It always starts with the character of God

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 
Most of us know the key verse we are approaching here: verse 9 - the promise of forgiveness we all cling to.  But before we get there, we need to back up to the foundation.  The language of John here is simple, but the principles are profound.  God could make like because He is Light.  There is nothing hidden - no dark corners; He is totally pure light in His character.  He is so light, we in our sinfulness have difficulty looking and seeing Him clearly, but that's us, not Him.  Where the Light is, everything is seen as it truly is, including us.  We are not all light; we have dark spots of sin.  God's light reveals that.  The question comes in then as how we will respond to the Light: run and hide, or be exposed and be cleansed?  The Light is never the problem.  He is perfect and pure.  He will not lie to us.