S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

To "walk in the light" is a common metaphor within Christian culture. It is often taken to mean "acting correctly" or even "living openly." Biblically, however, the phrase has the idea of relinquis...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Al Mark Supporter

"Walking in the light" comes from 1 John 1:5-10. Here, John starts off with an explanation of the nature of God, and proceeds from there to how we can have fellowship with Jesus and with fellow believers.

In order to guard against false doctrine, John presents what is the truth about the nature of God. There are other descriptions about the nature of God which are easier to understand, such as God is spirit (meaning God is immaterial in form) and God is love (meaning that the persons of the Trinity love one another and mankind), but God is light is harder to understand.

In the Old Testament, God appeared to the Israelites in the form of light.
The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. (Ex 13:21-22)
Coming down from the mountain after meeting with God, Moses’ face shone with the reflection of God’s light: When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. (Ex 34:29-30)
At the transfiguration, Jesus gave the three apostles a glimpse of his full glory: “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. “ (Matt 17:2)
What is the divine light?
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalms 36:9)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

In the Psalm, light and life are equated. God is light in the sense that he is life, and he is the source and sustainer of physical and spiritual life.
In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 1:4)

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12)

Light represents the truth of God, embodied in his Word – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psa 119:105)
Light is also linked with virtue and moral conduct – "You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth)" (Eph 5:8-9)
These two qualities of divine light will distinguish genuine faith from fake – one who professes to possess the Light and to live in it will show evidence of it by devotion to the truth and to righteousness.
If truth and righteousness are absent from one’s life, that person does not possess eternal life, because a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit (Matt 7:17-18).

Walk is a term used in the New Testament to describe the effect of sanctification. Salvation is a change in legal status to denote divine righteousness credited to one’s account. It is also a change in behavior as the Spirit indwells believers and enables them to live righteously. This is the walking in the Light, just as God himself is in the Light – day-to-day actions and attitudes will be godlike. People who practice this will experience fellowship with one another. For them, the blood of Jesus cleanses them from all sin. It doesn’t mean they will no longer struggle with sin, but that sin can never change a believer’s standing before God.

May 12 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

James Kraft Supporter 74 year old retired pipeline worker

Walking in the light is the choice of the believer who does not want to be chastened by the Lord. 

We all make choices everyday. Some good and some not so good. 

Our rewards in heaven depend on those choices. First Corinthians 3:11-15. 

The first choice we make for salvation is to believe on Jesus for the free gift of eternal life. John 3:16-18. After that we make our our own choices either good or bad. 

But none of us make all the right decisions all the time. First John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the TRUTH is not in us. We cannot even keep the first commandment for a day. Let alone for a week. We all make mistakes. God calls that sin. No one is perfect in the flesh, only in the Spirit. 

Ephesians 1:13-14. Our sin debt is paid in full so we can never be condemned again when we believe the gospel. First Corinthians 2:13 We have been forgiven all trespasses. John 3:18.

But we still reap what we sow here on earth and in heaven. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We all die because of sin. That is the bad news.

Jesus paid our sin debt in full so we can never be condemned to hell again. John 3:18. John 6:40, John 6:47. Acts 16:31

January 24 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report