JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from First John 1:5 to 7.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
The light of the Gospel reveals the life of fellowship and forgiveness that we have in Christ.
Walking in the light is the way of following Jesus with humility. As we walk with Him, we step into the light of His grace, freedom and forgiveness. Our sins are no longer counted against us. We enjoy a fulfilling friendship with God and with His followers. James 2:23 says that Abraham believed God and it was a credit to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.
This Light Reflection inspires us to embrace the life of forgiveness and fellowship that Jesus offers us in the Year to Shine.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye On Integrity is based on James 4, verses 7 and 8.
“Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
This statement was addressing believers who were torn by conflict. They were quarreling and fighting each other. They were struggling with pride and selfish motives. James is showing how this problem can be overcome. Submit to God. Resist the devil. Approach God with a humble heart. He will rearrange priorities and do a cleansing of the heart that will produce peace with God and unity in the body of Christ.
Walking in submission to God is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – From First John 1:6 and 7.
“If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
One of Steve Taylor’s classics is “Sin For A Season.” In that song, he exposed the faulty thinking of those who used God’s grace as a license for sin. One of the lines describes their motivation: “Gonna get the Lord to forgive a little sin. Get the slate cleaned so he can dirty it again. And no one else will ever know. But he reaps his harvest as his heart grows hard. No man’s gonna make a mockery of God.” These are the schemes of a deliberate sinner who abuses the grace of God.
God’s grace is amazing, but it is not a license for sin. Instead, it is a pardon for sin and an incentive for change. In Romans 6:1, Paul the Apostle asked, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
God’s grace enables us to come out of darkness and into the light. As we follow Jesus with sincere devotion, we experience the freedom of forgiveness and the fulfillment of joyful Christian fellowship.
Walking in the light of God’s grace and truth is a vital sign of a changed life in the Year of Transformation.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
