Living in Light, Love, and Truth: Walking in Light

1 John 1:5–2:2

When was the last time you had to use your cell phone as a flashlight? Maybe you were rummaging around in the garage, trying to read a menu in a dimly lit restaurant, or searching for something in the backyard at night. Why did you need it? Because it was dark—and without light, you couldn’t see clearly.

That’s a picture of life in this world. As sinners living among other sinners in a fallen world, we encounter darkness every day. Sure, we may have Instagram-worthy moments that feel like sunny-day picnics, but the truth is, life often feels more like a midnight walk through the woods. On most days, we face more confusion, temptation, and brokenness than clarity and peace.

And here’s the problem: without light, we can’t move forward safely. Without light, we can’t see where we’re going—or even where the dangers are. That’s why we need something outside ourselves to light the way. Psalm 119:105 says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God has provided light for our darkness—truth that reveals reality and guides us forward.

It is this idea of light that John starts the main part of his teaching: “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

God Is Light

When John says that God is light, he’s saying something profound. Light represents what is good, pure, true, beautiful, and holy. Darkness, on the other hand, represents evil, deception, and sin.

To say that God is light means:

• His character is good, pure, and beautiful.
• His word is true and trustworthy.
• He reveals the way of life.

In God there is no deception, no evil, and no sin. He is holy—and that holiness shines into our world to expose what is real.

This was not just a theological statement for John; it was practical. False teachers had infiltrated the early church. They claimed fellowship with God while living in sin. They claimed they had no sin to worry about. Some even claimed that sin didn’t matter because it only affected the body, not the spirit. John corrects these lies with the truth of who God is and what it means to walk in the light.

Three False Claims

John takes up three false claims the false teachers were making:

1. Claim: We can have fellowship with God while living in darkness. — John says no—if we walk in darkness while claiming to know God, we are deceiving ourselves. Fellowship with God is seen in how we live: walking in truth, resisting evil, and demonstrating God’s character.
2. Claim: We don’t have sin. — John says that if we deny our sin nature, we are lying to ourselves. The good news, though, is this: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1:9).
3. Claim: We have not sinned. — This is even more dangerous. To deny sin in our lives is to call God a liar and reject His word. Scripture is clear: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

John’s point is not that Christians will never sin. His point is that when we sin, we have an Advocate—Jesus Christ the righteous. His death on the cross atones for our sins, and not only for ours, but for the sins of the whole world.

What This Means for Us

So how does this speak into our daily lives?

1. Life makes sense through the reality of God. On our own, life often feels meaningless. Why do people do terrible things? Why do I struggle with behavior I know is wrong? Why does life sometimes feel empty? The answer is found in the light of God—through His word and through Jesus. He helps us make sense of the world and shows us how to live.
2. Living in the light is more about how we live than what we know. Right belief matters—but right belief is meant to lead to right living. There are people who can recite the creeds, quote Scripture, and defend doctrine, yet their lives are marked by pride, anger, or selfishness. Walking in the light is about demonstrating God’s character in everyday life: love, kindness, honesty, forgiveness.
3. We need humility. The danger John confronts is pride—a pride that says, “I’ve got it all figured out. I don’t struggle with sin. I don’t need correction.” Walking in the light requires humility: admitting that we still have darkness in us, that we still sin, that we still need God’s grace every day. The good news is that we don’t need to hide our sin or pretend it isn’t there. Jesus has already taken care of it.

Walking in the Light

Here’s the heart of it:

1. God is light—holy, pure, and true.
2. We cannot claim fellowship with Him and continue to walk in darkness.
3. Walking in the light means living honestly, humbly, and lovingly.
4. And when we do sin, we don’t deny it or despair over it—we bring it to Jesus, our Advocate.

This is the good news: The God who is light has made a way for us to walk in His light—through Jesus.

