Leader Guide Week of 7-27-08 / 1John 1:5-10

Small Group Leaders Guide
July 27, 2008

Walking In Light
1John 1:5-10

Getting Started:
1. What is darkness? Do you think it is a thing in itself?

• This is more of a philosophical question dealing with the "ontology" of darkness. In other words, what is the nature of darkness in and of itself? Some would say that darkness is not a thing in itself but that it is a privation (lack) of something else. In this case, light. In a similar way, some say that evil is not a thing in itself but the privation (lack) of good. This is interesting to think about as it pertains to "the fall," "original sin," and the existence of evil in the world.
  

Going Deeper:
2. Read 1John 1:5. Is God light? Why do you think John uses the term, “light” to describe God? In what ways do you think light is a good way to describe Him?

• God is light but light is not God. I think the best way to understand the use of the word light, here, is to look at John’s usage of two contrasting metaphors. You find them in verses 6 and 7. There, he uses the term “walking in” to mean the intentional moving forward in a way of life and he contrasts walking in light to walking in darkness. It seems that walking in light means living life in a way that is in accordance with truth. Specifically, the truth of God in Jesus Christ and His Word. The source of all truth is God and it is in the truth of God that we can find light to see clearly.
• To describe God in all His majesty is impossible in human terms, in fact God says in Exodus that no man can look on His face and live. The closest we come to the sheer brilliance of His glory, is using the description of light. Just as a powerful, pure light is difficult to look on , so is God impossible to look on in all His glory. –Tom Wengert

3. Share some other Bible passages that contrast light and darkness. Does reading these passages add “light” to the passage we’re studying in 1John?

• Proverbs 4:18-19
• Psalm 56:13
• John 1:4
• John 3:19-20
• 2Corinthians 4:4-6
• Ephesians 5:8-9
• Psalm 27:1
• Psalm 139:11-12
• Psalm 18:28
• Psalm 36:9
• Isaiah 2:5
• Isaiah 60:19-20
• Luke 11:34-36

4. In 1John 1:6-7, John uses the terms, “walk in light” and “walk in darkness.” What does it mean to “walk” in light or in darkness?

5. In 1John 1:7, we see the phrase, “as He is in the light” what does this mean? How can a person walk in the light as “He” is in the light? Isn’t that setting the bar too high?

• Walking is a metaphor for the whole way of life. It brings out the truth that the Christian should make steady, if unspectacular, progress. To walk in the light is to live righteously day by day. Here it is reinforced in the strongest way possible: as He is in the light. It is just not good enough to live with our eyes firmly fixed on some decent but merely human standard; our model is Christ Himself.

6. Read 1John 1:8 and 10. Who is the liar in both of those verses?

7. In one case, John says that if we walk in darkness, we have no fellowship with God and do not live by the truth. In another case, he says that we all sin. (see verses 6 and 8) How can a person sin and still have fellowship with God? Is it even possible?

• In the previous questions we touch on the issue of metaphor. The “walking” metaphor symbolizes the living of life. John seems to be pointing out something that would be hard to miss and that we know intuitively. If a person’s actions and words don’t match, it’s likely to be the words that deceive. The contradiction between the two is usually easy to spot. Often, a person who evidences this type of contradiction would be called a hypocrite.

8. Read Matthew 5:14-16. Who is the “light” in this verse? In what way does this type of “light” shine?

• Christ is the true light. We have no capacity to generate any light of ourselves. Rather, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it is Christ’s light that is reflected to those around us. And this is how we are a light to the world; through our words and actions. Our words are meaningless without actions that support them. He has chosen us to reflect Him. And our reflection of Him will draw others into the True Light. –Tom Wengert

9. In 1John 1:7, it says that the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin. To whom is the word, “us” referring in this verse? Also read 1John 1:9 and answer the same question regarding the words, “we, our, us.” These pronouns refer to a specific group of people. To whom do they not refer?

• These words refer to the redeemed. They refer to those who have put their faith in Christ and have received the forgiveness of sins by His death on the cross. In as much as you are one of the redeemed, you can substitute your name where you see those pronouns.
• Those who have not been forgiven of sins cannot claim the promises we have been reading.

Putting it into practice:
10. In what way would you like to be a better reflection of the Light of Christ? Pray about this in your groups.

Quote Of The Week:
To be in the light of Christ, means His Word and Truth guide our lives; they show us what to do and where to go. Without them, living life is left up in the air; truth becomes a moving target and everyone has a target of his or her own. The Word of God shows us how to live our lives in a world full of darkness and how to draw near to God and the true Truth.
--Tom Wengert