Walking in the Light

In November I led some students through a black light experiment in an effort to encourage them to be better hand washers.  With winter coming on and the increase in illness during this time of year, I was attempting to show them where they needed to improve in this area of hygiene. 

The experiment is pretty simple, the kids washed their hands and dried them.  Then they rubbed a lotion that simulated germs all over their hands.  Then they went and rewashed their hands.  Once they finished the second hand washing we turned off the lights in the bathroom and turned on the black light.  Wow.  

Germs. Everywhere.  

Gross.

The simulated germ lotion was still present on certain parts of their hands. Mostly in the cracks and crevices of their cuticles and between their fingers.  They were a bit shocked and I was a bit grossed out.  

But, what these kids didn’t know is that I was in the middle of writing this Bible study on 1 John.  I had verses from chapters 1-2 running through my mind constantly and as I shined that light on their hands the verse that immediately popped into my head was 1 John 1:7-

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

These kids had germs on their hands even after washing them, but they couldn’t see that.  It took the black light shining on their hands to expose those germs.  No, the kids were not happy to have their poor hygiene exposed, but they would not have known if they did not have the courage to place their hands under the black light and let it manifest what was there!.  

Walking in the light means having your sin exposed and sometimes that is uncomfortable.  But remaining in darkness and letting your sin stay hidden just keeps you from fellowship with God and others.  (And for those who have any background in microbiology, you know that germs do best in a warm, dark, moist environment….hmmmm…..) God IS light, He will expose and manifest what is present, but will you allow Him to expose it?

Here’s another thing that fascinated me about the experiment: I did it on myself first, and because I knew where we were going I made sure to wash my hands really well both times.  But even with extra careful washing, would you believe that I still had visible germs on my hands?  Mine were not in the same places as the kids, though.  In fact, it’s WHERE the germs were that was interesting.  I have some pretty significant calluses on my hands from weight lifting and that’s where the germs stuck.  

Isn’t that exactly how it works with us and sin?  It hides and finds a happy home on those rough parts of our lives - the callused, hardened parts.  And that’s where the second part of 1:7 brings light and hope: the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.  

I John 1:7 is packed with promise, it extends an invitation that is a priceless gift.  Do you think of it like that?  Yes, walking in the light exposes things, but they are things that NEED to be exposed so you CAN be in fellowship.  And the gift of the blood of Jesus cleansing us?  Well, that is the only thing that can completely removes the sin that loves to stick around even when we have tried other ways to remove it.   

Will you let the blood of Christ DO that?  Are you willing to bring your life into the “black” light of the Word and let it shine?  No one wants to shake hands with a germ infested person.  We know the only cure for this, and it is freely offered.  Will you allow the light to expose so His blood can cleanse? And will you thank Him for being so willing and so able to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves?