If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 cleanses us from all sin.
When we trusted Jesus as Savior we became children of God, entering into eternal union with Christ, a relationship that can never be broken. Having been born into God’s family, we enjoy a union with Him that can never be broken. Once we are in union with Christ, we can also commune with the Father and enjoy sweet fellowship with Him. Only those who through the Spirit of God have been born again into this beautiful, eternal union with the Lord Jesus, can enjoy sweet fellowship with our heavenly Father. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all – but no true fellowship with the Father is possible when we allow the shadowy darkness of sin to cross the threshold of our heart. Today there are many who claim to be ‘spiritual’ beings, but their claim is rooted in a worldly view of spirituality that is completely opposite of biblical spirituality and can never be reconciled with true spirituality. Such claims are in opposition to the truth and are incompatible with the character of a holy sinless God. Sin and self separates us from fellowship with our heavenly Father, when we choose to step out of the light and lurk in the shadows of sin and self. We are not children of darkness but sons of light and as such have a choice. We can choose to walk in the light and enjoy fellowship with the Father or we can choose to walk in darkness – but IF we walk in the darkness, then we cannot claim to have fellowship with our heavenly Father. A vital aspect of the Christian life is recognizing that we are all sinners and acknowledging that we fall short of the glory of God – that we all need forgiveness of our sin for the salvation of our soul, but we also need to ask for forgiveness when we fall short in our Christian life. Holy living is not simply a spotless exterior but an inner mind that is clean, and a heart that is broken before the Lord; a spirit that rejoices in the truth; a soul that delights itself in the Lord. When fellowship is broken through sin or self, it needs to be restored as soon as possible, and if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But if we say we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. Fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ can be such a blessed experience, but to enjoy sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Lord is the pinnacle of being a sinner saved by grace. Sin is the cause of broken fellowship with God. Christians that are out of fellowship with the Lord are walking in darkness, and sin is the cause of all broken fellowship. During our time on earth, we are living in a fallen body with a sinful nature that must be kept nailed to the Cross. We can never achieve sinless perfection as some like to teach, but can choose to live in the light by keeping a short rein on sin, dying to self, living for Christ, submitting to God, resisting the devil, and flying to our Heavenly Father to receive His forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Mediator. At salvation, we were transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son and as such, we are expected to walk in the light. But the world wants to squeeze us back into its mould and the enemy of our soul wants to entice us away from the glorious light of the gospel of truth into the destructive cul-de-sac of darkness and sin. Yes, it is through the shed blood of Jesus, our Savior, that we were cleansed at our salvation and brought into the light, and it is as sinners saved by grace, that we need to be continually cleansed of any post-salvation sin as we travel through this life. While all our sins, past, present, and future, were forgiven the moment we trusted Christ for salvation, we need to confess any post-salvation sin to our Heavenly Father in order to be returned into fellowship with Him – for sin is the cause of broken fellowship. God is love and peace and hope and joy – and God is purest light. He knows that the perfect place of protection and joy for all His children is to remain in fellowship with Him and to walk in the light of His love, just as He is in the light. Some people claim that, even though they walk in darkness, they are right in their relationship with God. And, while they could be right, they have to be careful. While the goal is to walk in the light, we as Christians will be tempted; we will sin. Humans are imperfect, at least on this Earth we are. And I truly believe that you have to walk in the darkness at least once in your life to understand what it means to walk in the light. Walking in the light is about personal growth; about making better decisions and learning better habits. It’s not about moral perfection, but about living a Christian life and wanting to live where God is. It’s about letting God illuminate your life. Walking in the light produces communion with God, which leads to fellowship with one another. As we walk in the light, Jesus works to purify our lives. You should share this hope. Walking in the light makes us brighter in God’s glory. If we walk in the light, one day we will be just like Jesus…perfect!
Spiritual Steve 