1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6:  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8: If we say that 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 that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Introduction

The apostle John opens this letter by informing his readers that he and the other apostles’ goal in declaring truths about Jesus Christ is that they may know and experience the same kind of fellowship the apostles had with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. John represents Christian life as a fellowship with God. Christianity is not about observance of rituals or ceremonies. It’s not about rules and regulations. Christianity is a life of personal relationship and fellowship with the living God and with fellow beleivers. But if we would enter in and enjoy true Biblical fellowship, we need to understand the character or the nature of our fellowship with God. But first, let’s review quickly the truths about fellowship that we considered last week.

I – Created for Fellowship

Last Lord’s Day, we saw that God created man His own image, after His likeness. This is what separates us from the animals. This is what gives human beings the capacity is to know, and love and have fellowship with God. The human race was created for fellowship with God; to have a close and intimate communion with God. That’s what Adam and Eve had, but they lost that privilege when they fell into sin. Because of their disobedience their sweet and harmonious relationship and fellowship with God was broken. And sadly, you and I now share in the consequences of their sin. But God still loves us, and He still desires for us to know Him and love Him and have fellowship with Him. But how can a fallen sinful being have fellowship with a sinless Being?

II – Called unto Fellowship

Because of sin, Adam and Eve have lost their desire to fellowship with God. But thank God, although Adam and Eve changed, God did not change. God’s desire is still the same. God still wants to commune with us. While Adam and Eve went running and hiding, God went looking and searching for them calling them back into fellowship. Today God is calling sinners back to Himself and the only way back God is the way of the Cross. Jesus came to died on cross so that fallen and guilty may be restored to the very purpose for which we were created. When we believe the Gospel, God changes us. He recreates in us His image. He renews in us His likeness. Through the new birth our relationship and fellowship with God is restored.

III – The Consequence of Fellowship

Now the result of fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ is fullness of joy. The world promises joy, but it always leads to sorrow, pain and emptiness. Sin and worldly pleasures may bring enjoyment, but they are brief and momentary enjoyment. But pleasures and enjoyment in the presence of and communion with God last eternally—they are pleasures forevermore. God wants you and me to have fullness of joy and that is only found in the fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

IV – Character of Fellowship

In 1 Corinthians 1:9, the apostle Paul reminds the believers that, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Being called unto fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, it is important to understand the character or the nature of our fellowship with God and with fellow believers. What is the nature of that fellowship into which believers are called? If you want to know the nature of that fellowship you have to know the nature of God.

Notice how the apostle John after opening his letter with his glorious testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, gives us in verse 5, a declaration and an announcement “that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” He begins with this simple but profound statement regarding who God is and what God is. As we saw last week, John wants us to know and experience fullness of joy. We all desire real joy, there’s no one in the world who desires and plans to be miserable. We all want to experience complete joy but to enter into that joy we must fellowship with God. But then again, in order to fellowship with God, we must know Who He is. You and I cannot fellowship with a God we do not know. Wrong ideas about God will produce wrong ideas about the Christian life. Inaccurate view of God will affect your daily walk and fellowship with Him. An erroneous view of God will lead to erroneous practices in our daily lives.

This is why as John talks about fellowship and joy, he begins by telling us that God is light. He starts with the essential character of God. Why? Why is that his starting point? It is because the character or the nature of the fellowship which we are called is determined by the nature of God. This statement “God is light” is the fundamental basis for fellowship with God and fullness of joy.

John begins with the statement that is not popular in our day. The modern Christian thinking begins with man and not with God. But John does not begin with man but with God. He starts his epistle not with his readers’ problems or felt needs. He starts with the fundamental issue of life—Who God is.

By the way, John is not giving his opinion or speculations about what God may be like. No, he made it clear in verse 5 that he is just declaring what he has heard and received from Jesus Christ Himself. He is simply announcing what he learned from fellowshipping and observing closely Jesus Christ’s life and ministry. The whole life of Jesus Christ is also a message. What was the message? John tells us in verse 5, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” This is the message that John and the other apostles have heard and learned from Jesus. Jesus came into the world to reveal it. It’s the foundational message of this epistle. If we are to have fellowship with God and enter into the fullness of joy, we must embrace the message that Jesus Christ has revealed. We must begin with God and recognize that He is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

What does John mean that God is light? Light is the nature and character of God. God is light is a metaphor, a figure of speech which illustrates basic truth about God. Light is a natural picture for almost everything that is positive and good.

