GOD IS LIGHT by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 7, 1873

GOD IS LIGHT.

By James White

BY ELD. JAMES WHITE.

TEXT:—“And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:4.

The text presents two natural divisions of the subject; first, the things John was to write; second, the fullness of joy which might result from their consideration.

1. The things John was to write. The apostle commences his epistle very much as he commenced his record of Christ. Compare John 1:1, 2, with the opening words of his first epistle.

Verses 1, 2. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.”

The apostle here proclaims Jesus Christ as the only source of eternal life to those who died in Adam. He regards himself as a competent witness in the case. His testimony is from what he had heard from the lips of Christ, what his eyes had seen of his miracles, and his hands had handled of the Word of life. He was a follower and intimate friend of Jesus Christ. As the beloved disciple, he had sustained a closer relation to the divine Son of God than the other eleven.

Verse 3. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

We notice the single idea in this verse, that Christians may not only enjoy fellowship with one another, but also with the Father and with the Son. In church relation, Christians are fellows, and enjoy fellowship. And as the adopted sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, they become, in a certain sense, fellows with the great God, and his Son Jesus Christ. They are the adopted members of the Royal family. What matchless love on the part of the Father and the Son, to stoop so low as to raise sinners so high, that they may sustain family relation with them! God may be their Heavenly Father, and Christ, their Elder Brother! By keeping the commandments of God we sustain the relation of obedient children to the Father, and may be very happy in his love. And by taking up the cross, and following the dear Redeemer, we may drink deep draughts at the overflowing fountain of redeeming love. And thus our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Verses 4, 5. “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This, then, is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

The great idea in the joyful message which John declares to the church, is that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. God, then, is a being of pure light. And it is possible that poor sinners may break away from the powers of darkness, and become united to this body of pure light, in the sense of holding fellowship with the Father and with the Son. In this holy union, the light of the glory of God, as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ, is imparted to them, and they also become bodies of light. Hence Jesus said of his true church, “Ye are the light of the world.” Joyous, indeed, is the message of the apostle to the living members of the body of Christ. There is a fullness and strength in his expressions that touch the cord of faith, and kindle the fire of love. “These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”

Verse 6. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.”

Here the beloved John uses great plainness of speech. He would not have the church deceived upon the point under discussion, of such vital importance. His love for the members of the church, and his ardent devotion to the cause of their salvation, was such as to lead him out of the natural mildness, sweetness, and tenderness of his style, in words which constitute the sharpest rebuke to those who are ever dealing in darkness, and yet profess to be members of the heavenly family. The profession of these who walk in darkness he pointedly declares to be a lie.

He had before declared that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” Hence to be in fellowship with him is to be united to a body of pure light. These, therefore, who are adopted into the heavenly family, and walk with God, walk in the light, and are children of the light. Thus united to God, and to Christ, while the union really exists, they cannot walk in darkness.

The lie of which John speaks is in the profession of being the children of God, he sustaining to them the relation of heavenly Father, while they at the same time are walking in darkness. Such do not the truth. They are deceived as to their obedience. They have not made a full surrender of themselves, and what they have, to the Lord. What little light they may have does not come directly from God, reflected from that body of pure light, but from the dim light of those around them. These are generally so far stupefied by darkness that they have no sense of their high privileges, and they become content to grope their way in darkness, excepting that they are now and then somewhat cheered by the light of others. A good meeting, a powerful sermon or exhortation, or some other special means of grace moves them out a little towards the light. But failing to confess their sins, and make a full surrender, and press their way up near to the great body of pure light, they soon fall back, and are as dark, and as stupid as before. And thus they grope their way in darkness, deceived as to their real condition. They profess to be in fellowship with God. But they are not. John declares that such lie, and do not the truth. They think they are in fellowship with God; but it is a deception. If they were united to God, they would walk in the light. They walk in darkness, therefore are not in fellowship with the Father and the Son. The lie is in professing to be in fellowship with God, while their union is with Satan. Hence they are in darkness, instead of walking in the light.

Verse 7. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

This verse expresses the high and holy privilege of every child of God. They may not only walk in a degree of light, but they may walk in light which has no darkness at all. In God there is no darkness; hence if they walk in the light as God is in the light, their whole body may be full of light. And let none be discouraged at the straightness of the way. Rather let all rejoice that it is their privilege to be “delivered from the power of darkness,” and be translated “into the kingdom” of God’s dear Son, in whom they may “have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Col. 1:12–14. Redemption from the power of darkness is possible. None should despair. Those who will deny themselves, and take up the cross of the Redeemer, may be rescued from darkness, and find complete redemption from its power.

Christians may walk in the light as God is in the light. There is no apology for their walking in darkness. The path to light and freedom is made plain. The means of redemption from the power of darkness are ample, and are plainly stated. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.” James 4:7, 8. The mind must first submit to God, and then a war of resistance must be instituted against the devil. He is a once conquered foe. Christ withstood his temptations, and overcame them. Christ, for our sake, passed under the dominion of death, giving Satan a chance to exult for awhile; but the Son of God triumphed over Satan, death, and the grave. Satan’s power is partially broken by the Son of God. We may resist him, and drive him from the field.

Then we may draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to us. God is light, without one shade of darkness. Christians may draw near to this body of light. And more; this body of pure light will draw near to them. We repeat it: There is no apology for Christians walking in darkness. God has placed the means in their hands of breaking away from the power of darkness, and emerging forth to the light of the eternal God. The powers of earth and hell combined cannot prevent them, if they use the means ordained of Heaven, and put into their hands. The apostle inquires, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:35–39.

