Engagement of Mthetho Simelane and Gabisile Buthelezi
1 John 1
5 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.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
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.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Sin may never be taken lightly, it is deadly. Before God, Who is light, there is no big or small sin, God sees only the sin in its awfulness. As Jesus said that it is said, don’t commit adultery, but I say, if you look at a woman lustfully, you have committed adultery already. If you are angry with your brother, you have murdered him in God’s eyes. You cannot say that you aren’t a sinner because you haven’t committed adultery or aren’t a thief or an alcoholic; claiming that shows that the death of sin has entered your soul.
Achan’s sin caused disaster, not only upon himself and his family but upon Israel itself. Hiding his sin was not the remedy, but the cause of God’s wrath. In our way of thinking we would suggest “keep quiet for the sake of peace”. Friends, sin should be feared more than a mamba snake as it is far more dangerous.
Vs 5 “there is no darkness in Him”. If the church allows darkness and any kind of sin to stay then the sharpness of the gospel is lost and worldliness enters into the church. When the sons of the High Priest Eli sinned while doing their priestly duties, God told Eli to speak to them. Eli reprimanded them gently, their actions did not change, and then God sent the Philistines to attack the children of God. In the battle Eli’s two sons died, the Ark of the Lord was captured by the enemy and Eli himself died when he heard the news.
When King David sinned, he suffered greatly, he had no peace, he couldn’t sleep and his “bones withered within” him; until he confessed his sin to Nathan the prophet. There is nothing that destroys like sin, no disease is as dangerous as sin, even if it was committed many years ago, when you were a child.
Vs 6 – 7 God is light, He created the stars, the light and the sun, imagine His brightness, brighter than the sun. We must live in the light and then the Blood of Jesus cleanses us.
When you appear before His judgement seat in His light, will you be able to stand? Is there any secret sin you indulge in? Via your cell phone?
Vs 8 – 10 People in church say that they have fellowship with Christ, yet they don’t get along with certain people in the church. That is not possible. If we live in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another , as with God Himself.
Confess all your sin and enter into the light. Then live in the Light and remain in it.