but if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. 1 John 1:7 AM
The foundation: In the verses before today's extract, John testifies to having received the revelation of God. You cannot claim to speak for God unless and until you have heard or received anything from Him. It is what i have received or heard that I can announce to you. And if I claim to have received or heard anything from God, it cannot negate the nature of God. Nothing God reveals goes contrary to who God is. And John makes it clear: God is Light, Holy, Truth and Righteousness. Anything else you 'receive' or 'hear' that goes contrary to who God is cannot be from God. He is the message and he sends the message. It is about Him from first to last, and anyone who promotes anything or anyone else has not received that from God.
If a man claims to have received or heard from God, yet is comfortable around sin, that man is deceiving himself. God and sin cannot dwell in the same heart, or control the same life at the same time. And because man is prone to deception, he can convince himself that he is on the right path. However, my opinion isn't what drives this narrative, but the opinion of the One who is Truth, Life and Light.
I cannot truly encounter Him and still be comfortable around sin. I cannot truly encounter Him and my life will not bear the outward imprint of the inner workings of his life and light in me. How does a man carry light in himself and the world does not notice it? Can a man with light not stand out when there is darkness all around? And it is a daily walk; God is not asking me to live next year now, but to trust Him by walking with Him daily as He brings me to the place He had prepared for me.
And as I carry light in myself, and you carry light in yourself, imagine the joy when we all come together in fellowship, which is also in line with His will. He is with us as light, and together, we all reflect His light. The world cannot but sit up and take notice. And it is not a one-off relationship, but a consistent outflow of his grace. His blood, shed on the cross, becomes the way out from under the power and curse of sin.
Sin is a deal breaker, and it cuts one off from the life flow of God. If I will keep the channel of communication between God and I open, I must remain in the Light of God. If I will live a life of victory, the secret is in my connection with the One called Light. Does He know me as His own? Do I have true fellowship with Him, or am I just taking up space? My inner reality will be manifested by my outer relationships. If God lives in me, it cannot be ignored. If He does not, it cannot be denied. So, where am I living? Where are you living? His time of favour is here.
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