So let me leave you with two challenges:

• Personal: Practice walking in the light by confessing your sins honestly to God. Don’t excuse them. Don’t hide them. Bring them into His light, trusting His promise of forgiveness.
• Relational: Look for one way to demonstrate God’s character in your relationships. Be patient with someone who tests you. Show kindness when it isn’t deserved. Offer forgiveness when it’s hard.

Closing Thought

Imagine a room with every window shuttered and every light switched off. You can’t see the dust, the clutter, or the broken things. But when sunlight pours in, everything is revealed.

That’s what it means for God to be light. His light exposes our sin, but it also reveals our Savior. And that’s the hope of the gospel: Jesus, our Advocate, has already taken care of our sin.

So step into the light—live honestly, walk humbly, love deeply—and let God’s character shine through you into a dark world.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

A Godly Pattern for Living

Have you ever noticed how life seems to push us toward the very things that hurt us most? 

Pride convinces us that we deserve recognition. Anxiety whispers that everything depends on us. Temptation promises an easier path if we’ll just give in. In the middle of all that, the Apostle Peter gives us a different vision for life—a godly pattern that brings freedom, peace, and strength.

In his first letter, Peter lays out three simple but challenging steps: relinquish your rights, rely on God, and resist the devil. These aren’t just religious duties. They’re a way of life that shapes our character and keeps us aligned with God’s heart.

Relinquish Your Rights

Peter begins with a call to humility:

1 Peter 5:5-6 (NLT)

In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.”

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

Relinquishing your rights doesn’t mean you stop having opinions or that your needs don’t matter. It means stepping away from the me-first mentality that dominates our world. Instead of demanding control, insisting on being heard, or clinging to recognition, humility calls you to trust God and serve others.

Jesus is our example here. Though He was God, Philippians 2 tells us He did not cling to His divine rights but humbled Himself—even to the point of death on a cross. True humility isn’t weakness; it’s the strength to surrender to God’s timing and trust His plan.

Rely on God

After humility, Peter addresses something we all carry: worry.

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

The picture here is vivid—it’s like tossing a heavy load onto someone else’s shoulders. God doesn’t ask us to pretend our problems aren’t real. He invites us to hand them to Him because He cares deeply for us.

Think about the burdens you carry—financial stress, family struggles, uncertainty about the future. It’s like walking around with a backpack full of rocks. God says, “Give it to Me. I can carry that.”

When we rely on God, we’re not ignoring reality. We’re admitting that we’re not strong enough on our own and choosing to trust the One who is.

Resist the Devil

Finally, Peter gives a sober warning:

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

The devil is real, and his goal is to derail our faith. He tempts us to doubt God’s goodness, to give in to fear, or to compromise when obedience feels too costly. Peter doesn’t tell us to fight in our own strength—he tells us to resist by standing firm in faith.

Jesus shows us how. When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, He resisted with the truth of Scripture: “It is written…” God’s Word is our anchor when the enemy roars.

And here’s some encouragement: we don’t fight alone. Christians all over the world face the same battle. The family of God surrounds us, reminding us that resistance is possible and that victory belongs to Christ.

A Pattern Worth Following

Peter’s pattern for living is as countercultural now as it was in the first century:

• Relinquish your rights—choose humility over pride.
• Rely on God—cast your worries onto the One who cares for you.
• Resist the devil—stand firm in faith, anchored in God’s truth.

This is the way of Jesus—the One who humbled Himself, trusted the Father, and triumphed over the enemy. When we follow His lead, we discover the freedom of humility, the peace of trusting God, and the strength to stand firm in a world that wants to pull us away from Him.


Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Warning and Wisdom: A Conversation About False Teachers

Paul’s Ponderings Interview | August 2025

In this interview with ChatGPT, I reflect on the challenging subject of false teachers. This comes after my recent study of Jude and pastoral experience, In this I seek to offer biblical insight, personal wisdom, and a pastoral heart to help believers navigate the dangers of false teaching—and stay grounded in truth.

