LIGHT CLEANSES THE DARKNESS
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:5-7 (NLT)
We live in a polarized age. People in our culture seem to grow increasingly intolerant of beliefs and ideas that don’t coincide with theirs. News sites cater to specific political beliefs and agendas. Social media algorithms tailor-pick ads, articles, memes and rage bait to better grab our attention, gain our engagement and, sometimes, provoke our ire. These factors give us greater freedom than before to insulate ourselves from potentially harmful beliefs and lies, but at what cost?
We can be ruthlessly selective about who we associate with, to the point of hating people for merely disagreeing with us. This hate may seem righteous when combating the demons we make people out to be in our heads, but how often have we had conversations that tear down our beliefs about who someone is? How many times have I thought someone was the scum of the earth, only to talk to them, get their perspective and realize there were pieces to the puzzle I was missing?
Sometimes we prefer to remain in the dark because of its comfortability and the sense of control it gives. This isn’t how God designed us to live, though. God doesn’t operate in the dark. He’s a God of light. He isn’t a God of isolation, but a God of community. The greatest spiritual darkness is enmity with God, but we as believers are still prone to returning to that darkness through our sin.
Thankfully, God in His infinite mercy casts a light on that darkness. Through the blood of Jesus, we can offer up our deepest, darkest thoughts, desires and sins, and God will cleanse them. God is in the light, so let’s be children who reject the darkness and run to the light.
APPLICATION: Where may you be fostering hate, holding on to a grudge, demonizing someone in your mind or maybe choosing darkness over light? Take some time to offer those things to God and ask Him to expose them for what they are and cleanse them through the blood of Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord, You are a God of light, One who cleanses us of darkness. Expose anything in me that is hurting me or the people around me and cleanse it with the blood of Your Son. Thank You for Your mercy in loving me. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?