word is “hagios” and its cultural meaning was for
someone or something to be set apart, separated, or dedicated to the
gods.
One of our English translations of “hagios” is “saints.” It was Paul’s
favorite way to refer to believers in his letters. We are set apart to
God for sacred use!
Sainthood is not an attainment to be reached, like some
denominations teach of St. John the Evangelist, etc. but a state
of being one enters into when brought out of the darkness into
the light. You are a saint.
“Hagios” is also translated into English as the word “holy.”
Together, as a body of saints, we are called a holy temple (1
Cor. 3:17), a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), and a holy nation (1
Peter 2:9).
o But we are only clean and set apart because our God is totally and
completely set apart. 1 Peter 1:16 “… “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
One of God’s many names in scripture El Hakkadosh – the Holy God.
“Kadosh” is the Hebrew word for holy.
God is not only set apart as we are set apart, but he is
absolutely set apart in a completely unique category. There is
only one, true God.
There are many examples of God’s holiness in scripture, but
the book of Isaiah uses this holy name for God over thirty times.
o One of the pictures Isaiah paints is of a vineyard planted
by its owner on fertile ground, all the stones were
painstakingly dug out of the soil, the choicest vines were
watered well, a wall was shaped around it for protection,
and a watchtower and winepress were built, but after all
the loving-care, in the end, the vineyard only yielded sour
grapes. If you read Isaiah 5 you will see that this was a
metaphor of God’s painstaking care for Israel, and the
unfortunate reality of the lack of good fruit that was
produced in them.
o At the end of Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard he says,
Isaiah 5:16 “But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his
justice, and the holy God [El Hakkadosh] will be proved
holy by his righteous acts.”
The vinedresser, the holy God – El Hakkadosh –
was justified in his anger toward a people who bore
bad fruit through unrighteous, disobedient living.
And we see here very clearly that there is a
connection between being in the light and walking in
the light. There is a difference between our position
and our practice, and scripture shows us over and
over again that the evidence of our position is our
practice.
Ephesians 5:8-11 “8 for at one time you were
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as
children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all
that is good and right and true), 10 and try to
discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part
in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead
expose them.”
3) We Are Set Apart by Practice
Positionally, before God we are light and we are holy because of El
Hakkadosh—the holy God has made us holy through His son Jesus.
o Practically, we are enabled to walk as children of light and holiness
because of Jehovah M’Kaddesh.
o This is another name for God which means “the Lord who sanctifies.”
Leviticus 20:7-8 “7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy,
for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the
Lord who sanctifies you.”
Sanctification is the word that explains the process that God is
currently working in us through His Holy Spirit to continually
cleanse us and separate us from the world so we can be holy
like he is holy. This is why one of the evidences of our certain
eternity is that we will walk in the light and will not walk in
darkness.
Walking in the Light
How do we walk in the light and be holy as he is holy? 3 ways:
1) Pursuing by Light
o To “walk in the light” as John encourages means to make progress by
moving from one place to another with our feet.
o It seems almost silly to define such a basic concept as walking, but our
bodies as well as our spirits like to remain sedentary. If our spirits remain
sedentary in this world and culture we actually don’t stay still – we will
move farther from God, we will drift – the law of spiritual entropy will have
its effect.
To illustrate the concept let’s use a beach analogy – because I love
my wife and she loves the beach. It’s a beautiful, sunny day and let’s
pretend you actually like going to the beach and playing in the ocean
waves. You’re out in the ocean, maybe waist deep, jumping waves.
What do you need to do to drift with the ocean’s current? The answer
is absolutely nothing.
The current will pull you from your starting position down the
shoreline, or worse, if there’s a rip current you’ll be pulled further from
the shoreline out to sea. Drifting is a down and/or out process. In our
pretend scenario, if you’re swimming at a protected beach you may
see a lifeguard blow his/her whistle and wave their arms beckoning
you back closer to their lifeguard stand.
Now, I am told that if you’re an experienced wave jumper – which I
refuse to become – you know that when you enter the waves you
choose a spot on the beach to mark your location, maybe it’s your
beach umbrella or the lifeguard stand, and after you enter the ocean,
every so often you need to check where your lifeguard stand is and
then walk against the tide that’s pulled you down the shoreline so that
you’re back where you belong.
o Walking in light and holiness is much like this. The darkness of our culture
is constantly pulling us from our lifeguard stand. We cannot remain
stagnant or sedentary. We need to be walking against the tide.
