THE LIGHT OF INTEGRITY (2 OF 6)
Scripture: 1 John 2:3-17
This content is part of a series.
The Light of Integrity (2 of 6)
Series: Walk in the Light
Dave Gustavsen
1 John 2:3-17
Good morning Chapel family. We’re taking this winter to walk through the book of 1 John, which is a little letter that John the Apostle wrote around 90AD. Earlier in his life, John had spent three years actually with Jesus—learning from him; watching how he lived; he actually saw Jesus alive after the resurrection; so this was very personal to John. And in this letter, he was writing to people who were struggling with the darkness of life. Just like we are. And he’s basically saying, “There’s only one light that’s powerful enough to overcome the darkness, and that’s Christ.”
There’s a little phrase in the first chapter that we’re using as the big idea for this whole series. 1 John 1:7 says Walk in the light, as he is in the light. Would you say that with me? “Walk in the light, as he is in the light.” So this letter is an invitation to not just believe in Jesus, but to walk in him—to live our lives by his light. Come out of the shadows; come out of the darkness; and walk in the light.
Now: back in the first century, one of the main sources of darkness in the world was this ugly thing called “hypocrisy.” Aren’t you glad that’s not a problem anymore? Actually, hypocrisy has been an issue in every generation, including ours. Maybe especially ours. We all know what hypocrisy means, right? It’s when we say one thing, and we do…what? The opposite. Like the politician during the pandemic who says, “Wear masks and stay away from big crowds,” and then the next day he’s in a big crowd with no mask. That’s hypocrisy. Or the politician who’s staunchly opposed to abortion, and then you find out he paid for his girlfriend to get an abortion. That’s hypocrisy. And it’s a really quick way for people to lose their credibility.
The opposite of hypocrisy is integrity. “Integrity” comes from the same root as the word “integer.” Remember what an integer is? It’s a whole number. So ...
Series: Walk in the Light
Dave Gustavsen
1 John 2:3-17
Good morning Chapel family. We’re taking this winter to walk through the book of 1 John, which is a little letter that John the Apostle wrote around 90AD. Earlier in his life, John had spent three years actually with Jesus—learning from him; watching how he lived; he actually saw Jesus alive after the resurrection; so this was very personal to John. And in this letter, he was writing to people who were struggling with the darkness of life. Just like we are. And he’s basically saying, “There’s only one light that’s powerful enough to overcome the darkness, and that’s Christ.”
There’s a little phrase in the first chapter that we’re using as the big idea for this whole series. 1 John 1:7 says Walk in the light, as he is in the light. Would you say that with me? “Walk in the light, as he is in the light.” So this letter is an invitation to not just believe in Jesus, but to walk in him—to live our lives by his light. Come out of the shadows; come out of the darkness; and walk in the light.
Now: back in the first century, one of the main sources of darkness in the world was this ugly thing called “hypocrisy.” Aren’t you glad that’s not a problem anymore? Actually, hypocrisy has been an issue in every generation, including ours. Maybe especially ours. We all know what hypocrisy means, right? It’s when we say one thing, and we do…what? The opposite. Like the politician during the pandemic who says, “Wear masks and stay away from big crowds,” and then the next day he’s in a big crowd with no mask. That’s hypocrisy. Or the politician who’s staunchly opposed to abortion, and then you find out he paid for his girlfriend to get an abortion. That’s hypocrisy. And it’s a really quick way for people to lose their credibility.
The opposite of hypocrisy is integrity. “Integrity” comes from the same root as the word “integer.” Remember what an integer is? It’s a whole number. So ...
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