About The Author

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Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

JB Phillips 1John 1:7 But if we really are living in the same light in which he eternally exists, then we have true fellowship with each other, and the blood which his son Jesus shed for us keeps us clean from all sin.

Walking in the light. Great concept but more often than not, just that, a concept.

Darkness cannot maintain it's place when there is an infusion of light. Place a light overhead in the center of a darkened room, turn it on, and amazingly the darkness flees.

The Light, however, requires that it take center place to dispell the darkness through out the entire room.

Place that Light in a corner and you will see light in the room, but not all the room will be brightly lit. To acheive maximum effectiveness the Light must take center place. Here in 1 John that is the concept we are being given. Christ at center place. If we read the preceding verses to this key passage we find:

JB Phillips 1 John 1:5 ¶ Here, then, is the message which we heard from him, and now proclaim to you: GOD IS LIGHT and no shadow of darkness can exist in him. 6 Consequently, if we were to say that we enjoyed fellowship with him and still went on living in darkness, we should be both telling and living a lie.

I love how the prophet Isaiah understood it. Isaiah 49:6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’"

Coming into New Life in Christ is a supernatural transformation that dispells darkness. Somehow in our generation we have managed to twist the Holy reality of being born again and set free, into meaning that we can engage in darkness now without recompense. Yet the Biblical idea is that the New Life is full of light, and therefore when in fellowship with Him who is the Light, we will not seek out darkness to dwell in...for light dispells darkness.

I wonder how many are telling that lie? "If we say we enjoy fellowship with Him and yet continue living in darkness, we should be both telling and living a lie."

Being a believer in Christ is not a social status. It is a Holy Calling! He is the Light and to walk with Him is to walk in the Light!

2Corinthians 4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
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