Walk in the light

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What does it mean to walk in the light? Well, to walk in the light means not walking in darkness— pretty straightforward.   

Walk in the light— a testimony 

I remember one morning when I was in high school my father told me he wanted to have a chat with me. I knew that when my father used words like those something was not right. He summoned me to his room— I was alone with him. He took a few CDs from the table and asked me if I knew what is on them. When I saw the CDs, I knew immediately what was on them— some dirty films. 

My father told me he was sad about what he had found and said that this was a sin. I started crying under the conviction and asked for forgiveness. I felt a lot of shame and guilt for my sin. For a while, I was able to restrain myself from this sinful behavior— pornography, because I felt something good happened when I was able to confess my sin before him.  

Walk in the light— what is the Bible saying 

In 1 John 1:7 (ESV) we read

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.

According to this verse, walking in the light is not something impossible. It also does not mean we will be perfect, but it says we can walk in obedience to God. 

The above verse implies two things: first is that if God is light, His children will ‘walk in the light,’ that is, conduct their lives in the sphere of righteousness. And the second implication is that those who ‘walk in the light’ confess their sins (1 John 1:9, 2:1). [For more about this topic I recommend reading The cradle, the cross, and the crown]

When one is walking in sin (vs. 6), he is walking in darkness. However, if one starts walking in the light, at least two things will happen. The first one is that he will have fellowship with other people who are in the light. John did not say ‘if we walk in the light we will have fellowship with God’, even though that is true. This idea is already present. 

And the second one, the blood of Jesus will cleanse his life (present tense). By the way, there is no genuine cleansing without being in the light.

Walk in the light, not in darkness 

Sin prospers in darkness as mushrooms grow in the shade. Satan wants to keep people in bondage and will try to make us hold our sin just for ourselves and not bring it to light in front of another person. 

Satan will tell you that people will not understand you, will judge you, will hate you or reject you, etc. Unfortunately, all these things can happen. I know quite a few men who confessed their sin to other men and got rejected by them afterward. Make sure you do not do that. Offer your wisdom, love, and help to your fellow to live a life pleasing to God. 

Do not let the enemy keep you in darkness believing his lies that you do not have to let anyone else know about your struggle. The Word of God is teaching us all to live in the light— by having fellowship with one another. There is no other way. 

Help from others to walk in the light 

I remember when a family of mature believers  became interested in me after I was baptized. They asked me if I wanted to spend time with them and pray together. After I said yes, they took me on a journey explaining the Gospel to me. After a few meetings I started to trust them more, and they asked me if I had things in my life I wanted to confess. 

They explained to me 1 John 1:7 and James 5:16 and led me towards walking in fellowship with them and in the light. I felt as tons of garbage were taken from my heart after I confessed everything I was able to remember. 

I confessed to them all my sinful secrets that nobody else knew. They also helped me understand how important was to have someone with whom I could share my burdens. In my sessions of prayer ministry with them, they also prayed for deliverance and that my mind would be healed. 

The Lord also gave me a trustful man of God with whom I still keep in touch and who became my accountability partner. This was and is part of God’s grace for my life. I would recommend anyone who does not have an accountability partner to pray and seek God’s face for such a person. 

Walk in the light by confessing and repenting of your sin

In James 5:16 we read (ESV)

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

To confess your sin does not mean to repent of it. However, we need both. According to this verse confession of sins to another is necessary for healing not for forgiveness. This is important to understand. There are many ways that God will use to bring healing, and one of them is the confession of sins. You might want God to heal you when the preacher lays his hands on you, but God might want to heal you when you confess your sin to someone else. 

There is power in confession and repentance of sins before another. However, one needs to humble himself and leave pride out of his life to confess his sin to another. Confession is not easy but is crucial for your healing from pornography or any other sinful behavior. 

Find a person you trust and share your burden 

In Proverbs 28:13 (ESV) we read how vital confession is:

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

According to this verse, one cannot have victory as long as he conceals his sins, only if he will confess it and forsake it. If you have not confessed your sin to another, do not wait too long. Pray and ask for direction and wisdom from God. However, do not believe you are an exception from His Word. 

Pray to find someone whom you think you can trust and who can help you and pray for you. Go to your Pastor or a mature believer. Do not let this burden suffocate you but get rid of it by confessing your sin to someone else too. The confession of your sin will bring great joy and release to your mind, heart, and life. I know many people who got healed from depression and physical sicknesses only after they confessed their sins to another and began walking in the light. I know it helped me tremendously!

Obey God’s Word and walk in the light 

As long as you keep your sin hidden do not expect freedom from your behavior, or from the thoughts of accusation, guilt, and shame you experience. If you want to be free, you need to follow the principles from God’s Word and make this crucial step of humility and obedience. Moreover, as long as you choose not to confess your sin, you will experience Psalm 32:3-5 (ESV)

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. 

As long as you do not make this step, you will feel tired, and you will not be effective in your calling. However, the one who chooses to live in the light will experience blessing (Ps. 32:1).

Now what?

I know it is not easy to find someone you can trust with your sin. But I also know that God wants you to walk in the light, and that means He already put the right person around you. Ask God to open your eyes and take a step of faith.

If you need coaching don’t hesitate to contact me here. Another good step to take can be to install Covenant Eyes on your computer and electronic devices. Most importantly, pray! 

Do you agree? 

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