So this idea of ‘walking in the light as He is in the light’...is that really a thing? Is it even possible for us to do; or is it like so many of those verses we read in our Bibles that just have such a good, ‘holy sound’ to them where we nod our heads in agreement and whisper a barely audible ‘Amen’, but continue to fall way short in ever really doing that; or any other number of commands and admonitions we read in those pages?

There was a reason James writes that if we are just ‘hearers of the word’ vs ‘doers of the word’, then we deceive ourselves. (James 1:22). And as I have mentioned before here, deceived people usually don’t know they are deceived. That too, ‘is a thing’...God’s people being easily deceived. Which is why we probably read repeatedly to ‘be not deceived’ throughout the NT.

I would agree there are probably different levels of ‘deception’. And I’m applying that towards self-deception. On the milder end of that spectrum, I’m thinking along the lines as to how as I’ve grown older, I might tell myself that I can still do certain things like when I was ‘much younger’. I later find out that I was deceiving myself. Some of you may be smiling in agreement here. But self-deception has a much more severe end to that gauge along with far more serious ramifications.

Now it’s one thing to be deceived ourselves; it’s another thing altogether to intentionally deceive others. And once again, the case could be made for there being various levels of deceiving, or lying, to others. That is what it means to (deceive) 'lie’  to someone ...we tell them something we know to not be true. Most of us grew up hearing that expression regarding ‘white lies’ which somehow took the edge off the severity of the problem, or ‘sin of lying’. You know what I’m talking about ...someone asks you how you like their new haircut and you are like: “Oh, I love it....you look great!”...(muttering...’forgive me Jesus’). Or how about: “Do these pants make me look fat?” – “Oh no way, of course not...I love those on you!”...(Jesus am I going to hell now?)

You get the idea.

I also remember growing up being taught that accusing someone of lying or calling them a ‘liar’ was no small matter. The term ‘liar’ almost was on the same level of calling someone ‘stupid’ or much worse. There is certainly a harsh edge to that label, ‘liar’, and it always gives me pause to even consider calling someone that. Which is why I find it a bit sobering to read that word twice within a matter of a few paragraphs in John’s opening first letter. Care to examine it with me?

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, (Jesus) and walk in darkness, we lie -  and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:6)

This is no small matter to God I should point out. IF we claim to be a believer or follower of Jesus, calling ourselves a “Christian’, and yet we continue to ‘walk in darkness’...we are lying. His words, not mine. That might prompt the question of ‘what does it mean to walk in darkness?’, and we can get to that later. But again, being accused of lying is no small issue.

Now read a few paragraphs down and look what John writes in chapter 2- “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (2:4)

Have you ever found yourself reading that in scripture and find it so easy to just ‘amen’ it all the way through without ever taking the time to look into it as a ‘mirror’, like James mentions (1:23-25)? - I mean, heeding Paul’s advice to truly ‘examine ourselves to see if Christ truly is in us’. (2 Cor. 13:5)

Personally speaking, I shudder and hang my head in shame to realize how often I have done this myself over the years. Part of this whole ‘awakening’ experience I have undergone these past 3+ years has been similar to having ‘blinders’ removed from my eyes and the purity and power of His word has brought much conviction and cleansing to my heart.

But the fact of the matter is, according to what our Bibles clearly point out- If we claim to be a believer in or follower of Jesus, yet are not walking in the light as He is in the light and not keeping His commandments, then we are liars. There’s just no getting around it unless you want to hang your hat on that old saying: “I’m just a saint who sins “(or lies). And when I mentioned earlier about there being some serious fall out and consequences to being labeled a ‘liar’, I need only to point you to Revelation 21:7-8 & 22:14-15 and you can read for yourself.

I should also remind you that my purpose here in writing these blog/posts is not to argue with you and try and convince you of anything. My only compelling is to point out so many verses that I fear we have been ‘blind’ to and let you do with them as you please. I do sense that these postings are intended for scores of sincere believers who have 'dried up' on church pews but are not really sure why that is. I’m convinced that going back and re-examining the word, along with our own hearts, might provide some helpful in-sights. (Why are God’s people ‘destroyed’? - Hosea 4:6)

So let’s move in the direction now of trying to answer the question of: “What does it really mean to ‘walk in the light as He is in the light’?” (1 John 1:7). This might come as a shock to many, but did you know that if we are not doing that – ‘walking in the light as He is in the light’, then we are not being ‘cleansed by His blood’. Not sure about that statement? Go back and read that verse 7 again...ALL of it.

