1 John

Isaiah 27-28, 1 John 5

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Our Precious Cornerstone.

Isaiah 27-28, 1 John 5

…therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’”  – Isaiah 28:16 ESV

God’s dealings with His people in the Old Testament can sometimes be seen as somewhat strange and difficult to understand. Even Isaiah acknowledged that God’s activities could be viewed as a bit odd. “For the Lord will rise up … to do his deed – strange is his deed! and to work his work – alien is his work! (Isaiah 28:21 ESV). There were times when God poured out His blessings on His people. There were other times when God was forced to bring judgment and extreme punishment. But God always had a reason for whatever He did. There was a method to His seeming madness. God’s discipline was purposeful. When He brought destruction, it was always so that He might eventually bring restoration. The people of Israel and Judah were guilty of turning their backs on God. Rather than depend on Him for their hope and help, they had made treaties and alliances with foreign nations. When God raised up the Assyrians to come against the northern kingdom of Israel, rather than turning to God in repentance and dependence, they turned to Egypt. They made a “covenant with death” (Isaiah 28:15) marked by lies and deception. But God would annul their covenant with death by bringing the Assyrians against them. Egypt would prove useless as an ally and powerless as a help against the Assyrians. The people of Israel had convinced themselves that they could avoid the coming calamity by working out a deal with Egypt. “…when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter” (Isaiah 28:15 ESV). But they would learn the hard way that there was only one secure source for salvation. God was going to show them that their faith was best placed in Him and in no one or nothing else.

What does this passage reveal about God?

In the middle of chapter 28, God gives Isaiah a glimpse of God’s future blessing. “…therefore thus says the Lord God, ’Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: “Whoever believes will not be in haste”‘” (Isaiah 28:16 ESV). Years later, Jesus would speak similar words in reference to Himself. “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” (Matthew 21:42 ESV). Jesus would go on to tell the people of Israel in His day that “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits” (Matthew 21:42 ESV). Because the Jews would eventually reject Jesus as their Messiah and have Him crucified for claiming to be the Son of God, the Gospel would be made available to the Gentiles. God would fulfill His promise to Abraham and use one of his descendants (Jesus) to bless all the nations of the earth. In the book of Acts, we have recorded the words of Peter as he spoke to the Jews immediately after the miraculous events of Pentecost. “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12 ESV). Paul would also write concerning the Jews, “They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’” (Romans 9:32-33 ESV). Peter would later revisit this topic, telling His Gentile readers, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’” (1 Peter 2:4-6 ESV). As strange as it may seem, God used the rejection of His Son by His own people as the means by which the Good News would be made available to the nations of the world.

What does this passage reveal about man?

We have a difficult time understanding God’s ways. And when God’s ways don’t make sense to us, we tend to come up with our plan. We develop our own strategy for survival. The people of Israel turned to Egypt. Abraham and Sarah turned to Hagar. King Saul turned to the witch of Endor. Jacob turned to trickery and deception. Over and over again in Scripture, we see the people of God turning to someone or something else other than God – all because they could not understand what God was doing or because they didn’t like the way His plan was turning out. But God’s ways are not our ways. His plans do not make sense to us. The Jews of Jesus’ day could not understand how their long-awaited Messiah could show up in the form of a common peasant who had no army, no weapons, and no hope of ever defeating the Romans or any other enemy of Israel. Jesus didn’t fit the bill. He didn’t look like a Messiah. He didn’t talk like a Messiah. He didn’t act like a Messiah. So they rejected Him. But God had a plan in mind. He had a purpose for their stubborn rejection of the very one who would prove to be the precious cornerstone, a sure foundation, and their future hope of salvation and security. .

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

In his gospel, John wrote of Jesus, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12 ESV). Because the Jews rejected Jesus, I was given the opportunity to hear the Good News and become a child of God. What a strange, alien plan. But what a wonderful, fantastic and amazing plan. It is because of what accomplished through Christ that we can have a right relationship with God the Father. John wrote in his first letter, “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20 ESV). And the amazing thing is that God is not done with the people of Israel yet. He is not finished fulfilling all His plans for them. There is a day coming when God will restore His people to favor. He will rescue a remnant of His people and restore them back in the land and place His Son as their King. “In that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people, and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate” (Isaiah 28:5-6 ESV). Jesus Christ, the very one whom they rejected, will become their Savior and Lord. He will rule as their King sitting on the throne of David in the city of Jerusalem. As strange as it may seem, God will use the rejected One to be their redeemer and righteous ruler. “And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcome the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God!” (1 John 5:5 ESV).

