Two Misconceptions about Walking in the Light

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.

1 John 1:7

Walking in the light is often misunderstood, so let’s clear away two misunderstandings:

1. Walking in the light is not perfection.
This is good news because if it meant being completely free from sin, no one would ever have fellowship with God. The Bible never teaches that we must be free from all sin to have fellowship with God. John states quite clearly that “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1:8).

Fellowship with God is promised to people who know and confess their sins. Though the impulse to sin remains within us, and though we never move beyond needing to confess our sins and seek God’s forgiveness, it is possible, by His grace, for sinners like us to have fellowship with God. Walking in the light is not perfection.

2. Walking in the light is not full transparency.
John tells us that we are to “walk in the light as he is in the light.” The Bible tells us that God cannot lie. He is pure. He is holy. He is true. But God is not transparent. There are many things He has not chosen to tell us about Himself. God calls us to a life that is pure, honest, and true, but the Bible never suggests that we are under an obligation to tell everyone about everything.

So let’s clear away these misconceptions. Walking in the light is not perfection. Walking in the light is not full transparency.

Have either of these misconceptions hindered your faith?