Christians may come near to God, and walk in the light, as he is in the light. Then they will have fellowship one with another. And then the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse them from all sin. When their fellowship is truly with the Father, and with the Son, and with one another, it is then that they may feel the all-cleansing power of the atoning blood of the Son of God.

Verses 8–10. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Probably there is no more delusive form of deception than that into which some have fallen, in supposing that they had reached a point in their experience where that they not only did not, but could not, commit sin. A remark of H. W. Beecher, which is a better illustration of his wit, than of his piety, was called out at the Fulton Street Prayer-meeting. A “sanctified Methodist” arose and shouted, “Glory to God! I have not committed a sin in thirteen years.” Beecher arose and shouted, “Glory to God, brother, you should have been in Heaven just thirteen years ago.” Beecher took this short way of rebuking this deception of self-righteousness for want of time to explain. If the Methodist brother had said that he had been searching his life and heart for thirteen years, and had been confessing his sins as far and as fast as he had seen them for thirteen years, and that the blood of Jesus Christ had been cleansing him from unrighteousness for the past thirteen years, the beloved John, whose words we are so happily considering, if he could have been at the Fulton Street Prayer-meeting, would doubtless have responded a sweet amen.

Paul declares that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” In Adam all inherit a sinful nature, which, being prompted by Satan, leads the sinner to commit sin. The poor sinner, then, bears the double burden of his sinful nature, and the condemnation of actual transgression. In the plan of redemption, the blood of Jesus Christ was to be shed that the believing sinner might find pardon from actual transgression, and be cleansed from all unrighteousness. The process is definitely stated: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” First, confession on the part of the sinner; second, forgiveness on the part of the faithful and just God; and third, the cleansing from the stains of a sinful nature.

By the law is the knowledge of sin. The law of God is his great mirror, into which the sinner looks, and sees the defects of his moral character. There he views his actual transgressions of that holy law, and repents, and confesses his sins, and finds pardon. But the work of cleansing is by no means accomplished. It is only just begun. The Christian warfare has but just commenced. The young disciple very soon finds that he still has a sinful nature to contend with, which brings him into condemnation. Satan tempts him, and through the weakness of his nature he yields, more or less, to his suggestions, and is brought into condemnation. In this state of mind, and stage of his experience, the very next verse seems peculiarly applicable.

Chap. 2:1. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

The Christian life is a continual warfare with Satan, and with self. The time of the Christian’s probation is the period of cleansing from all unrighteousness. It is said of the innumerable, white-robed multitude, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 7:14. The washing time is not one day, nor one week, nor one month, nor one year only; but during the entire period of the Christian life.

In that portion of his first epistle we have examined, John speaks plainly in setting forth the priceless blessings of the true Christian life. His words do really unchristianize the professing Christians of

our day, with very few exceptions. He warns the church faithfully. His object is to guard the people of God against falling into deception and sin. And then, after dealing truly with them, he affectionately appeals to them as his dear children, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” And then, as though he feared that some, having large conscientiousness and small hope, might despair of pardon, and strength to come up to the high standard of the Christian life he had raised, he adds for the encouragement of all such: “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

But before closing this discourse, we wish to appeal to the more careless professor, who walks in darkness much of the time, upon the subject of confession. You need not walk in darkness, and thus give the lie to your profession that you have fellowship with God. Your condition is inexcusable. The way out to the light, where you may enjoy the fullness of the inexpressible blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is plainly stated. Confession is your first work. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” God’s faithfulness and justice are pledged to forgive the confessing sinner. There is no other way out to the light; but by confession. God will accept this, and he will not accept of something else in its stead.

Be not deceived on the subject of confession. Seek earnestly for the spirit of true confession. When God, in some way of his own choosing, points out your sins through another, and you simply, perhaps reluctantly, admit that the Lord is right in the matter, do not deceive yourself by calling this a confession. Had you examined yourself on your knees before God in earnest prayer to him to show you your sins, he would have shown them to you, that you might confess them, and receive the promised blessing. But when you neglect to do this, so that it becomes necessary for the Spirit of God to confess, or expose, your sins through another, and you simply admit the truthfulness of the exposure, you do not make a real Bible confession, and have no reason to expect the blessing promised on the faithfulness and justice of God.

If God in mercy points out to you some of your faults and sins, be admonished that you have been so careless, and that your case is such in his sight, that it becomes necessary to expose some of your imperfections, and that you should seek for the true spirit of confession while you search your life and heart with jealous care. Beware of self-justification. And if you have the true spirit of confession it will not disturb your feelings to have your friends refer to your errors. Sensitiveness on this point is a sure proof that the spirit of true confession has never entered your heart.

Dear brethren, many of you are in a state of darkness, because you are deceived upon this subject. Some of you talk of confessing your errors and sins, when you know nothing of the real spirit of confession. To obtain this, is a work between you and God. Others may point out your sins, and your heart be not touched, and your mind may be as dark as before. Come before the Lord with brokenness of spirit, and plead with him to show you yourself, and let you have a clear view of your sins. He will help you. His Holy Spirit will come in to soften your heart, and give you that spirit of confession that will secure pardon, and commence the cleansing process. Remember, God is light. In him there is no darkness at all. And you may walk in the light as he is in the light. “These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” Amen.