Purging Mammoth Cave

(If We Walk in the Light)

1 John 1:1-10

^5 “This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him. ⁶ If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim.” MSG

John lived continuously with Jesus for three years. Although he and his brother were known as the “Sons of Thunder” because of their temper, he was also referred to as the “one whom Jesus loved”. He had a very special relationship with Jesus; maybe closer to him than any of the other disciples.

 It is from this dichotomous perspective of anger and love that he wrote the letter of 1 John which addresses a heresy of the day known as Gnosticism. It was a heresy that threatened the entire first-century church.

In a tour of Mammoth Cave, when you are in the belly of the cave, your guide will turn off all the lights. As a result, it is pitch black. There is no light in the darkness. In fact, you can put your hand so close to your face that you can feel your breath, but not be able to see your hand.

During the same tour, in the midst of the darkness, the guide may strike a match. That single match emits enough light for you to find your way along the trail. That small light eliminates the darkness that had surrounded you; it illuminates your path so that you won’t stumble.

This is a metaphor for your life. God is light; there is no darkness in Him. Yet, the dichotomy of living the Christian life is that there is a struggle between darkness and light in us. The darkness is a constant threat, but the light is always with us, ready to exhume the darkness.

Therefore, what can we do when darkness enters our heart our mind? We can strike a small match, and the light will purge the darkness.

 ^9 “On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.”                MSG