A rich tapestry of life-enhancing guides appear throughout Holy Scripture. Far too often, we read the Bible as if it’s like a modern novel, but this is a great disservice to the Word of God. One such example of a guide is found in the apostle John’s first letter.
John mentioned, over thirty times, that we are to know that God is the light in which we seek to dwell. In 1 John 1:5, he wrote, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (NKJV). In fact, he said, “And the light shines in darkness” (John 1:5).
We’re taught in 1 John 2:29 that our God is a righteous God. “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” John encouraged his readers to live right, according to God’s will. He also stated that God is love! “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:8, 16).
Our mighty and compassionate Creator is also life! “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12). In his second letter, John declared God to be truth, and in the third epistle, he proclaimed that God is good.
So, if we know these things about God, how should we conduct our lives in accordance with God’s will? The following seven points show us the way to a good and faithful Christian life.
First, in 1 John 1:6, we are told to walk in the light. God’s light reveals sin in our lives. His Word convicts us, and we must cast all uncleanness from our lives (Hebrews 4:12).
Secondly, we must never think we are better than others. According to 1 John 1:10, Christians are flawed human beings and must live in the full knowledge that we depend upon Christ’s finished work at Calvary for salvation. It is essential to our walk that we maintain a cleansed condition in God’s sight. We’re told in John 1:8-9, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Thirdly, obedience to the will of God is essential to our good spiritual health. How can we claim to love Him if we refuse to obey His commands (Luke 6:46)? First John 2:4 declares, “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Let us never be found in disobedience to any part of God’s commands.
Fourth, John tells us to have a Christ-like mind. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). Jesus Himself said, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19). Let us ever search our hearts and Scripture in doing just that!
Fifth, we are to practice a loving, practical care for others. “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now” (1 John 2:9). We must abandon grudges and all pettiness. In addition, we must pray for those who harm us and bless them with God’s attention!
Sixth, we must avoid the things found in 1 John 2:16. “For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.” These three are at the root of all sinful activity.
Finally, in 1 John 2:22, faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are advised to beware of straying from the paths of righteousness. “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.” We deny Him when we turn our backs upon Him; we deny Jesus when we disobey His commands. If we loved Him, we would never consider such unloving betrayal!
We must hold true to the narrow way of Christian living. In 1 John 2:28-29, the apostle summed up his guide perfectly. “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” Righteousness (right living in God’s sight) is achieved through obedience to God’s will.
Let us seek the paths of light and walk with our Maker till one day we will be with Him forevermore. We pass into the light from darkness through baptism into Christ (Acts 2:38; 17:30; Mark 16:16; Galatians 3:27). Many passages declare the way. Why not enter that shining path of truth and knowledge, and, in so doing, you can know you are walking in the light with Christ?
