series: Letters of Love
title: God is light
date: April 15, 2018
teacher: Jacob Bender
scriptures: 1 John 1:5-10, John 1:5, Ephesians 4:17-19, Ephesians 5:9, Ephesians 5:11, Ephesians 5:13.
What you know about God, think about God, and BELIEVE ABOUT GOD will have an enormous impact on the type of person that you are and the type of life that you lead. If you believe that “god” hates a certain type of person, then naturally you would have no problem hating that type of person. On the contrary, if you believe that God is the most generous person who ever lived and that the way to get the absolute closest to Him is to love others and be generous toward others, then messages like “sell everything you own and give it all to the poor” would not be hard messages for you would they? If you TRULY wrap your heart around the fact that there is something that God ACTUALLY wants you to do, and that your life is just a vapor compared to the eternity that is coming that you will spend with God, then OF COURSE YOU WOULD DO THAT THING.
it applies across the board. IF YOU GENUINELY ARE CONVICTED THAT GOD IS REAL AND THAT HE HAS A SPECIFIC GOAL OR MISSION IN MIND, why would you not give yourself to that mission?
But do you see the dangers that come with that?
That is why religion is so often tied to terrorism. if you have enough faith in a god that you believe wants you to hurt people, then you are going to hurt people. If you believe that the god you serve is a racist, you would have no conviction against racism. If you believe that the god that you serve wants you to live in a mansion and drive the nicest cars, then you will spend your life pursuing those things, if your love for God is genuine. And if your love for God is genuine yet misguided, its very easy to lock in to that zone, and and not be teachable, and get very stubborn.
So as people who whole heartedly do believe in God… it is crucial that we, to the very best of our ability, UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD IS LIKE. Because we get it wrong A LOT. I get it wrong. You get it wrong. We often see life through our own filter, and then sort of work to mold God into the image that we think that He should have.
So John, who was the last living Apostle... the last person who had actually walked with Jesus, experienced Jesus, and knew a PHYSICAL JESUS, He writes this important letter showing what God IS LIKE, AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US.
And one of the first things that John tells us about God, is that God is light.
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
…And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
How is it that some people can read a passage, and it be guilt and condemnation and tragedy… and someone else can read the same passage, and it be life, and love, and hope and grace?
“I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
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.
Pastor Austin kicks off our series on the Epistles of John by explaining much of what was going on when John was writing.
Character means that We live publicly like we do in private. We write the Word of God on our hearts, practice generosity, and prioritize integrity.
“we ought to be supporting people like these”