No more Darkness… (1John 2:7-11) 271007
Today I woke up very late. I have not slept in for so long and guess how I feel when I woke up? I felt guilty. I was guilty not to wake up earlier to go to Ghim Moh to buy breakfast for my pregnant wife, I was guilty of not doing my devotion early in the morning, and I was guilty for not doing my assignment. How easily that I can fall into the darkness of guilt! But I am thankful, the Lord is good and faithful and His Spirit reminds me of my status and worth in Christ is not depended on what I do. I am His created being, not doing.
This truth is rooted in Genesis, not a new idea that Jesus brought about. That is why Apostle John said that he was not writing a new commandment, but an old commandment (v7). On the other hand, it was new because the truth which Christ had given to us is in us and will disperse all darkness (v8), and this was something new, something whereby the people of the Old Testament were not able to experience.
What darkness was Apostle John saying? It is the darkness of the heart. From the context, he was not likely to be addressing to darkness of the unsaved people. This letter was addressed to the church, and hence the readers were Christians, like you and I. And yet, there could be darkness in us. How can this darkness come into our heart?
When there is hatred. If anyone who hates his brother, he is in the darkness (v9, 11). It is so clear that one cannot walk in the light (that is walking with Christ and in Christ) if he has hatred against his brother or anyone, especially those who are also in Christ (v10). Why do we hate our brothers or sisters in Christ? I don’t know. Maybe jealousy, maybe insecurity, maybe unfulfilled expectation, or maybe pride. I really don’t know. But I am sure that we know when we are in such a state of darkness.
For example, this morning, I was in the darkness of guilt because I could not fulfill my promise to my wife. In some little sense I blame myself and also her for her demands or rather her craving. Now I can surely get away by rationalizing that I have been working hard and waking up very early for the whole week, it is fine for me to sleep in and it is wrong for her to demand of me anything. She should be understanding. But the I have made a promise last night which I more or less know that I could not fulfill, but just to made her feel loved and happy. Isn’t that a lie? And when she woke up and complained to me that she was hungry, I was telling myself in my heart: Why are you so insensitive to me, can’t you see it was raining and I am really tired? And hence, I fell into the darkness on guilt.
This example may sound a bit overstretched, but if we are really honest with ourselves, that is who we are. Unless we learn to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are living in darkness. And this is the mark of discipleship: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have loved for one another (John 13:34,35).
Live like a disciple, walk in the light, love one another, and no more darkness.
HHS…
Abel…