Father, I am so grateful that Your ways are not our ways. I am so glad that Your plan doesn’t have to make sense to me in order for it to be right and true. I don’t have to understand it to benefit from it. I just need to trust You. Your Son is the solution to all of mankind’s problems. He is one to whom all men must turn to receive hope, help and healing. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Isaiah 25-26, 1 John 4

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Perfect Peace.

Isaiah 25-26, 1 John 4

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.  – 1 John 4:17 NLT

While a large part of the book of Isaiah is about the coming judgment of God on His people for their sin and unfaithfulness, it also contains powerful reminders of God’s long-term plans for them that were to include some pretty incredible blessings. One of the things God kept trying to tell them was that, while their love for Him was imperfect, fickle and unreliable; His love for them would prove to be unfailing. He kept reminding them of “that day.” Their assessment of their current circumstances was to always include His future dealings with them. God continually reminded them to keep their eye on the prize – the end times – when He would complete His plans for them as His people. There was a day coming when they would be able to say, “For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat” (Isaiah 25:6 ESV). In that day, they would be able to say with confidence and from personal experience, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3 ESV). When God completes His plan, they will be able to look back and see that He was an everlasting rock, a stronghold for the poor, a shelter from the storm, shade from the heat, and a righteous, reliable God.

What does this passage reveal about God?

There was much that the people of God in Isaiah’s day did not know. Like most human beings, their focus tended to be somewhat myopic and short-sighted. They had a hard time seeing past their current circumstances. But God is eternal and is not limited by the constraints of time. His perspective is everlasting and because He is omniscient, He is fully aware of all that has and will take place. He knows how the story ends. Even during the days of Isaiah, God knew that He was going to send His Son one day. It was all part of His plan. He had told Abraham that He would bless all the nations through Him. The ultimate fulfillment of that promise was going to be the Messiah – Jesus Christ, the God-man who came to earth, lived a sinless life and died a sacrificial death on the cross in order to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind and satisfy the requirements of a just and righteous God. God revealed to Isaiah future events that would include the people of Israel. There would be a great banquet – “a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined” (Isaiah 25:6 ESV) – for all people. At that time, “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth” (Isaiah 25:8 ESV). There was much that had to happen before those days could take place. In fact, there is still much that must happen before the final phase of God’s plan is completed. And none of it was going to be possible without the coming of His Son. John reminds us, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14 ESV). Jesus had to come. But He also had to die. Then God raised Him from the dead, as a testimony to the acceptable nature of His sacrifice. And because Jesus rose again, He is also going to come again. His first coming will be followed by a second coming. The events portrayed in Isaiah 25-26 were all dependent upon Jesus’ first arrival on earth as an innocent baby, but they were also dependent upon His second coming as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). 

What does this passage reveal about man?

John gives us a great word of encouragement as we strive to live with a future-focus in the midst of our current circumstances. He says, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 ESV). His readers were facing difficult circumstances. They were under tremendous pressure, from the outside, but also from the inside. They were being tempted to doubt the promises of God. They were struggling with assurance of their own salvation and wondering about the reality of eternity. So John had to remind them to keep their minds focused on God. He knew that difficult times and pressing circumstances were going to distract them. So he pointed them back to one undeniable truth: God’s love. “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10 ESV). It is an awareness of the love of God that must constantly compel us. It is an understanding of His love for us that motivates our love for one another. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11 ESV). How easy it is to forget just how much we are loved by God. We can find ourselves focusing on how difficult things seem to be in this life, and forget that God has provided us eternal life through His Son’s death on the cross. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 ESV).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

The hard thing for us to do is to recognize God’s love when things are not going so well. It is so easy to become distracted by the cares and concerns of this life and lose sight of what God has in store for us in the future. Isaiah gives us the key: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:3-4 ESV). We have to keep our minds focused on God. We have to constantly remind ourselves of His steadfast, unfailing love. He sent His Son to die for us. And one day He is sending His Son to come back for us. We don’t have to fear the present or the future. We don’t have to doubt God’s love for us. Like Isaiah, we should be able to say, “O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them” (Isaiah 25:1 NLT). God has done great things. He is doing great things. And there are great things yet to be done. But we must never forget that all of God’s plan are reliable and based on His unfailing love. “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:16-17 ESV).

Father, help me to truly believe that “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 ESV). Continue to help me trust You, rely on You, and see You as my rock, fortress, stronghold, Savior and faithful God who will accomplish all You have promised – in this life and in the one to come. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Isaiah 23-24, 1 John 3

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Victory Over Sin.

