Can people who walk in darkness have any fellowship with those who walk in the light?
1 John 1:5-7
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. NKJV
If we follow Jesus Christ, we will indeed come out of darkness, point, blank, period. Let’s start by stripping away anything that we have come to believe that is not actually written in our Bible, allowing the Word itself to judge our attitudes and thoughts (Hebrews 4:12, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
John 8:12
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” NKJV
I have been in buildings where all of the preaching is centered on avoiding verses like these and therefore darkness thrives right in the place called church. These are places where everyone learns to quote “he who is without sin cast the first stone,” but they never get to “if we follow Jesus we will come out of darkness,” which is only a few verses after what they quote. They never mention verses like the one above where those who walk in darkness have no fellowship with the Father (1 John 1:6), but they learn to quote the exact opposite.
They will certainly be shocked on the last day because the only way to come to know Jesus Christ is obey Him and put off our former conduct (1 John 2:3, Ephesians 4:20-24). Therefore, they will hear away from Me I never knew you on the last day (Matthew 7:21-23, Luke 13:22-28).
Ephesians 4:20-24
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. NKJV
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me,’Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ NKJV
Their desire is obvious in learning excuses to continue in sin. Do not be partners with them (1 Corinthians 5:9-13, Ephesians 5:3-7, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14, Titus 3:10-11). Check the verses below!
I want you to read the verses below and then ask yourself what your life would be like if you decided to follow God’s Word wholeheartedly. If you want God to use you to do to great work, you must cleanse yourself of the things that bring about your destruction (2 Timothy 2: 20-21, Joshua 7:12).
Don’t call Jesus Christ “Lord,” if you have no plans of doing what He says (Luke 6:46), since calling Jesus Lord does not make God’s Word void. Everyone who calls Jesus Lord must turn away from sin (2 Timothy 19), or calamity without remedy will be their lot (Proverbs 1:22-32, and verses 49 below). Calling Jesus Lord is not a license to ignore God’s Word.
Luke 6:46-49
46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” NKJV
2 Timothy 2:19
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” NKJV
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” NKJV
Ephesians 5:3-7
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. NKJV
2 Thessalonians 3:6
6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. NKJV
2 Thessalonians 3:14
14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. NKJV
2 Timothy 3:1-7
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. NKJV
1 Corinthians 15:33-34
33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. NKJV
Romans 16:17-20
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. NKJV
1 Timothy 6:3-5
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. NKJV
There are two types of people in the church today. One says, “If we do what God says, we will not be able to do this or that, and we would not have this or that.” They have decided to ignore God’s instructions for their own desires or to follow the traditions of men. The other person says, “God said it, I believe and accept it as truth, and I’m going to in the least try to live by it and repent when I fall short of it.” Both people may fall short, but the latter one doesn’t just ignore God for his own desires.
I’m Alan Ballou; a servant of the Lord. If I may be of service to you, please contact me.
