We have seen how important fellowship with God is.  There are very few blessings that are more valuable than being in fellowship with the God of heaven.  We must realize, however, that fellowship with God demands something from us.  We must live a life of purity, avoiding the practice of sinning.     

1 John 1:5 (ESV)
⁵  This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

When John refers to God being light, he is referring to His impeccable purity and moral perfection.  Because God is such a being, He cannot tolerate sin.  He will never be a partner in anything unrighteous or sinful because darkness and light cannot coexist.  What happens when you walk into a dark room and turn on the light switch?  The darkness is completely swallowed up by the light, isn’t it?  The fact is, when light comes on the scene, the darkness ceases to exist.  So it is with God.

Since God is light, we cannot practice sin and remain in a relationship with Him.  Many deceive themselves into thinking that they can allow sin to abide in them, and as long as they are good in some ways, God will ignore the sin that is in their lives.  John warns us about that kind of deception.

1 John 1:6 (ESV)
⁶  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

If light in this text refers to the perfect purity of God, then darkness refers to all that is morally polluted and impure.  Anything sinful, morally or doctrinally, falls into the realm of darkness.  So, if we allow that darkness, in any of its forms, to abide in our lives, we cannot have fellowship with God.  There is, however, an alternative

1 John 1:7 (ESV)
⁷  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 cleanses us from all sin.

To walk in the light is to live a life that consists of habitual holiness and righteousness.  It is to live a life that is characterized by a commitment to the wishes of God and marked by moral uprightness.  To walk in the light, then, is to live a life directed toward God because He is light.  Now, how do we do that?  The answer is simple—we do it by living by the Word of God.

Matthew 4:4 (ESV)
⁴  But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

This is what is demanded of us if we want to enjoy the sweet fellowship of God, and all the blessings that go along with it, including a home in heaven after a while.  We must live by the Word of God.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.