Isaiah 23-24, 1 John 3

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.  – 1 John 3:8 ESV

The people of Judah were well acquainted with sin. They were guilty of it and surrounded by it. God was punishing them for their sin and rebellion against Him. He was using sinful, godless nations as His tools to bring about that punishment. Greed, corruption, gross immorality, selfishness, perversion, apathy, idolatry, and every other form of sin was evident in the lives of the people of God and among the nations of the world. But God had called His people to live holy, set apart lives. He had consecrated them for His use and called them to be His chosen people. “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6 ESV). He had provided them with the Law as an objective standard for righteous living. But He had also provided them with the sacrificial system as a means of receiving forgiveness and reconciliation for the sins they were bound to commit. The Law revealed their sin. The sacrificial system provided forgiveness for their sin. But rather than rejoice in the holiness of their God and bask in the amazing mercy and grace He offered them, they turned elsewhere. God indicted them for their unfaithfulness. “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote” (Isaiah 29:13 NLT). Like the rest of the world around them, the people of God were living in disobedience to and showing disregard for God. So God warns of the day of coming judgment. Over and over again, Isaiah uses the term, “in that day.” He warns of a coming day when God’s judgment of man’s sin will be complete and comprehensive. It will include all mankind and even impact the earth itself. As in the days of Noah when sin had infected the earth, God will “empty the earth and make it desolate” (Isaiah 24:1 ESV). “The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word” (Isaiah 24:3 ESV). It will be a time of sorrow and suffering, devastation and despair. But even in the midst of the darkness, God’s light will shine. He will spare a remnant who will “lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west” (Isaiah 24:14 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

There is a day coming when God will deal with sin once and for all. He will wipe the earth clean from all the residual remnants of sin. Isaiah speaks of the coming day of the Lord, when Jesus Christ will appear a second time on the earth, but this time He will come as the Lord of lords and King of kings. He will come as a warrior dressed for battle to wage war with Satan and to destroy the last vestiges of sin on the earth. John reminds us that the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. The apostle Paul gives us a comprehensive list of the “works of the devil” as manifested in the lives of men and women. “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,  idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21 NLT). Jesus came to destroy those works. And when Jesus died on the cross, we’re told His last words were, “‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30 ESV). Jesus’ death paid for our sins. Not only that, His death made possible our justification. We stand before God the Father as sinless and righteous, because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Our sins are paid for. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 ESV). But sin still impacts our lives. We still struggle with indwelling sin. Sin surrounds us every day of our lives. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for sin, once and for all. He finished that part of His assignment. But there is one last thing He has to do. And the day is coming when He will complete that task as well. We read about it in Revelation 19:5-6: “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.’” On that day, when “the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 24:23 ESV), Jesus will have dealt the final death blow to sin and Satan.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Sin is inevitable. Like a cancer, it continues to spread throughout the planet, infecting not only the lives of men and women, but the creation itself. Yet, as God’s children – those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior – while we are far from sinless, we do have the capacity to sin less. Because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross, we have the power to live righteous lives here and now. “You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5 ESV). As a result of that reality, John is able to provide us with some stunning good news.  “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9 ESV). We have a new nature. We have the Holy Spirit of God living within us. Our redeemed nature cannot and does not sin. But we do have a sin nature, and it is alive and well. Paul gives us a vivid picture of these two forces doing battle within us. “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions” (Galatians 5:16-17 NLT). As long as we live on this earth, we will face the daily reality of sin’s power and presence in and around our lives. But we do have the capacity to live righteously. We do have the power available to live as children of God rather than as children of the devil. We can love. We can live sacrificially and selflessly. We don’t have to sin, but far too often, we choose to. We must constantly remember that Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil in our lives – here and now. But we must also live with the hope that He is coming again, and when He comes He will eliminate sin from the earth and from our lives once and for all.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

The story of mankind’s redemption is not yet finished. God’s divine plan is not yet complete. There is still one more thing that must happen. His Son must return. He must judge sin and Satan one final time. He must eradicate the last vestiges of sin from the earth. He must judge sinful man. He must right all wrongs and establish His justice over all the earth. And while I live on this earth surrounded by sin and daily putting to death the sin nature in my own life, I must keep my eyes focused on the end of the story. John reminds me that this world is not all there is. “And this is the promise that he has made to us – eternal life” (1 John 2:25 ESV). I must live with that promise in mind.

Father, it is finished, but it is not yet done. Jesus has paid the penalty for sin, but He has yet to destroy it from the planet. It is evident all around us. I can see it’s influence in my own life. But the day is coming when sin will be no more. The day is coming when death, disease, sorrow, pain, hatred, greed, selfishness, and every other manifestation of sin in the world will be completely eliminated and Your Son will say, “It is done!” I look forward to that day. Give me the strength to live in light of that day and in the power of Your Spirit until it comes. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Isaiah 21-22, 1 John 2

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Love of the World.

