Litmus Test


1 John 2:3-11
1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 7Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

John has outlined for us the sharp dividing line between the light of God and the darkness of evil and sin. Now we take a moment to do an inward examination and discover where we land. These verses give us a litmus test for our own internal life and a way to determine if we find ourselves walking in the light or the darkness. And that test is a simple one; do you keep God’s commandments? Now, we all know that we most certainly do not keep God’s Commandments. That’s called sin and it is the reason that Jesus came and surrendered His life on the cross. But the unredeemed life is lived in darkness. There is no recognition of His sacrifice or acknowledgement that the sacrifice was even needed. There is no repentance or sorrow over one’s sin.

This passage is ultimately filled with hope; “the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining” is sheer encouragement. Living in that attitude will change your everyday life. If you recognize yourself as a redeemed child of light you will live differently than if you see yourself as a darkness-filled sinner. Yes, I break the commandments all the time; BUT Jesus has died for those sins and brought light into my life and the whole world. Sometimes I need to be more consistent in reminding myself of these truths, but that doesn’t negate their power to effect my every breath.

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