I John 1: Walking in the Light of Fellowship
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that 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.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
I John 1 is a powerful introduction to a letter focused on the practical outworking of faith. It's not just about believing, but about living in a way that reflects that belief. The chapter lays the groundwork for understanding key themes like truth versus falsehood, light versus darkness, and genuine fellowship with God and one another versus self-deception. John, writing as an eyewitness to Jesus, emphasizes the seriousness of these distinctions as markers for spiritual self-reflection.
An Encounter with Eternal Life (1:1-4)
John begins with a bold declaration rooted in his personal experience. He isn't relaying secondhand information; he’s sharing what he himself has "heard," "seen with our eyes," "looked at," and "touched" (I John 1:1). This wasn't some distant, abstract concept. This was a tangible encounter with Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of Life, who existed "from the beginning" (I John 1:1).
John emphasizes the reality of Jesus' physical presence and the impact it had on him and the other apostles. The Son of God revealed Himself to them in person. John is essentially saying, “We were there; we know Jesus.” And now we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father. This is a direct, eyewitness testimony to the reality of Jesus.
The purpose of this testimony? Fellowship. John wants his readers to share in the same vibrant relationship that he and the other apostles enjoyed – a koinonia, a shared partnership, not just with them, but "with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ" (I John 1:3). When you trusted in Christ as your Savior, you entered into a legal relationship with God. But it’s possible to have a legal relationship with God en route to heaven without enjoying closeness with God on earth. John wrote this letter so that its readers could have fellowship with us [the apostles]; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John's ultimate desire is that their "joy may be complete" (I John 1:4). It’s possible to be a Christian and lack joy. It’s possible to merely go through the motions. But John wants his audience to know joy. And when you experience meaningful, intimate fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, you will experience true joy that is not dependent on your circumstances and that is available nowhere else. True joy transcends external circumstances. It is stability on the inside in spite of what is occurring on the outside. This joy isn't circumstantial; it's a deep, abiding joy that comes from intimate connection with God.
God is Light (1:5-7)
Having established the foundation of personal experience and shared fellowship, John moves to a crucial declaration about God's nature: "God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all" (I John 1:5). The function of light is to reveal things as they truly are. Light exposes. If you shine a light down a city alley in the middle of night, you’ll see cockroaches scatter because they want to do their dirty work in secret. If you want God’s personal presence and activity in your life, you must be willing to allow his light to expose your sinful thoughts, attitudes, speech, and actions that are inconsistent with his character. This echoes Jesus’ words in John 3:19, "The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil."
This isn't just a nice spiritual thought; it has profound implications for how we live. John immediately connects this truth to the reality of fellowship. You can’t have fellowship with God apart from the apostles. They experienced Jesus Christ firsthand (1:1-3). People who skip what the apostles have to say about him will invent their own false spirituality.
The truth of the Bible, when applied to the life of the believer, enhances their fellowship and spiritual intimacy with God. He writes, "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (I John 1:6). Fellowship with God isn’t validated by your lips; it’s validated by your walk. Praising God and shouting “amen” have their place. But intimacy with God must be demonstrated through actions, not merely through vocabulary. True fellowship is demonstrated by a life lived in accordance with God's character, a life that embraces the light.
But there's also incredible grace here. John continues, "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" (I John 1:7). This doesn’t mean you must live without sinning. Only God is light (1:5); you are called to walk in the light. You must be willing to let God expose the sin in you. Those who walk in the light aren’t sinless. But the light enables them to see their sin so they may repent. Walking in the light means being willing to expose our lives to God's truth, allowing His light to reveal areas of sin and darkness. And when that happens, the blood of Jesus . . . cleanses us (1:7) so that we may grow in sanctification, spiritual maturity, and intimacy with the Lord. When holy people see themselves in God’s light, they see their dirt. And when they see the dirt, they want God to deal with it—something he is delighted to do.
This passage emphasizes that only as we live fully exposed to the truth of God is the ongoing cleansing work of the blood of Christ activated to reveal, cleanse, and empower us to address the sin that has been exposed. Then fellowship with God is maintained and expanded. Failure to do this keeps God’s work dormant in the life of the believer.
The Importance of Confession (1:8-10)
John confronts another common form of self-deception: denying the reality of sin in our lives. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8). On our best days, we fall miles short of God’s holy standard. To deny there is sin in your life, you’re deceiving yourself (1:8) because you’re certainly not deceiving anyone else.
But there is hope! "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). Why? Well, when we confess our sins to God, we are agreeing with what God’s Word reveals about us. We are admitting that what the light exposes is not just a mistake, a bad habit, or a mere product of our upbringing. It’s sin. This allows forgiveness and cleansing power to flow.
Confession isn't just about saying sorry; it's about agreeing with God about the reality of our sin and turning away from it. This allows forgiveness and cleansing power to flow. To deny your sin is to call God a liar and forfeit the hope of his word doing its transforming work in your life (1:10).
