Bible Reading: 1 John 1:5-10
The first distinguishing mark of a hypocrite is that hypocrites walk in darkness rather than light. Notice, John is not talking so much about how we walk, but where we walk in this passage. To walk in the light is to walk in transparency before God. It is to be open and honest with God about our disobedience to His Word and failure to fulfill His will.
According to John, if we are true children of God we will be children of light. We will walk in the light, “as [God] is in the light.†We will walk in “fellowship†with God, who “is light.†We will live our lives in agreement with God, which will not only result in us being convicted over our sins, but also in us confessing our sins.
If we’re willing to always acknowledge our sins to God and agree with Him about them, then, we can be assured of God’s faithfulness to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all of our sins and unrighteousness (vs. 7, 9). This blessed assurance is the precious possession of the true spiritual progeny of God, who are proven to be the children of the “Father of lights†by their walking in the light (James 1:17).