Isaiah 21-22, 1 John 2

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.  – 1 John 2:15-16 NLT

Our love affair with the world comes in all kinds of shapes and forms. Sometimes we simply love what the world has to offer – its pleasures and attractions, promises and appeals to our pride. Other times we reveal our love of the world through our tendencies to turn to it for deliverance from difficulties and salvation from life’s sorrows. The people of Judah were guilty of forsaking God and replacing His role in their lives as their Savior, Lord and King. They had made a habit of turning to the world as the solution to their problems. Not only did they put their hope in foreign nations, they actually worshiped the false gods of those nations. The people of God in Isaiah’s day were addicted to and craved physical pleasure. They were driven by their senses. And they took tremendous pride in their own accomplishments and material attainments. But just as John warned his readers that “the world is passing away along with its desires,” so God warned the people of Judah that their world of false idols, replacements gods, and psuedo-saviors were going to be done away with. Babylon was going to fall. So would Edom and Arabia. Even the city of God, Jerusalem, would eventually fall at the hands of outside forces in 586 B.C.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God never intended for man to love this world. Even when the creation was free from the effects of sin, it was intended to remind mankind of the one who created it. In Romans, Paul makes it clear that man was never intended to worship the creation. “So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise!” (Romans 1:25 NLT). We are to love the Creator God, not the creation of God. But when John refers to our love affair with the world, he is not speaking of physical creation, but he uses the Greek word, kosmos. In this context, he seems to be referring to what Strong’s Concordance refers to as “the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ.” There is nothing inherently wrong with earthly goods, riches, or pleasures, but when we treat them as gods, we allow them to replace the one true God in our life. We expect from them what we should only expect from God Himself. The people of Judah had come to expect salvation from foreign nations. They had learned to seek pleasure from false gods and the immoral religions associated with them. They had made a habit out of seeking pleasure rather than holiness. They were driven more by their sensual desires than by spiritual appetites. And God was neither pleased nor tolerant. John so starkly reminds us, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him” (1 John 2:15 ESV). 

What does this passage reveal about man?

When we love the world and the things it offers, it manifests itself in desires that come from our sin nature, rather than the Holy Spirit. It shows up as a insatiable lust for things we see and can’t seem to live without. It also reveals itself in an unhealthy pride in our possessions. We tend to become what we own. Our identity becomes wrapped up in the outward accouterments of life. In other words, the phrase, “the clothes make the man” becomes a form of truth for us. We believe we are what we own, what we have accomplished and how we are perceived by the outside world. But God would have us remember, “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT). God is not impressed with our exterior. He is not swayed by what we wear, drive, or live in. He looks at the condition of our hearts. Even so-called religious acts do nothing to impress God if our hearts are not in them. Later on, in chapter 29 of the book of Isaiah, God will declare of the people of Judah, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote” (Isaiah 29:13 NLT). Somehow, we have convinced ourselves that the outside is far more important than the inside. We have allowed ourselves to fall in love with the world’s version of the truth. We have listened to the lies of the enemy and bought in to his convincing offers of hope, healing, satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness. But God’s people are designed to turn to Him as their only source for all their needs. He alone can deliver what they are looking for.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

John goes on to remind us, “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming” (1 John 2:28 ESV). We are to abide in Christ. That word, abide, literally means “to remain in” or “to be held, kept.” It carries the idea that we are to stay focused on and at rest in the saving work of Jesus Christ. We are to seek our satisfaction in Him and no one or nothing else. It is He who keeps us and sustains us in this life. The world will constantly offer false hope and a form of pseudo-salvation, but it will always disappoint and fall short. John would encourage us to remember that not only can we abide in Him now, we will be able to abide in Him for all eternity. “So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.” (1 John 2:24-25 NLT). Our hope is in Christ, right now and for eternity. We can abide in Him. We can rest in Him. We can find all that we need in Him. There is no need to love the world or the things it offers. Those things will pass away, but our relationship with God the Father through Christ the Son is eternal and everlasting, and worthy of our total trust and commitment.

Father, the world can be a pretty enticing place. The things of this world can be a huge distraction and cause us to lose our focus on You and Your Son. Help us to remain in You. Help us to find all our help, hope, happiness and ultimate satisfaction in Your Son and His saving work on the cross. There is nothing this world can offer that Christ has not already provided through His sacrificial death on my behalf. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Isaiah 19-20, 1 John 1

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Walking In Darkness.

