Key verse: 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,” (KJV).
When we talk about walking in the light, we are talking about walking with God. Christians are called to walk in the light of the Lord, but what is this light? How is it manifested? What is the difference between a good, moral person and someone who is a Christian? It is the fruit of light. God is light and He wants to reveal Himself through believers in Christ. Light shines, exposes, and reveals. Your life as a believer should shine as light so that others will see the light and come to God.
God’s very being and character is light. Robert Candlish notes: “Light is diffusive, penetrating, searching; spreading itself over all space, and entering into every hole and corner. It is quickening and enlivening; a minister of healthy vigour and growth to all living creatures, plants and animals alike, including man himself. It is pleasant also; a source of relief and gladness to those who bask in its bright and joyous rays.”
Albert Barnes reminds us that: “Light, in the Scriptures is the emblem of purity, truth, knowledge, prosperity and happiness.” The phrase God is light pictures God’s holy, sinless character that radiates from His Person. Light is the opposite of darkness, which pictures sin and evil. Light uncovers things hidden by darkness. When light is present, darkness disappears. As a child of God, your lifestyle should radiate the light of God both in the open and hidden places.
Darkness represents sin, corruption, falsehood, evil and all unrighteousness. Darkness is the absence of light. Jesus died so that the evil works of darkness will be destroyed in the lives of the people. He wants people to see and receive the light of the gospel. John 3:19, says, men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. God’s intention is to deliver people from darkness into light.
Salvation has a direct impact on a person’s life. It changes the way such a person lives and acts. If you say you are a believer, but live as if you are not, you are lying. And this unfruitful lifestyle is described as “walking in darkness.” A child of God must stand out and live the life that represents Christ and His kingdom.
How will people around you know that you walk in the light? They can only know this, by the way you live and act. The early apostles were called Christians because the people around them saw that they behaved like Christ. Does your lifestyle as a Christian promote Christ or bring reproach to Christ? The purpose of God’s light in a believer’s life is to lighten up every area of his or her life and bring it into conformity with the image of Christ. As the believer walks in the light, the Holy Spirit keeps exposing the areas of the believer’s life that need to be dealt with and this is the process of sanctification.
Walking in the light means to see! God will open your eyes to see His truth and His presence everywhere! Walking in the light means that you want to seek after God and walk in His ways. It is submitting oneself to the Lordship and control of Christ. Then you will only seek for the things that will please God. You cannot shine the light unless His light is in you. The light of God in a person makes the difference. Come to light and darkness will vanish away from you.