Walking in the Light

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:1-4

John wants to make clear that what he is proclaiming is real.  He saw it, he heard it, he touched it. He experienced Jesus with his own natural senses.  I can't imagine actually touching Jesus--feeling his skin against mine.  Jesus really came and walked this earth.  His humanity is fully assured.  But John also wants to say that Jesus is divine--He is from the beginning.  He is the eternal life.  Believing this brings us into fellowship with God. 

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:5-10

God does not tolerate darkness.  He is light.  His presence drives darkness to the farthest depths.  To have fellowship with God means to renounce darkness completely.  We can't let even a little bit of sin stay in our lives. And which is better anyway: to have the awesome privilege and delight of fellowship with God for eternity, or the momentary fleeting pleasure of sin? I can't have both.  So why I ever choose sin over righteousness is a mystery to me.  The devil likes to lure us into it.  But we have this confidence, that through confession we can forgiveness.