EMB BLOG
Faith Is The Victory by Professor E M Blaiklock MA Litt.D
THE FIRST MAIN THEME:
We can now see why the imagery of light dominates the first half of the letter of First John. In pernicious folly and arrogance some had sought to conceal Christ, to make Him difficult to reach and understand, to get between simple folk and their Redeemer, and to spread darkness where all was lucid, obvious, and clear.
"God is light," says John, and the image is satisfyingly complete. Light is everywhere. It penetrates the unimaginable depths of space. Far beyond the limits of all vision the gleaming galaxies float in beauty, pouring abroad the glory of their light. Without light there is no vision, no clear view of reality, no confident journeying, no growth save of chill and evil things, no health, no life. And if we proclaim faith in God, who is light, but obviously walk with darkened mind, in sin where there should be cleansing, in fear where there should be confidence born of forgiveness, in division where there should be fellowship, we are alien from the full truth.
This word is for each and every man. There were those who argued sin away; others sought a theoretical perfection, incomprehensible to those who knew and felt the daily tension of temptation, and the never-ending fight. Peace, says John, lay not in a brittle purity built more of theory than of fact, but in a readiness day by day to deal with sin where sin is dealt with, and a willingness to take Christ at His word. Consider in verse 9 one surprising word. God is "faithful and just to forgive us our sins." Just, be it noted, not merciful. Forgiveness in Christ is based on God's justice, on His righteousness. God, in other words, forgives, not as man might, because he choos to be tolerant or indulgent, but because He has made forgiveness consistent with His justice. And sinful men, consequence, can believe in the forgiveness of their sins, not by convincing themselves that their sins are forgiveable, or excusable at all, but by faith in that sacrifice which enabled God justly to forgive. The conception is breathtaking.