Last night in Greek class we were going through 1 John 1:5-10. There is something so wonderful, so precious, about translating a book of the New Testament for the first time. I live with a constant awareness that this is it. We have this short season with our students in which they can fall in love with the word of God. Although the weeks are few, they are critical. Our students will never be as teachable as they are now.
The key theme of the verses we were looking at last night is, "God is light" (1:5). As I mentioned to the class, the term "light" is used by John in two ways. Intellectually, light is truth. Darkness would therefore be error. Morally, light is purity, and darkness is evil. It is God's nature to be light. It is his nature to reveal himself. He desires to be known. Hence those who claim to "know" him can never be indifferent to moral character. Light not only allows us to see. It enables us to live. Believers don't just know the truth. They continue to walk in it.
The moral implications of this are brought out in the rest of the letter: Christians who know God through Christ will live a life that is consistent with, and worthy of, their Christian status. Oh, may we all pursue this ideal with everything that is in us!