ChatGPT: What first opened your eyes to the danger and presence of false teaching in the church? Was there a specific moment, experience, or passage that helped you see its seriousness?

Paul:
For me this became an issue when I started to see certain teaching bring harm to people and “shipwreck” the faith of others. For the most part, I’m a big tent guy. I understand that given 2,000 years of church teaching and doctrine, there are going to be differences in interpretation and understanding.

To me, teaching that’s lined up with the Bible is teaching that calls people to faith in Jesus and looks forward to His return to make everything right. So I’m slow to call something heresy.

That said, I do think there are teachings and teachers that are harmful. And I’ve seen the damage firsthand.

ChatGPT: In your view, what distinguishes a false teacher from someone who simply holds a different (but still orthodox) theological perspective? Where do you personally draw that line?

Paul:
The line I draw covers two areas.

First, based on Matthew 7:15–20, I look at the life of the teacher. A person can have orthodox theology, but if their lifestyle is abusive, dishonest, or unfaithful, they are still a false teacher. Why? Because their actions damage the faith of others.

Second, based on Jude 1:3, I look at their Gospel message. If a teacher misleads people about the hope of the Gospel—especially by feeding fleshly desires for health, wealth, or power—that’s a false message. It’s a misrepresentation of God and His Kingdom.

ChatGPT: As a pastor, how have you seen false teaching impact people in real life—either in your church or in the wider Christian world? What kind of spiritual damage does it cause?

Paul:
Yes, I’ve seen the damage. I’ve seen people doubt their faith because they didn’t receive what they were told God had promised them. Then they were told it was their fault—because of sin or a lack of faith.

That breaks my heart. Instead of seeing God as a source of help, they began to see Him as someone who withholds help because their faith wasn’t the right type of faith or they had unbelief in their hearts. In my book this is spiritual abuse.

I’ve also heard stories of people misled by prophets and teachers into bad marriages, terrible financial decisions, or worse. People who lost family members because they trusted someone claiming to speak for God.

It’s heartbreaking because they put their trust in someone they believed was godly—and ended up wounded and disillusioned.

ChatGPT: What are some biblical markers or habits that help protect people from falling for false teaching? How can everyday Christians grow in discernment?

Paul:
The first thing I’d say is: get good study tools.

The Bible is written for us, but not to us. That means we have to put effort into understanding it in its original context. Even with great translations, things get lost because we live in a different time and culture.

I recommend two key resources:

• A good Study Bible
• A solid One-Volume Commentary on the entire Bible

These will help the average Christian understand the text much better.

Second, double-check what a teacher says. Acts 17 praises the Bereans for doing this. We should always go back to Scripture to test what we’re being taught.

Third, take accusations of abuse or dishonesty seriously. Don’t just defend a leader because they “preach truth.” Jesus had harsh words for religious leaders whose behavior hurt people. When there are victims, don’t brush it under the rug—listen, investigate, and remember that Jesus sides with the oppressed.

When in doubt, side with the victims.

ChatGPT: How has your preaching changed (or been shaped) by your awareness of false teaching? Are there things you intentionally do now to guard or guide your congregation as you preach?

Paul:
First, I’ve learned that it’s not my job to name and call out specific false teachers. I’m grateful for those in the Church who do that—it’s needed—but I’ve felt God calling me to just preach and teach the Bible faithfully.

Second, I try to emphasize doctrine more. One reason false teaching thrives is because people lack a clear understanding of basic Christian doctrine. It’s not enough to “use Bible verses”—false teachers do that too. People need to know what the Bible actually teaches.

Third, I encourage people to double-check me. I want them to know it’s okay to ask questions and search the Scriptures themselves. I often say (borrowing from Dallas Willard):

“Only 80% of what I know is correct—but you have to figure out which 20% is off. If I knew, I’d fix it.”

That keeps me humble and helps equip the congregation to grow in biblical discernment.