Light is also with God’s Word.

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Light is also associated with truth.

Psalm 43:3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Light is also associated with illumination.

Psalm 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

Light is also associated with goodness.

Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4: And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

Light is also associated with gladness.

Psalm 97:11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.

Light is also associated with life.

Psalm 56:13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Light is also associated with salvation.

Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Light is an emblem of almost everything that is pleasant and good, such as the Word of God, truth, illumination, goodness, gladness, life, and salvation. But in our text, in describing God as light, John is referring to the moral perfection of God. In describing God is light, John highlights the holiness and purity of God. God is absolutely pure. He is free from all sin. He is free from pollution. He is not touched by any sin. God is untouched and unstained by the evil of the world.

Then John reinforces his assertion that God is light by saying, “In Him there is no darkness at all.” God is completely without sin and separated from it. In Habakkuk 1:13, we read this description of God, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?” God is so pure that He cannot look upon sin.

What is John’s point in declaring that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all? John’s point in declaring that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all is that the character or the nature of the fellowship which we are called is a holy calling. It is holy fellowship. The holiness of God demands that we be holy. 1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16: Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. We are not called to be omnipotent as God is or to be omniscient as God is, but we are to be holy. So, John’s point is that since God is light, we must walk in the light because only those whose life and conduct reflect the nature of God can have fellowship with God and have fullness of joy.

John Phillips wrote some perceptive thoughts on God is light, “Light! What an amazing and wonderful thing light is. Darkness cannot drive out the light, but light can drive out the darkness. There can be no fellowship between light and darkness—and God is light… Physical light bears the image and stamp of its Creator, a God who is, Himself, light…” He goes on to say, “Another wonderful property of light is that it cannot be defiled. Even though it passes, say, through a glass of muddy water, light is not defiled. Moreover, light can, and most certainly does, reveal defilement. Also, life as we know it craves light. A plant will always turn toward the light and struggle to reach it. Such are some of the characteristics of natural, created light. Many of these properties reflect the One who reveals Himself as the Light. He is always the same, He is immaculate and beyond the reach of darkness, He reveals Himself to us in all the diverse beauties of His being. And beneath the sunshine of His smile, life can flourish, take root, and grow. Our desire is toward Him, and He rules over us.”

Closing Thoughts

While light is associated with almost everything that is pleasant and good, darkness is a symbol of distress, trouble, perplexity, sorrow, evil and false. While light exposes and reveals truth, darkness hides, conceals, and covers. While light brings life and joy, darkness brings death and sorrow. But praise God light is more powerful than darkness. Satan’s goal was to destroy and defeat Jesus Christ and His work, but the Light defeated darkness. As physical light dispels darkness, so is Jesus Christ the Light of the world dispels darkness and defeated the “prince of darkness.”

Let me speak to those who are still groping in darkness. This great and glorious and holy God who is above all, who is incomparable, who is without sin, who lives in the light which no man can approach unto, humbled Himself. He came and took a human form, dwelt among us, made sin for us who knew no sin, to deliver us from the power of darkness and translate us in the kingdom of light.

Ye dwellers in darkness with sin-blinded eyes,

The Light of the world is Jesus!

Go, wash at His bidding, and light will arise;

The Light of the world is Jesus!

Refrain:

Come to the light, ’tis shining for thee;

Sweetly the light has dawned upon me;

Once I was blind, but now I can see:

The Light of the world is Jesus!

Come to Jesus, the Light of the world. Come as you are, confessing and believing and trusting. Come to Christ and acknowledging and completely relying on what He has done on the cross of Calvary is sufficient to forgive and to cleanse and to save and to make you holy. Amen!

Brothers and sisters in Christ, you who have walked in darkness but now have seen a great light, you who were once blind but now see, how is your fellowship with God? Are you walking in His light? The holiness of God demands that we be holy, that we walk in the light.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

May you and I show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light! May God lift up the light of His countenance upon us. The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

AMEN!