Oil And Water

1 John 1:5-7

I once had a two liter bottle that i filled half-way with colored water and then filled the rest of the way with vegetable oil. It was really calming to move it back and forth and watch the colored waves slosh around in the bottle. The only reason it works is b/c, as you know, oil and water don't mix!

When John talks about light and darkness, he's really refering to holiness and sinfulness. His point is that God is completely holy and there is absolutely no possibility of sin existing in Him at any point. So if we claim to have a relationship with Him, yet our life is characterized by a sinful lifestyle we're are lying to ourselves and to others. Basically, John is saying that if you claim to be a Christian, your walk better match your talk... John doesn't expect that we'll be perfect b/c if you read on, in verse 9, he talks about the fact that God forgives us of our sin. What he's talking about is lifestyle of sin.

In other words, it's as impossible for a true Child of God to live a lifestyle of sin as it is impossible to successfully mix oil and water - the two just don't go together.

FAQ:
- Can you identify an area of your life where you tend to "walk in the darkness"?
- What needs to happen for you to be able to step out of the darkness and into the light?

"The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want." - Ben Stein