ChatGPT: What final word would you give to someone who has been hurt or confused by false teaching? How can they begin to heal and rebuild trust in Jesus and His Church?

Paul:
I’m so sorry that happened to you. That teaching—or that teacher—was not from God.

Please give faith in Jesus another chance.

One of the best ways to begin healing is to be in a healthy Christian community. You need people who encourage you as you follow Jesus, and a teacher who will listen to your questions without pretending to know it all.

That kind of community matters deeply. It’s one of the ways God rebuilds trust, restores hearts, and leads us back to truth.

Final Thought:
False teachers are real—and they’re dangerous not just because they twist doctrine, but because they harm people. But the good news is that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, continues to lead His people into truth, love, and life.

If we commit to studying the Word, walking in community, and keeping our eyes on King Jesus, we’ll be far less likely to fall—and far more ready to stand.

Living in Light, Love, and Truth: Encountering the Word of Life

A few years ago, researchers studied how much it costs when people avoid hard conversations. They discovered that the average employee wastes about $1,500 and an entire workday for every crucial conversation they refuse to have. Multiply that across an organization, and the costs skyrocket.

Why? Because avoiding conflict doesn’t make it disappear—it just redirects it. Instead of resolving issues, people complain, stew in frustration, or distance themselves from one another. Sometimes the tension drags on for months, costing thousands of dollars.

What about the church? What’s the cost of conflict when believers avoid hard conversations? We lose unity. We stop praying for each other. We withdraw instead of serving together. And sadly, churches shrink because unresolved tension drives people away.

This isn’t new. The letters of John were written to churches struggling with conflict. False teachers denied that Jesus was truly human, which split the community. Some left, and those who remained faced deep questions about truth, love, and fellowship. Into that moment, John writes words of hope, clarity, and invitation.

Why John’s Words Still Matter
Tradition holds that 1, 2, and 3 John were written by the Apostle John between 70–90 AD—the same John who wrote the Gospel. Unlike a typical letter, 1 John reads more like a sermon written for broad circulation. An intriguing thought I came across in my study is the possibility that 2 and 3 John served as cover letters for it.

John’s goal was simple: to call the church back to the truth about Jesus and to the practice of love. His message is as relevant now as it was then. In a fractured world, we need wisdom to help us live faithfully as disciples of King Jesus—walking in truth, walking in love, and shining as light in our communities.

A Life-Changing Encounter
Have you ever had an experience so profound you couldn’t keep it to yourself? The birth of a child, an achievement you worked years to reach, or an encounter with God that changed everything? These moments demand to be shared.

That’s exactly where John begins. His testimony isn’t abstract theology—it’s rooted in what he personally experienced:

“We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life.” (1 John 1:1–2a, NLT)

John piles up sensory words—heard, seen, touched—to drive home his point: Jesus was real. He wasn’t an idea or a myth. He was flesh and blood, the eternal Word of God who stepped into history. John and the other apostles walked with Him, ate with Him, and saw His miracles firsthand.

Christianity rests on this reality: Jesus came in the flesh, lived among us, died for us, and rose again. Our faith is not built on speculation but on eyewitness testimony.

That means our relationship with Jesus isn’t something we sustain in isolation. We encounter Him as we gather with others, as we pray for one another, as we serve together. We meet Him in Scripture, where the Spirit reminds us of who He is. And we see Him in the faces of “the least of these” when we serve with love.

A Proclamation of Life
John doesn’t just describe his experience—he shares it:

“We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3, NLT)

John couldn’t keep silent. He knew Jesus is eternal life revealed—the very life of God made visible. And this life wasn’t for him alone. It was meant to be proclaimed and shared.

This challenges us. Too often we think proclaiming the gospel requires eloquence or formal training. But John reminds us that proclamation is simply testifying to what you’ve seen God do. Have you experienced His forgiveness? Share it. Have you found hope in a dark time? Tell someone. Has God provided when you didn’t know how things would work out? Point it back to Him.

