One did not submit to violence to oneself or to one’s home.”
–Louis L’Amour (Brionne)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
–1 Peter 2:9 (NASB)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World
Key Verse: “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” –1 John 5:19 (NASB)
Get rid of the police! “It wasn’t an accident. Policing in our country is inherently and intentionally racist… No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can’t be reformed,” so spoke Rashida Tlaib. Call forth the “man of lawlessness.” We are at the point of chaos and anarchy, from which Nietzsche said the superman will arise. How will you live in this country, if this should happen?
I wrote of the darkness yesterday. Most riots, the damage, takes place at night in darkness. Christ came to reveal the hidden things of darkness. If you are a true believer then your presence is a threat, for the Spirit living within you will also reveal the hidden things of darkness.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
–1 John 1:6-7 (NASB)
It is necessary that we walk in the light. Barclay sheds some light on these verses.
1) “John insists that to have fellowship with the God who is light a man must walk in the light and that, if he is still walking in the moral and ethical darkness of the Christless life, he can not have that fellowship.” He will understand the fact that he is to be holy for he serves a holy God. C.H. Dodd stated, “The Church is a society of people who, believing in a God of pure goodness, accept the obligation to be good like Him.” We will be aware of our obligations to God. “It will mean that he will never think that sin does not matter; it will mean that the nearer he comes to God, the more terrible sin will be to him.” (Barclay)
2) “John insists that these mistaken thinkers have the wrong idea of truth.” For the Christian “truth is never only intellectual; it is always moral.
We are children of the light and if we want to have fellowship with God we must remove ourselves from darkness, the deeds, and evil of darkness, and choose to walk in the light. Stumbling, failure, does not mean we are no longer walking in the light, and we use that light to get back up, repent (1 John 1:9) and continue on. Know that John is not dealing with the sinful nature, but sin that breaks fellowship. Walking in the light is part of sanctification–confession and recognizing sins.
The Christian is not a person who spends his life walking in and out of the kingdom of God. He doesn’t jump from light to darkness then back to light. He does not return to Calvary for he knows that Calvary accompanies him. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “The Christian is not a man or woman who ought to be walking in the light but who so often is walking in darkness. The Christian is one who, by definition here, is always walking in the light even though he falls into sin. By falling into sin you do not return to walking in darkness. The Christian is not a Christian at all unless he is walking in the light.” He continues, “You do not go back in your Christian life; if you all into sin, you confess it and go on.”
First John 1:9, is a verse that is for the Christian, not the unbeliever, as it is so often used. It a verse to give up to the Christian that if he falls, he can go to the Father asking for forgiveness and the Father will forgive and cleanse him. The believer does not leave the light for he can see His way to the Father.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
–1 John 1:9 (NASB)
Stay away from the deeds of darkness. Seek to be holy as your heavenly Father has commanded. Obey Him and His commandments, however, if a slip is made, go immediately to the Father and confess.