1 John 1: Walking in the Light

Scripture
1 John 1:5–10

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Scripture Reflection

Lent is a season of coming into the light. We remember that God is light — pure, radiant, holy — and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we desire true fellowship with Him, we cannot cling to our shadows. We must step out of hiding, confess our sins, and let His faithful love purify us once more.

Revival depends on this kind of honesty. Whenever God draws near, He exposes what we might prefer to keep hidden — not to shame us, but to heal us. Walking in the light is not about perfection, but about transparency: refusing to pretend, refusing to cover up, refusing to hide. Only in the light can we find true cleansing and true community.

In Continuous Revival, Norman Grubb points out that a core dynamic of revival is the ongoing confession of sin, not just to vertically to God but horizontally to one another. He described revival as “roof off, walls down.” There is something about being honest and transparent with each other that opens the door to God moving powerfully in our midst. At Asbury in 2022, one leader remarked, “for the first several days, all it seemed anyone did was confess their sin and repent.” This humbling process, like a snowball rolling down hill, increased God’s presence in the room and freed others up to be freed of their sin and secrets. 

John reminds us that the path forward is simple but costly: confession, humility, repentance. Lent gives us the gift of slowing down to examine our hearts, to let the Spirit shine His searchlight, and to welcome the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood.

May God make us a people unafraid of the light, eager to walk in it, eager to live in honesty, eager to be purified so we can shine brightly for His glory.

Praying it UP / IN / OUT

UP: Worship God as light itself — pure, holy, and faithful. Thank Him that there is no darkness in Him, and that He welcomes us into His radiant presence.

IN: Ask the Spirit to search you and bring anything hidden into the light. Pray for courage to confess, to repent, and to walk transparently before God and others.

OUT: Intercede for the Church in New England, that we would be a people who walk in the light, known for integrity, authenticity, and holiness, so that the world sees Jesus clearly through us.

Closing Prayer

God of Light,

We praise You that there is no shadow in You, no deceit, no stain. You are holy, radiant, true. Thank You for inviting us to walk in Your light.

Expose what we hide, Lord. Shine Your searchlight into the corners of our hearts. Give us courage to confess what we would rather conceal, and to trust in Your faithful cleansing.

Purify us, Jesus. Make us a people of honesty and humility. Let the Church in New England be known for integrity and transparency, reflecting Your glory to a watching world.

As we walk through this season of Lent, help us to step fully into the light, refusing the shadows, refusing the lies, refusing to hide. 

For when we confess our sins, you are faithful and just to wash them away.

Amen.