Proclamation isn’t about being polished; it’s about being personal. Someone in your life may be waiting to hear how God’s life has touched yours.

Fellowship and Joy
Why does John proclaim this truth? His purpose is clear:

“We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.” (1 John 1:4, NLT)

John longs for believers to experience fellowship with God and one another. This isn’t just social connection; it’s a deep, Spirit-filled bond rooted in Christ. Gary Burge puts it well: “Christian fellowship is triangular: my life in fellowship with Christ, your life in fellowship with Christ, and my life in fellowship with yours.”

When we walk in truth and love, our lives interlock with God’s life and with each other. Out of that fellowship flows joy—not circumstantial happiness, but deep, resilient joy that God Himself completes in us.

If your joy feels faint, perhaps it’s time to lean back into fellowship—with God in prayer and Scripture, and with His people in community. Joy is often restored when we stop isolating and start connecting again.

Encountering the Word of Life Today
John’s words still invite us today:

1. Encounter Jesus personally. He is the eternal Word of Life who came in the flesh.
2. Proclaim what you’ve experienced. Share how God is at work in your life—it may encourage someone else to believe.
3. Pursue fellowship. Life with God is meant to be shared with others. Joy grows in community.

The big idea is simple: Encountering the Word of Life leads us into fellowship with God and others and fills us with lasting joy.

So here’s the challenge: Who in your life needs encouragement or hope? Take one step this week to share Jesus with them—whether through your story, a prayer, or an invitation into Christian community.

Encountering the Word of Life changes everything—our faith, our relationships, and our joy. Let’s live in that reality today.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

God’s Perfect Timing?

   

Words have meaning. This is the basis of all communication.

As a pastor, one of my callings is to communicate. That means I want to be thoughtful about the words I use, because words can either clarify or confuse. My goal is always to communicate clearly about God and what it means to follow Jesus.

That’s not always easy. People have different levels of understanding, and the level of precision changes depending on the context. I don’t use the same theological precision in a sermon or a blog post as I would in an academic paper or lecture. Preaching and writing devotionally aim for clarity, not footnotes.

Recently, I was reminded how important word choice is. I was with a group of pastors, and we were sharing sermons and series ideas. I shared my series on Nahum: The Justice and Comfort of God. The big idea of one sermon, drawn from Nahum 2, was:

God will not let injustice stand forever—He brings down the oppressor in His perfect time.

One of the pastors asked me about that phrase “in His perfect time.” It’s a fair question. Because when you are the one experiencing oppression, abuse, or violence, God’s delay doesn’t feel perfect. It feels like abandonment.

That question pushed me to wrestle with the language I chose to use. Is “perfect” really the right word to describe God’s timing?

The Tension of God’s Timing

I wrestled with this thought in the first sermon of the series. Nahum 1:7 declares:

“The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”

That’s a beautiful promise. But it’s also hard to believe when life isn’t good. When you are being oppressed. When hardships stack up. When there seems to be no end in sight to the violence and oppression that you are experiencing.

If you lived under the Assyrian Empire, a people known for their brutality, you probably weren’t saying, “God is good.” You were wondering, “Where is God?”

That’s the tension of faith. God is our refuge—not because He shields us from every evil, but because of His promises to rescue, restore, and provide. His covenant love means He is faithful to His people even when circumstances scream otherwise. Finding refuge in God is like finding a cave in a storm: the rain and the wind don’t stop, but you are sheltered because you know that the violence and abuse are not the final word. Yet, even as I type this I recognize how flimsy a promise is when you are in the midst of hardship and trouble.

At the same time, Nahum 1:3 reminds us:

“The LORD is slow to get angry, but His power is great,

and He never lets the guilty go unpunished.”

That slowness is good news when we are the ones in the wrong. But when we are the victims of evil, we want God to act quickly. This creates a tension: God’s patience feels like delay, even neglect.

