1 John 1:5

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

(v5, NIV)

John begins this next section describing God. In this description and declaration of God, he says that it is the message that they have heard from him. The "him" is referring to either God or Jesus. In the last section, John explains that they have heard, seen and touched the living Christ. They hear the living word, and they also hear this next thing that he is about to tell them. It's interesting that John continues to use the word "we". The things in the last section were with reference to "we" and "our". This message he is declaring to his readers is not simply something only he has heard. There are other believers and testifiers to this message that also have heard it and declare it.

So, what is this message? God is light. It seems like a simple assertion that will find little opposition. However, this is important for the picture John is painting. He is using this to make clear the points he will make in this section. Regardless, God is light. Not only is God light, but there is no darkness in him. God is pure in the fact that there is no darkness in him. He is light, and only light.

Light reveals and makes known. God is light, and he is also the one who reveals the word of life to us. Since God is light, it makes sense for him to also be the one who reveals. If you're in a dark room, it is hard to tell what's in the room. Turning on the light allow you to see what's in the room, revealing what was in the darkness.