This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 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, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7 NIV)
I periodically hear someone ask how they can know that they are saved. That is not an easy question to answer, but John gives us a number of ways that can help in answering it. The first of these indicators is, “are you walking in the light of God?“
John tells us that God is light, without any measure of darkness. A result of this is that we cannot walk in the dark and claim to be in fellowship with him; light and darkness cannot coexist. On the other hand, if we are walking in the light, we do have fellowship with God and with others who are walking in the light.
While not an absolute test of salvation, one mark of those who are walking in the light, and thus in relationship with God, is that they are in fellowship with other believers. In contrast, living without the companionship of other believers is an indication that you are probably not in a relationship with God and are walking in darkness. So how is your relationship with the church?