I John 1 is an invitation to a life of authentic fellowship with God, a fellowship characterized by honesty, transparency, and a willingness to walk in the light. It's a call to embrace the truth about ourselves, confess our sins, and experience the cleansing power of Jesus Christ. It’s a journey, not a destination, a continual process of allowing God's light to shine into the dark corners of our hearts and lives.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that 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.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
I John 1 is a powerful introduction to a letter focused on the practical outworking of faith. It's not just about believing, but about living in a way that reflects that belief. The chapter lays the groundwork for understanding key themes like truth versus falsehood, light versus darkness, and genuine fellowship with God and one another versus self-deception. John, writing as an eyewitness to Jesus, emphasizes the seriousness of these distinctions as markers for spiritual self-reflection.
An Encounter with Eternal Life (1:1-4)
John begins with a bold declaration rooted in his personal experience. He isn't relaying secondhand information; he’s sharing what he himself has "heard," "seen with our eyes," "looked at," and "touched" (I John 1:1). This wasn't some distant, abstract concept. This was a tangible encounter with Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of Life, who existed "from the beginning" (I John 1:1).
John emphasizes the reality of Jesus' physical presence and the impact it had on him and the other apostles. The Son of God revealed Himself to them in person. John is essentially saying, “We were there; we know Jesus.” And now we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father. This is a direct, eyewitness testimony to the reality of Jesus.
The purpose of this testimony? Fellowship. John wants his readers to share in the same vibrant relationship that he and the other apostles enjoyed – a koinonia, a shared partnership, not just with them, but "with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ" (I John 1:3). When you trusted in Christ as your Savior, you entered into a legal relationship with God. But it’s possible to have a legal relationship with God en route to heaven without enjoying closeness with God on earth. John wrote this letter so that its readers could have fellowship with us [the apostles]; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John's ultimate desire is that their "joy may be complete" (I John 1:4). It’s possible to be a Christian and lack joy. It’s possible to merely go through the motions. But John wants his audience to know joy. And when you experience meaningful, intimate fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, you will experience true joy that is not dependent on your circumstances and that is available nowhere else. True joy transcends external circumstances. It is stability on the inside in spite of what is occurring on the outside. This joy isn't circumstantial; it's a deep, abiding joy that comes from intimate connection with God.
God is Light (1:5-7)
Having established the foundation of personal experience and shared fellowship, John moves to a crucial declaration about God's nature: "God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all" (I John 1:5). The function of light is to reveal things as they truly are. Light exposes. If you shine a light down a city alley in the middle of night, you’ll see cockroaches scatter because they want to do their dirty work in secret. If you want God’s personal presence and activity in your life, you must be willing to allow his light to expose your sinful thoughts, attitudes, speech, and actions that are inconsistent with his character. This echoes Jesus’ words in John 3:19, "The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil."
This isn't just a nice spiritual thought; it has profound implications for how we live. John immediately connects this truth to the reality of fellowship. You can’t have fellowship with God apart from the apostles. They experienced Jesus Christ firsthand (1:1-3). People who skip what the apostles have to say about him will invent their own false spirituality.
The truth of the Bible, when applied to the life of the believer, enhances their fellowship and spiritual intimacy with God. He writes, "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (I John 1:6). Fellowship with God isn’t validated by your lips; it’s validated by your walk. Praising God and shouting “amen” have their place. But intimacy with God must be demonstrated through actions, not merely through vocabulary. True fellowship is demonstrated by a life lived in accordance with God's character, a life that embraces the light.
But there's also incredible grace here. John continues, "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" (I John 1:7). This doesn’t mean you must live without sinning. Only God is light (1:5); you are called to walk in the light. You must be willing to let God expose the sin in you. Those who walk in the light aren’t sinless. But the light enables them to see their sin so they may repent. Walking in the light means being willing to expose our lives to God's truth, allowing His light to reveal areas of sin and darkness. And when that happens, the blood of Jesus . . . cleanses us (1:7) so that we may grow in sanctification, spiritual maturity, and intimacy with the Lord. When holy people see themselves in God’s light, they see their dirt. And when they see the dirt, they want God to deal with it—something he is delighted to do.
This passage emphasizes that only as we live fully exposed to the truth of God is the ongoing cleansing work of the blood of Christ activated to reveal, cleanse, and empower us to address the sin that has been exposed. Then fellowship with God is maintained and expanded. Failure to do this keeps God’s work dormant in the life of the believer.
The Importance of Confession (1:8-10)
John confronts another common form of self-deception: denying the reality of sin in our lives. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8). On our best days, we fall miles short of God’s holy standard. To deny there is sin in your life, you’re deceiving yourself (1:8) because you’re certainly not deceiving anyone else.
But there is hope! "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). Why? Well, when we confess our sins to God, we are agreeing with what God’s Word reveals about us. We are admitting that what the light exposes is not just a mistake, a bad habit, or a mere product of our upbringing. It’s sin. This allows forgiveness and cleansing power to flow.
Confession isn't just about saying sorry; it's about agreeing with God about the reality of our sin and turning away from it. This allows forgiveness and cleansing power to flow. To deny your sin is to call God a liar and forfeit the hope of his word doing its transforming work in your life (1:10).
I John 1 is an invitation to a life of authentic fellowship with God, a fellowship characterized by honesty, transparency, and a willingness to walk in the light. It's a call to embrace the truth about ourselves, confess our sins, and experience the cleansing power of Jesus Christ. It’s a journey, not a destination, a continual process of allowing God's light to shine into the dark corners of our hearts and lives.