Spiritual Darkness
1 John 2: 7-11
The Text
“Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; they do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”
- The New Command
John also introduces the notion of a “new command,” which, while it echoes the old, finds its fresh expression and deeper meaning through Jesus Christ (“its truth is seen in him and in you”). The newness of this command is seen in the way it is lived out by Jesus and his followers, signifying the transformative power of love and the presence of divine light.
Micah 3:5–12 (NLT): 5 This is what the LORD says:
“You false prophets are leading my people astray!
You promise peace for those who give you food,
but you declare war on those who refuse to feed you.
6 Now the night will close around you,
cutting off all your visions.
Darkness will cover you,
putting an end to your predictions.
The sun will set for you prophets,
and your day will come to an end.
7 Then you seers will be put to shame,
and you fortune-tellers will be disgraced.
And you will cover your faces
because there is no answer from God.”
8 But as for me, I am filled with power—
with the Spirit of the LORD.
I am filled with justice and strength
to boldly declare Israel’s sin and rebellion.
9 Listen to me, you leaders of Israel!
You hate justice and twist all that is right.
10 You are building Jerusalem
on a foundation of murder and corruption.
11 You rulers make decisions based on bribes;
you priests teach God’s laws only for a price;
you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid.
Yet all of you claim to depend on the LORD.
“No harm can come to us,” you say,
“for the LORD is here among us.”
12 Because of you, Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field;
Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins!
A thicket will grow on the heights
where the Temple now stands.
- Living in the Light
1 John 2 emphasizes the importance of loving one’s brother or sister as an indicator of living in the light. Love is depicted as the driving force that dispels darkness and guides individuals towards righteousness. John warns that hatred towards others leads to spiritual blindness and stumbling, highlighting the destructive nature of enmity.
Matthew 6:19–24 (NASB95): 19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
23“But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
- Jesus Already Gave His Verdict
For believers, this passage serves as a reminder to examine their relationships and attitudes towards others. The call to love is both a command and a measure of one’s spiritual health.
John 3:19–21 (NIV): 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Conclusion
1 John 2:7-11 is a powerful exhortation to embrace love and reject hatred, to live in the light and shun darkness. It underscores the timeless and essential nature of the command to love, while also pointing to the newness of its expression through Jesus Christ. This passage invites reflection on the ways in which love can illuminate our lives and guide us towards true understanding and fellowship with God and one another.
If you sow seeds of hate, disgust, and division, the verdict has already been given and you stand condemned, guilty! We must learn to love unconditionally!
1 Peter 4:7–11 (NLT): 7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.