1 John 1:5-10
“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” — 1 John 1:5
A good way to cover up a messy bedroom is to turn off the light. because sunlight coming through a window has a way of revealing things we had not noticed: dust on the shelf, fingerprints on the glass, a corner with all the unwashed clothes. The light has not created the mess. It has simply shown us what was already there.
John tells us that God is light. His holiness is perfect. There is nothing corrupt, dishonest or hidden in him. When we draw near to him, his light exposes what we might otherwise overlook or prefer to leave undisturbed in our own hearts.
We would often rather explain our impatience, excuse our bitterness or give our pride a more respectable name. But drawing the curtains does not remove the dust. Hiding our sin does not help us grow.
Augustine once wrote, “God accuses thy sins: and if thou also accusest, thou art united to God.” His point is simple: confession means agreeing with God about what his light reveals. We stop defending what is wrong and bring it honestly before him.
We can do this with hope because the God who exposes our sin has provided forgiveness through Jesus. We do not need to make ourselves presentable before coming to him. We come honestly, trusting his mercy and allowing him to change us. God is light. Let us welcome his light into every part of our lives.
Dave
