Life in the Light

Today was a fairly busy day. My friend Rod Carlson joined me in attending a minister’s lunch. It was good to connect with some new friends as well as those that I have met before. After the lunch we made trip to Arvada to run an errand and while there I made my way to the Community First Foundation office and was able to connect with my friend Michael Jackson. Mike works with the nonprofits that are in partnership with Community First  Foundation. We shared together about my experiences over the last year and my involvement in helping to promote Colorado Gives Day, which continues to grow and provide nonprofits with with an annual fundraising drive that raises the profile of the nonprofit community in Colorado. The event on December 9, 2014 this year, is a successful foundation, government, business and nonprofit partnership.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”  1 John 1:7

I like 1 John. This New Testament letter written by the disciple that was known as one the “Sons of Thunder” oozes statements about love and encouragement in the faith. At the same time he is direct. God’s love is not license, it is not mussy, it does not have areas of gray and is not something that is to be taken for granted.

John expresses his desire in the opening verses by saying, “…we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”              (1 John 1:4) John’s focus is on fellowship, love, joy and light. These are all interwoven as critical to our Christian life. The foundation point is that “God is light.” (1 John 1:5) Not some light, total light, no darkness at all!

We can’t live in the dark and have fellowship with God. This is contrary to truth and shows we are self-deceived. In contrast if we “walk [live] in God’s light we have fellowship with one another….” You will notice that when someone struggles with their relationship with Christ and their lifestyle choices, they distance themselves from other believers and church attendance. Fellowship with others is not dependent upon our “righteousness” as the source of life, but on being in right relationship with the “light of life.”

John goes on and in that context of Christian fellowship says, “….and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.” Living in fellowship with other believers and with Christ requires continual forgiveness. When we are in “the light” of God’s presence, we become much more aware of areas of darkness that creep into our lives. That calls us to repentance in order to receive forgiveness.

When conflicts and divisions arise someone is not walking in the light. When spiritual commitments begin to wane, someone is not walking in the light. The simple and immediate solution is to shine the light of God’s presence and truth into a situation or our lives. When that happens we see the reality of John’s proclamation of Christ taking place, “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3)

Today at a lunch with some ministers I introduced my friend Rod Carlson to my friend Charles Hefton. Charles said, “any friend of Ken’s is a friend of mine.” John is saying, “anyone who is a friend of Jesus, who has fellowship with Jesus, is a friend of mine and has fellowship with me.”