1 John 1:7 MKJV But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His
Son cleanses us from all sin.
The contemporary English version translated as “live in the light”
Walk – To make ones way, progress. (KJV)
Light – Anything emitting light; Truth and its knowledge; That which is exposed to all; God’s ways.
In contrast to the person that claims companionship with Christ but walks around in darkness, the person that lives in the light (Jesus is the light and we have that assurance in his word.) shares that light with others.
Think about it; if you emit the eternal light how do you prevent others from seeing it, or walking in it?
“But if” – There is always a variable; sadly, not everyone lives or walks in the light.
“As he is in the light,”
“He” can take on three possibilities.
As many of you know I am in a Recovery group because circumstances put me into what feels like a lifetime of inadequacy and anger. Only recently, I vented that rage at my girlfriend again, and now I am single (so to speak, I have been single for 20 years) once more. I am writing this because I have an insatiable desire to understand God’s character and love for me.
If I can let you in on a secret, God’s mercy and grace reach so much farther than the damage of my sins - (my constantly missing the mark while I was trying to hit it.) However, that does not mean that I do not do damage; I do, but it does mean that His love for me is unbroken and unending. I have accepted that as fact, and isn’t that all God asks of us? God makes the offering of life with Him through Jesus Christ.
All we have to do is accept that we have that life in Him. The problem is that we are broken people, and we do not like it when someone walks in freedom when we think they should have their heads down in shame. That is called judgment and clearly not our job. Wow, that really spoke to me, but it took several rereads for me to catch it. This is exactly what my attitude has been toward the girlfriend for several days now.
In “Recovery”, you have to make amends so long as in doing so no one is injured physically or emotionally again. There are plenty of divorces that end in death; clearly, we are talking about physical injury in this case. So much like an early American fur trapper, there is no need to stick your foot in a vicious trap again.
Allow me, with the sincerity of my broken heart, to show how to forgive someone.
The contemporary English version translated as “live in the light”
Walk – To make ones way, progress. (KJV)
Light – Anything emitting light; Truth and its knowledge; That which is exposed to all; God’s ways.
In contrast to the person that claims companionship with Christ but walks around in darkness, the person that lives in the light (Jesus is the light and we have that assurance in his word.) shares that light with others.
Think about it; if you emit the eternal light how do you prevent others from seeing it, or walking in it?
“But if” – There is always a variable; sadly, not everyone lives or walks in the light.
“As he is in the light,”
“He” can take on three possibilities.
- God – He is light (unapproachable light.)
1 Timothy 6:16 CEV - Only God lives forever! And he lives in light that no one can come near. No human has ever seen God or ever can see him. God will be honored, and his power will last forever. Amen.
Exodus 33:18-23
NASB - Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" (19) And He
said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will
proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show
compassion." (20) But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"
(21) Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall
stand there on the rock; (22) and it will come about, while My glory is
passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you
with My hand until I have passed by. (23) "Then I will take My hand away
and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."
- Jesus – Since He is God, the Son of God, and the Word by which all things exist, then we can have him take the role of “he.” I suspect this is most likely whom John is referring to.
Hebrews 1:3 AMP - He is the sole expression of the glory of God
[the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is
the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature, upholding and
maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word
of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of
sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine
Majesty on high,
- “He” can also represent the follower of Christ that walks in the light.
As many of you know I am in a Recovery group because circumstances put me into what feels like a lifetime of inadequacy and anger. Only recently, I vented that rage at my girlfriend again, and now I am single (so to speak, I have been single for 20 years) once more. I am writing this because I have an insatiable desire to understand God’s character and love for me.
If I can let you in on a secret, God’s mercy and grace reach so much farther than the damage of my sins - (my constantly missing the mark while I was trying to hit it.) However, that does not mean that I do not do damage; I do, but it does mean that His love for me is unbroken and unending. I have accepted that as fact, and isn’t that all God asks of us? God makes the offering of life with Him through Jesus Christ.
All we have to do is accept that we have that life in Him. The problem is that we are broken people, and we do not like it when someone walks in freedom when we think they should have their heads down in shame. That is called judgment and clearly not our job. Wow, that really spoke to me, but it took several rereads for me to catch it. This is exactly what my attitude has been toward the girlfriend for several days now.
In “Recovery”, you have to make amends so long as in doing so no one is injured physically or emotionally again. There are plenty of divorces that end in death; clearly, we are talking about physical injury in this case. So much like an early American fur trapper, there is no need to stick your foot in a vicious trap again.
Allow me, with the sincerity of my broken heart, to show how to forgive someone.
Father,
as I have been writing this, you have made it clear to me that have
judged her and held her in my heart with animosity, feeling as though
she owes me. You have forgiven her no less than you have forgiven me,
and you have released us, your creation from the debts we could never
repay. She may never even consider her actions as something that she
needs to repent of, therefore I must release her from any debt that I
think she owes me. I hand her over to you, her Father. Deal with her
lovingly, as I know you will. Father as the days go by and I deal with
the loss and pain I ask that you remind me that she belongs to you and
that you are in control. Remind me that you are teaching me something
that is meant to bring about the fullness of your life in me. Show her
your love, because apparently I could not. Oh, and Father. Teach me what
it means to be a man who is not co-dependent, and yet loving without
giving up my strength, in Jesus name.
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