These need not be grandiose, giant acts of service. They need to be
simple, obedient steps in the right direction.
Thankfully, we don’t need to this in our own power. We have Jehovah
M’Kaddesh working in us. He is the one who sanctifies us, who
makes us holy. Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who
began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of
Jesus Christ.”
Jehovah M’Kaddesh is doing the work of sanctifying us, yet we
are invited into that work by exercising faith filled obedience
through the power of Holy Spirit.
Philippians 2:12-16 “12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have
always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to
work for his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling
or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and
twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the
world, 16 holding fast to the word of life…”
Hebrews 12:1b-2a “let us run with endurance the race that is
set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of
our faith”
Colossians 1:9-17 “9 And so, from the day we heard, we have
not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with
the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and
understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and
increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with
all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and
patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has
qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and
transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom
we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
o Knowing that the Lord is doing the work of sanctification within you, how
are you seeking to draw nearer to the Lord? What actions, disciplines, and
sacrifices are you undertaking to be more like Jesus – to pursue Jesus? Or
are you drifting right now? If so, look back to the shore, call out to the
lifeguard and ask for help!
2) Protected by Light
The ocean tide we’re walking against and the culture we’re in desperately needs
us because we’re the only people holding back the darkness.
o Ephesians 6:12-13 “12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over
this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places.13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”
Whatever step of obedience you are thinking of taking or are in the process of
walking out, know that you are protected in that step when you put on the armor
of light. See how the light is connected to walking in holiness: Romans 13:11-14
“11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from
sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night
is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and
put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies
and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and
jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the
flesh, to gratify its desires.”
A saint is like a boat — the boat’s purpose is fulfilled when it is in the water, but its
function and usefulness deteriorates when water gets in the boat. So too for
saints when too much of the world gets into them. Saints must keep their
“vessels” in the water of the Word and the current of Holy Spirit but not let the
water of the world get into their “vessel”!
The Lord protects us that we may be light bearers and protectors of those around
us. We are served by the Jesus so that we may serve those around is in His
name.
o How are you serving others? How are you showing others the armor of light
that you have on by being a shining beacon for them?
3) Purified by Light
o Our primary text reminds us when we walk in the light “the blood of Jesus
his son cleanses us from all sin.” This part is essential to living in holiness.
o 2 Corinthians 6:14 “For what partnership has righteousness with
lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”
Cleansing is essential to the process of sanctification. The good news
is that Jesus made the sacrifice necessary to make us clean in the
presence of a holy God. Hebrews 13:12 “So Jesus also suffered
outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own
blood.”
We’ll talk more about Jesus’s sacrifice in the future of this series, but for today
let’s focus on the purifying nature of light for the purpose of holiness. God uses
fire over and over again in scripture as a symbol of holiness and source of
refining purification. Exodus has three clear examples of this when Yahweh is
establishing Himself to His people:
o The Burning Bush (Exodus 3:2-6 “2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to
him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the
bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn
aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord
saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses,
Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take
your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy
ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he
was afraid to look at God.”)
o The Pillar of Fire (Exodus 13:21-22 “21 And the Lord went before them by
day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of
fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 The
pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from
before the people.”)
o Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:16-20 “16 On the morning of the third day there were
thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud
trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses
brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand
at the foot of the mountain.18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke
because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like
the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as
the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God
answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the
top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain,
and Moses went up.”)
We need the refining of the Lord…
Malachi 3:1-4 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before
me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the
messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the
Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand
when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.3 He will sit
as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine
them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the
Lord. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as
in the days of old and as in former years.”
Proverbs 17:3 “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord
tests hearts.”
Zechariah 13:9 “And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one
refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I
will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is
my God.’”
o Walking in the light means embracing the refining fire of the Lord. This is
not pleasant, but it is good.
o What area of your life would you like to invite Jesus to cleanse or refine?
Conclusion
Law of Entropy – everything moves towards chaos and disorder unless
something keeps it in order and held together.
Colossians 1:15-17 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all
creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things
were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him
all things hold together.”
Hebrews 1:3a “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his
nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power….”