We are not ‘cleansed by the blood’ simply because we can sing a moving rendition of how there is ‘power, power, wonder working power in the blood...of the Lamb!’. We are cleansed and purified and made whole when we truly repent of sin and turn to Jesus with our whole heart and follow Him. This is how we are ‘cleansed by the blood’. Go take a look at John 8:12 where Jesus makes the claim to being the ‘light of the world’. He continues on there saying “He who follows...follows...follows - Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

So now you might be wise to do some serious soul-searching as you ask: ‘what does it mean to really follow Jesus’? Are we a true follower simply because we ‘claim to believe’ (John 3:16) or are we a ‘follower’ along with being a recipient of eternal salvation because we ‘obey Him’? (Heb. 5:9; Luke 6:48). And friends, I should not have to say this but....’obeying Jesus is not legalism’. And if you are being taught that, then you need to run...from whomever is drilling that in to your head. Those are ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ telling you that. (Matt. 7:15,21)

Would you like to learn what it means to ‘walk in the light as He is in the light’? Mary (the mother of Jesus) offered up some tremendous insight to that  when she told some desperate servants at a wedding in Cana, who were in great need of a miracle to “do whatsoever He tells you to do”. (John 2:1-5)

That pretty well sums it up...do whatever He tells you to do. I’m pretty sure that has been the message God has been preaching to us ever since...the garden. And He certainly made that case as you read through the first 12 chapters of Deuteronomy as a new generation of God’s people were about to embark on a major life change with incredible promises of blessings that awaited them...IF...they would simply do what God asked of them.

As I mentioned yesterday, God does not usually give us ‘all the light’ at one time. They come in little increments or ‘flashes of revelation’. I remember early on in my walk, God started pointing out things He wanted me to turn from. It was a bit of a reality check because there were some things that I had never really given much thought to as being something...I should not be doing in His eyes. But they were...He made it clear to me, from His word in many cases, and with some ‘dying to self’ along with being enabled or empowered by His grace to turn and obey...not only did I see blessings that followed, I also received ‘more light’. That’s kind of how this works.

Here's a simple example: How often have you read the admonition to “do all things without grumbling and complaining”? (Phil. 2:14). Or maybe being reminded how serious God is about grumbling and complaining? (1 Cor. 10:9-10) And how about Paul making the point to let no ‘unwholesome talk/words come out of our mouths, rather that which is helpful for encouraging’? (Eph. 4:29 and 5:3-4)

And yet...how often are we guilty of doing that. So a false gospel that many have bought in to simply reminds you that nobody is perfect, including ‘Christians’ and God is a God of love and forgives us etc.

So if we continue to do that, then have we really repented of that? Are we walking in the light as He is in the light if we continue to grumble and such? Are we being cleansed by the blood of we have not turned from it? The answer to those questions is a resounding: ‘No!’. And that should concern us all. That makes us a ‘liar’ to claim we are a follower of Jesus and yet continue to practice sin (Titus 1:16). Or when we remind ourselves that we remain as ‘sinners saved by grace’, is that not like saying I am a ‘married bachelor, an honest thief or a pure harlot’? (borrowed that example which resonated with me)

Before you toss your hands up in defeat here, let me offer you some encouraging hope. I bet you have tried countless times to ‘work on that area’ in your life in times past...but then fell on your face again. After a while, you just get worn down ‘trying and failing’ so often. We resign ourselves to just ‘trusting in Jesus’ as we ‘hope for the best’. How about joining me here tomorrow and let me offer up some explanation to why we continue to stumble and fall repeatedly in various areas of our lives. But please know this: Yes, God does extend mercy and grace and forgives us when we stumble. (1 John 2:1) Most newborn ‘babes’ will do that. The good news is that the power of the gospel can truly make you an overcomer in all those areas. Join me tomorrow?