Walking in the Light

Walking in the Light: The Gift of Confession and Absolution

The 6th Wednesday of Lent – April 9, 2025

1 John 1:5–10

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

That portion from God’s holy Word for this evening is our first lesson from the 1st Epistle of St. John with special emphasis on verses seven through nine which read as follows:

“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 cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Apostle John gives us a simple, though profound teaching in our reading tonight: "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."[2] God is light. It’s not just that He gives light, or that He lives in light, He is light. Perfect purity. Perfect truth. Perfect holiness. In God, there is no hidden agenda, no shadowy motives, and no secret sins swept under the rug.

But when we hear this, our first instinct often is to step back. Because we know, if we are honest, that we have plenty of shadows in our lives. Sins, mistakes, things that are shameful. The list is long and cuts deeply into the very core of our being. And light like the Light that is God, light that exposes everything, can be uncomfortable as it illumines those things we seek to keep secret and hidden in shadow.

It's like when you clean a room and think you’ve done a good job, but then the sunlight streams through the window, and suddenly you see the dust still clinging to the shelves. Things you never noticed in the dim light are suddenly plain. This is what John is doing. He is pulling back the curtains, not to shame us, but to invite us into honesty. He bids us to stop pretending, to step into the light. He writes: "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."[3]

What does it mean to "walk in darkness"? It means to live as though God’s truth does not matter. To hide our sins, to justify them, or to ignore them. It means living in unrepentance — holding on to our sin rather than handing it over to Christ. Martin Luther, in the Large Catechism, reminds us that sin clings to us daily, and that daily we need the healing of God's forgiveness. He writes: "Everything, therefore, in the Christian Church is ordered to this end: that we shall daily obtain there nothing but the forgiveness of sin through the Word and sacraments."[4] Daily. Not once in a lifetime, not just on Sunday mornings. Forgiveness is meant to be daily. Why? Because sin is not a one-time event. It is a daily battle. And God's mercy is a daily gift. Furthermore, the Christian life is not a one off thing, or a limited part of our day; instead, the Christian life is meant to be an entire way of being, one built on the foundation of forgiveness that comes by Christ.

John continues: "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 cleanses us from all sin."[5] Here is the good news. Walking in the light is not about being sinless. But it does need honesty and most of all, it is about letting God’s light uncover our sin so that His forgiveness can cover it.

Let me give you a picture. Imagine a child who breaks something valuable at home, for example, a family heirloom. Fear grips the child’s heart. He hides the broken pieces under his bed, thinking: If I just pretend this never happened, maybe it will go away. But, of course, it doesn’t go away. It festers. The guilt grows heavier. Finally, with trembling hands, the child goes to his father and says, "I broke it. I’m sorry." And the father, who already knew, kneels down, looks his child in the eye, and says, "Thank you for telling me. I forgive you. We will fix this together."

This is what God does in confession. He already knows our sins, nothing is hidden from His sight. But He wants us to come to Him, not because He needs the information, but because we need the freedom of honesty and the joy of His absolution. Luther captures this beautifully in the Small Catechism, where he says: "Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven."[6]

Do you hear that? Not doubting, but firmly believing. Too often, we hesitate. We wonder: Can God really forgive me? Even this sin? Even again? And the answer of the Gospel, the answer here in 1 John, the answer of the Catechisms is a resounding, “Yes!”

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."[7] Notice those two words: faithful and just. God is faithful, He keeps His promises. And He is just, because the price for your sin has already been paid in full by Jesus Christ. At the cross, your sins were not swept under the rug. They were nailed to the tree. They were dealt with, completely and forever. So when you hear the words of absolution spoken in church, "In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins,” you are hearing Christ Himself speak. Not just a reminder of forgiveness, but the living voice of Jesus applied directly to you. Absolution  is a great treasure hidden in plain sight! Why? Because it delivers to you personally the riches of Christ’s cross.

Now, let's be clear: this does not mean we take sin lightly. Quite the opposite. John warns, "If we say we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."[8] Confession is not about minimizing sin, it is about maximizing grace. It is about acknowledging the depth of our need so that we can fully receive and know with certainty the depth of God’s mercy. It takes something that feels abstract and makes it so personal as to apply to each and every one of our individual sins.

And when we do, we are freed. Freed not only from guilt, but also from isolation. Notice John’s words again: "If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another."[9] Confession and absolution restores not only a right relationship with God but also our relationships with each other. No longer do we have to live with hidden sins that fester and divide. In the light, there is forgiveness, there is healing, and there is true fellowship.

So, dear friends, I urge you: do not fear the light. Step into it daily. Use the gift of confession and absolution often. Your pastor is obligated to hear your confessions and give you the forgiveness that the Lord Jesus has commanded to be put on you. It is not a burden, but a blessing. It is not a punishment, but a pathway to peace. Come to your Heavenly Father with all your sins, the small ones, the big ones, the ones you can’t seem to shake. Come, not with fear, but with trust. And hear His words of forgiveness spoken just for you. And then, walk forward in that light. Walk with joy, with freedom, with fellowship. For the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin.

 In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

 The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] 1 John 1:7-9 English Standard Version. All subsequent citations are from the ESV.

[2] 1 John 1:5

[3] 1 John 1:6

[4] Large Catechism Part 2, Section 3, Paragraph 55.

[5] 1 John 1:7

[6] Small Catechism Part V, Paragraph 16.

[7] 1 John 1:9

[8] 1 John 1:8

[9] 1 John 1:7