The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 18

nnothcr w11.y. It is thus stated by Professor Lias: "When we reflect on the threefold naturo of light, its enlightening, its warming, its chemical powers, we are remi:!<led of the Holy Trinity-the unapproachablo Light himself; hi~ eternal Revealer, bringing light to earth, and quickening by his genial warmth the frozen hearts of men; and the eternal Spirit, dwelling in their hearts, and slowly bringing his healing influences to bear upon their diseased souls." V. THE PEilFECT HOLINESS OF Goo. Light is pure ancl purifying. It visits scenes of corruption and decay, and exercises a cleansing and healing influence there, and pursues its glorious course without having contracted any taint, still absolutely pure. Fit emblem of the infinite holiness of the great God. "No stain can soil his robe of awful sanctity." He is pre-eminently "the Holy One." "Thou only art holy." The highest intelligences ceaselessly praise him, crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts.'' "His name is holy, and be dwells in the high and holy place." His holiness is the glory of his Being. He is "glorious in holiness.'' As if to set forth the eutire purity and perfection of the Divine nature considered as light, St. John says, "And in him is no darkness at all.'' No kind of darkness whatsoever has any place in him. "Neither ignorance, nor error, nor sin, nor death" is found in him. CONCLUSION. 1. Let us reverence this great and holy Being. 2. Let us seek his life- giving, enlightening, and invigorating injluences.-W. J. Vcrs. 6, 7.-Tlie condition and consequences of fellowship with God. "If we say that we have fellowship with him," etc. I. TnE CONDITION OF FELLOWSHIP WITH Goo. St. John states this condition both negatively and positively. 1. Negatively. "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do. not the truth. (1) There may be a profession of fellowship with God, while the practice is utterly opposed to his character and will. W c have spoken of this fellowship in our treatment of the third verse. To "walk" is an expression frequently used in the sacred Scriptures to indicate the entiro life, with special reference to its outward aspec~. 'l'o "walk in darkness" is to live in the practice of sin. In St. John's time there were persons who claimed to have communion with the Light, but walked in the darkness. 'l'he Gnostics professedly devoted their souls to the pursuit of the highest knowledge, and yet were guilty of the vilest sins with their bodies, alleging " that the flesh was so corrupt that no fil tbiness of life could affect it." (2) 'l'bat such profession, joined with such practice, is a twofold lie. "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we lie." Here is the lie of the lip. 'fhe profession is untrue. "And do not the truth.'' Here is the lie of tho life. The practice is opposed to truth. 'l'ruth is not only to be spoken, but acted. Life should be brought into harmony with the eternal verities. '!.'he tl'Uth acknowledged in the creed should be expressed in the conduct. But in this case supposed truth i~ neither spoken nor acted. 2. Positively. "But if we walk iu the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." "This walking in the light, as he is in the light," says Alford, "is no mere imitation of God, but is an identity in the essential clement of our rlaily wallt with the essential element of God's eternal Being; not imitatioa, but coincidence and identity of the very atmo- llphero of Ii r.i." " '!.'he light" denotes "the sphere of the manifestation of the good and tl1e God-like.'' '!.'he words of St. Paul, in ~ph. v. 8, 9, considerably elucidate this verse: " Yc were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousuess aud truth)." As Meyer says, the" whole of Christian morality is here presented under its three great aspects-the good, Lhe right, the true." If we would express the melning of the apostle's phrase, "walking in the light," in a single word, "holiness" is tbe word best suited to that purpose. We discover three ideas in this expression of St. John. (1) Life in sympathy with holiness. '!.'he hea.rt beating in harmony with the li~ht. (2) Life in the practice of holiness. 'l'he inward principle expressed in the outward conduct. 'l'he light of the heart shining in the life. (3) Life progressing in holiness. He who walks is not stationary, but advancing. The godly soul "follows on to know the Lord;" "presses on toward the goal unto tho prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." '!.'his, then, is the condition of fellowship with God-walking in the light ; boliQess of heart and of life. 14 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [oR. 1. 1-10,