Bible Study 1 John 1:5

We will continue with our Bible study as we have been going through the book of 1 John.
Today we will be exegeting verse five.


              (1 John 1:5 ESV)
"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."

When we say that God is light it is not just a metaphor but rather an attribute of God. Saying God is light is to say that God is the great illuminator.

            God is spiritual light.

  (Psalm 31:16 ESV)

"Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!"

(2 Samuel 22:29 ESV)

"For you are my lamp, O LORD,
and my God lightens my darkness."

God's word is our guide through a world that is dark and bound in blindness. We are told that man by nature  LOVES darkness rather than light because there deeds are evil (John 3:18-20)

(Psalm 27:1 ESV) 
"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?"

          (John 8:12 ESV)

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.”

Every other way than Christ will lead to a dead end. If one wants out of the darkness then the only alternative is to flee to the cross and to Christ who shines brighter than the sun!

God's glory is the outward radiance of his nature and in this light is displayed is the outward expression of the inward nature of God.

We see in the OT God's outward Glory displayed for all to see:

                     (Exodus 13:21-22 ESV) 
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. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

The Israelite's kept their eyes on the light and followed the light. They were surrounded by evil and by pagan cultures yet kept their eyes on the Lord. I think that applies to us today in that we have God's word and instead of trying to compete with the culture and  the latest fads we just need to point people to the light which is the word of God:

(Psalm 119:105 ESV)

"Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path."

We see another astounding display of God's glory in Mathew 17 with the mount of transfiguration: 

                     

             (Matthew 17:1-8 ESV)

"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

In closing our gracious Master has displayed his kindness and his mercy to us so we do not have to run from the light nor do we need to be scared of the light.  We can have full confidence in the work of our sovereign

King on the cross and that when we are examined under the bright light of God's perfection we can stand confident, not in anything that we have done but knowing that Jesus paid it all and all to Him I owe! 

PLEASE take time today to meditate on these precious truth's from the word of Sacred Scripture and reflect on God's kindness to us:

        (John 3:19-21 ESV)

"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. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 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.”