Isaiah 19-20, 1 John 1

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. – 1 John 1:5-6 ESV

The people of Judah had a bad habit. When they found themselves facing times of difficulty, it seems that their first response was to look for an immediate solution to their problem. And their natural impulse was to look for help through human means. When the Assyrians were breathing down their necks, it only seemed natural to turn to some other powerful nation for help. The logical solution to their problem seemed to be a military alliance with a powerful nation-state like Egypt or Cush. But God warned them that these sources of help would prove to be insufficient. He was to be their salvation. He was to be the one to whom they turned when times got tough. But in those dark moments of our lives, when things appear overwhelmingly difficult and we find ourselves in despair, it is so easy to make unwise decisions. We can find ourselves making matters worse for ourselves by focusing our energies, efforts, hopes and hearts on the wrong things.

What does this passage reveal about God?

The apostle John described God as “light.” He is unadulterated light “and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 ESV). Light speaks of God’s very nature. He is without darkness or sin. He exposes sin in the lives of men. He is pure and holy, completely truthful and provides those who turn to Him with the “light” they need to take the next step safely and securely. John goes on to say that “if we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6 ESV). The people of Isaiah’s day claimed to be in fellowship with God, but continually found themselves walking in darkness. Their lives were marked by sin and disobedience to the very one with whom they claimed to have a relationship. And when God disciplined them for their sin, rather than turn to Him in repentance, they groped around in the darkness for help. They turned to nations darkened by sin rather than turn to the light of God. Turning to God would require repentance. God was going to demand that they turn from their love affair with darkness and walk into the light of His glory and holiness. In their minds, turning to Egypt would bring them salvation without repentance. They could remain just as they were. No repentance required. No change necessary. But that wasn’t God’s plan. That wasn’t what God expected of them. So God would have to show them what happens when they refuse the light and turn to the darkness. He would destroy their sources of false hope. “The idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them” (Isaiah 19:1 ESV). “I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them” (Isaiah 19:4 ESV). Judah’s “savior” would end up needing salvation.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Fellowship with God involves intimacy. Having a relationship with Him requires coming into His presence and becoming exposed to His light and glory. His holiness exposes and reveals our sinfulness. The closer we get to Him, the more clearly we see our own deficiencies. But John provides us with hope. He reminds us that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV). One of the benefits of living in the light is that it exposes darkness (sin). When God reveals the sin in our lives, it is not to condemn us, but it is in order to transform us. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8 ESV). As God exposes the sin in our lives, we have one of two choices. We can either acknowledge it and confess it, or we can simply deny it. But when we deny the very sin that God reveals, we are calling Him a liar. We are refusing to accept His divine assessment of our lives. That was the very problem the people of Judah had. God was punishing them in order to get them to acknowledge their unfaithfulness. He wanted them to see the error of their ways and repent. But rather than repent, they sought out other sources of salvation. Rather than admit their sins, they simply looked for other “saviors.” But it’s interesting to note that their choices would prove disappointing. Not only would Egypt be unable to save them, they would ultimately need saving by God. Isaiah prophesied about a time to come when God would rescue the Egyptians and cause them to turn to Him as their God. “When they cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering” (Isaiah 19:20-21 ESV). The day is coming when God will send a savior, His Son Jesus Christ, to rescue and redeem even the Egyptians and the Assyrians. That day has not yet come. It will take place when Christ establishes His millennial kingdom on earth.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Our man-made solutions are always draped in darkness. Our human saviors are always flawed and marred by sin. God is the ultimate solution to mankind’s problem and man’s greatest problem is sin. The people of Judah had a sin problem. The people of Egypt had a sin problem. The people of Cush had a sin problem. The people of America have a sin problem. You and I have a sin problem. And the solution is Jesus. John wrote, “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.  We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy” (1 John 1:1-4 NLT). Jesus Christ was the Word of life. He is the source of eternal life. He is the means by which we can have fellowship, a restored relationship with God the Father. He came to pay the penalty for our sins. But He also came to set us free from the indwelling presence of sin in our lives. In his gospel, John describes Jesus as the light and says, “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” (John 1:4-5 NLT).

Father, thank You for sending the Light into the world. Thank You for sending the Light into my life. I am grateful that His presence in my life continues to expose the sin in my life. His holiness continually reveals my sinfulness. Not to condemn me, but in order to allow the Holy Spirit to continue His work of transforming me into the character of Christ. You are slowly, steadily making me the light You have called me to be. But there is always the temptation to run back to the darkness, to turn to something or someone else for answers to my sin problem. Help me understand that You alone are the sole source of help and hope for my life. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org