WE WHO “walk in the light, as he is in the light” (1 John 1:7a) are meant to “have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7b), as “the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7c) In this respect, Paul asks a critically important question. “What fellowship can light have with darkness—a believer with an unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:14-15) To this same regard, we must periodically ask ourselves just who it is that we are in fellowship with, and what must be done when that fellowship is strained or broken. We must also occasionally wonder if indeed we actually have a bond in faith and trust with some.
Jesus, the healer of our souls, says “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” (Matt. 18:15) But he cautions, through a series of steps, “if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” (Matt. 18:17) But he also teaches that we exercise extreme care in these matters. In the parable of the weeds and the wheat, the servants come to the master and ask if he wants the weeds the enemy sowed in his field pulled out from his crop. “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.’” (Matt. 13:29)
Paul is our recognizable N.T. expert of church planting and church health. He is very aware of the impact of personal imperfections upon the fellowship within the body of Christ. “Brothers and sisters,” he says, “if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” (Gal. 6:1) But he then immediately warns, “But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” (Gal. 6:2) And then he adds this, and we are caught up in its tension: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:3) This is clearly in reference to Jesus’ underscoring of Levitical law to “love others as yourself” (Matt. 22:39, Lev. 19:18), and his additional teaching to “love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) We live in this tension of personal danger at the edge of relational and rational spiritual responsibility.
Light dispels darkness, but in the physical realm the darkness still exists in the form of shadows. A bright light focused on an object during the day will cast a shadow—for instance, the sun falling across a sundial, thus marking time. The beam of a flashlight at night will shed light on a path through the stifling darkness, enabling safe passage over difficult terrain. Just as light has different degrees of intensity and divergent wavelengths in the spectrum of colors, so darkness has its own range of shades, from palest fog gray to deepest indigo to pitch black. None of us are without a shadow, and like attracts like. Jesus warns “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matt. 6:23b)
The true light of the bible is different. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psa. 119:105) God is the origin of light. “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Gen. 1:3) In fact, light is an essential aspect of the nature of God. “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5) The light of God is the light of spiritual life seen in Jesus. “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:4), This other-realm light has different qualities than natural light. Shining from within a person, it is life-giving, dispelling the darkness of the lower realm. “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14-16) Shining upon a person, it is starkly revealing. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13)
Made in the image of God (cf. Gen. 1:27), we are all meant to be bearers of the light of the creator. Jesus is the “image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), and we are being spiritually formed in his image and “have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Col. 3:10) Paul warns, however, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor. 4:7)
We are and will remain in the midst of spiritual warfare both outside the church, and inside its walls, and we must understand that we are not impervious. The reality of the life in the community of faith is that we are all imperfect; we all have a shadow side with attendant vulnerability. Another reality is that there are weeds amongst the wheat—there are demons that enter the church in disguise. Wherever we are, our light is at the edge of darkness.
Called to be healers as Jesus is healer, we have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters that struggle with sin; we are responsible and also accountable to exorcise demons. All of us should reach out to and support the weaker brother or sister; not many of us should attempt exorcism, and certainly not alone. Jude gives us these cautionary guidelines: “Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (Jude 22-23)
Proverbs offers this cautionary precept: “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Prov. 12:26) Paul adds, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.” (Eph. 5:15)
Q. Am I able to be my brother’s keeper without losing my way?
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