So when I say, “God brings down the oppressor in His perfect time,” I don’t mean it’s easy or comfortable or aligned with our schedules. I want to communicate the reality that: God’s timing is purposeful, trustworthy, and at just the right time. 

In the back of my mind, when I wrote the sermon, I had Romans 5:6, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly” (CSB), in mind. So, it was this sentiment that I wanted to communicate when I chose to use the word “perfect.”

Why “Perfect” Still Fits

I’m open to rethinking words if they don’t serve well. But here’s why I think perfect is still the right word for God’s timing.

⸻

1. Perfect reflects God’s character.

God is holy, just, and wise. Everything He does flows from His perfect nature—including when He chooses to act.

What looks to us like slowness, delay, or silence is not a mistake on God’s part. He knows more than we do. He sees the end from the beginning. He acts with perfect knowledge and wisdom.

The psalmist affirms this:

“As for God, His way is perfect” (2 Sam. 22:31; Ps. 18:30).

2. Perfect captures God’s patience and justice.

Nahum reminds us that God did not act on a whim. He gave Assyria time to repent. The prophet Jonah preached to Nineveh a century earlier, and they did repent—for a while. But their repentance did not last, and they returned to violence, idolatry, and deceit.

God’s judgment on Nineveh was not impulsive. It was deliberate. From our perspective, it may have felt too late. From God’s perspective, it was the right moment—when His justice would be unmistakable, and when His people would be delivered.

Peter says it this way:

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9)

God’s delay is not neglect—it’s mercy. But when the time comes, justice is certain.

3. Perfect offers comfort to believers.

Those who suffer under oppression need to know that God has not forgotten them. His timing may not align with ours, but He is never late.

Paul reminds us that God acted in history “at just the right time”:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom. 5:6)

God’s timing in salvation is the ultimate model of perfection. Christ came at the moment chosen by God—neither too soon nor too late. If His timing was perfect in bringing salvation, we can trust His timing in bringing justice.

⸻

Living with the Tension

None of this makes suffering easy. The Psalms of Lament are filled with cries of “How long, O Lord?” They give voice to the frustration of waiting. They remind us that God welcomes our questions and even our protests.

And yet, many of those same psalms end in trust:

“But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing the LORD’s praise,

for he has been good to me.” (Ps. 13:5–6)

The laments teach us how to hold tension. We can cry out honestly, even desperately, while also affirming that God’s love is unfailing and His ways are good.

That’s why I still believe perfect is the right word. Not because God’s timing feels perfect to us, but because it flows from His perfect character and leads to His perfect purposes.

Trusting God’s Perfect Will

Nahum’s message is heavy: the downfall of Nineveh, a city of violence and deceit. But woven through the judgment is hope: God sees, God cares, and God acts. His justice is never absent, even when it feels delayed.

For us, the cross of Jesus is the ultimate picture of both judgment and mercy. At the cross, God’s justice fell on sin, and His mercy was extended to sinners. The timing of that event was not random—it was perfect.

If God’s timing was perfect at the cross, then I have to believe that it was perfect when God finally brought judgement to Nineveh.

So when I say, “God brings down the oppressor in His perfect time,” I am not denying the pain of waiting. I am affirming the deeper truth: that God is sovereign, wise, and good. His timing may not feel perfect, but it cannot be improved upon.

Final Thought

Laurie Braaten, in his commentary on Nahum (New Beacon Commentary: Nahum-Malachi) wrote:

“God’s people are called to live as though God’s justice prevails now, and trust that if not now, then in the final judgment the oppressors will receive their deserved punishment and the people of God will be vindicated.”

That’s the call for us: to live as though God’s justice is already here, even as we wait for its fullness.

Words matter. And I still believe perfect is the right word to describe God’s timing, because God’s will and God’s timing flow from His perfect love, His perfect wisdom, and His perfect justice.

So let’s keep trusting, even in the waiting.