The Word: 1 John 1:5-2:2

“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. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself 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 that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous 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. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (NASB1995)

John’s discussion continues along the theme of “fellowship” from verses 1:1-4 (1 John 1:1-4 Blog). At this point, He is going to begin a task which permeates the rest of the letter: Distinguishing between those who are “in” fellowship with God, and those who are not (“out”). However, before focusing on these two distinct groups, he first makes an important statement about God. “God is Light,” he says, recounting a truth that Jesus taught, “and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

Why does John decide to begin this section by making an objective statement about God? Here’s why: To understand what characterizes those who are “in” fellowship with God, you must know who God is, and what He is like. God is “Light,” and in this immediate passage, light is understood practically in terms of sin (see v. 8-10). Therefore, in practical terms, John is saying that God is sinless [Light], there is absolutely no sin [darkness] in Him at all.” This truth about God is very significant, and its implications will be drawn out further in the “Confrontation” section later. For now, this truth is meant to serve the argument that John will make in the remaining verses.

In verse 6, John shifts now to his audience to set forth the test of fellowship with this God who is Light ( “If we say we have fellowship with Him“). Since God is Light (v. 5), then those who say they walk with God (Light) and yet actually “walk in darkness” prove themselves to be liars and living contrary to the truth. The word “walk” here is used metaphorically to refer to one’s way of life. An important truth emerges from John’s argument in verse 6 – the direction of one’s life reveals far more than the mere confession of one’s words (“If we say…and yet walk“). John’s logic is straightforward: Your way of life cannot be oriented toward God and away from God at the same time. If you are walking in darkness, you are walking “out” of fellowship with God.

However, in contrast to a “dark” walk, verse 7 reveals a life walked in the Light. Previously I mentioned that Light/darkness referred to sin in this context, but John also uses them to refer to truth and lies. The life walked in the Light is a life lived according to the truth of God’s Word, especially as revealed through the manifestation of the Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-4). The benefits of living according to the truth are twofold: 1) We have fellowship with one another (v. 7). All who walk “in” fellowship with God also have fellowship with one another. 2) Cleansing of sin (v. 7). Here, the idea of cleansing encompasses more than just forgiveness; it also means freedom from its power. More on this later.

At this point, to keep the message clear, the passage could be filled in to read this way: “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is [Sinless/Truth], and in Him there is no [sin/lies] at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in [sin], we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the [truth] as He Himself is in the [Truth], we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

In verse 8, John continues his contrast of who is “in” and “out,” but now focuses exclusively on sin. First, he addresses those who “say they have no sin.” In other words, they say they have no darkness. Yet, in verse 5, John is clear that only God is able to make that claim. The claim to have no sin is arrogance because Scripture is clear that only God is without sin, as John had just declared in verse 5 (cf. Romans 3:23). Such arrogant people, John declares, are deceived and without truth.

Yet, in contrast to such pride is a humble life: “If we confess our sins…” (v. 9). A life that is lived according to the truth of God’s Word is a life that humbly confesses sin. Confession of sin requires recognition (“God, I know that darkness is in me.”) and repentance (“God, I want to turn from darkness to walk in Your Light.”). Just as with walking in the Light in verse 7, confessing sin also has its benefits. First, John says that “God is faithful and just” to both FORGIVE and CLEANSE our sins and unrighteousness. God’s faithfulness emphasizes the fact that God will do it. God is faithful to His word, and He has declared that all who recognize and repent of their sin will be forgiven and cleansed.

Additionally, God’s righteousness emphasizes that God can do it. This statement is not in reference to God’s power, but rather His character. John just said that God is Light and has no darkness at all. Now John is saying that God looks upon dark (sinful) people who recognize and repent of their darkness (sin) and accepts them into His Light. How is that possible? Only through the forgiveness and cleansing of His Son, Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul addressed a similar issue in Romans 3:21-26 as He defends God’s righteousness to justify the ungodly (cf. Romans 4:5). This reality is the heartbeat of the good news of the gospel: The sinless God saves godless sinners!

Now, in verse 10, John returns to make one final point about those who refuse to acknowledge their sin: “We make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” John wants to be clear that to deny your sin does not simply say something about you, but also about God. Since God’s word has declared all to be sinners, those who deny their sin call God a liar! To call God a liar is to say the opposite of what John declared in verse 5 – to call God a liar is to say that there is darkness in Him! Such a reality is the height of pride and rebellion against God and His Word. Such a person is completely devoid of truth and demonstrates no reverence for God’s nature or character. Such a person is clearly “out” of fellowship with God!

Finally, in 1 John 2:1-2, the Apostle reveals his purpose for discussing the contrasts between Light/darkness, truth/lies, righteousness/sin. He states: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” In short, his purpose of writing to the believers in his day was to discourage the pursuit of sin. He was calling them, or at least reminding them, to not walk in the darkness, contrary to God! Yet, with this exhortation, he adds: “Any if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

John wanted to encourage his disciples not to walk in sin, but he knew that they would not be sinless. The solution, then, was for them to continue to put their trust in Jesus – the only true Righteous One, the One who would come to their aid and defense in this battle (“Advocate”), the One whose blood removes the penalty and power of sin over their lives (“propitiation”). These are the benefits of those who were “in” fellowship with God, not just from John’s audience, but from the whole world. This faith in Jesus and His sacrifice for sin is what marks all who are “in” fellowship with God!

The Confrontation

1) Be convinced that God is sinless. As John declared, God “has no darkness in Him at all.” None. Zero. Zilch. This truth is important, especially apologetically. As many wrestle with the reality of sin and suffering in this world, they can be tempted to question God’s will and character. Although such realities can be perplexing to consider, what we must recognize is that sin, evil, injustice, and all other related adjectives are foreign to God’s character and nature. So, as we wrestle with the reality of sin and suffering in the world, whatever purpose God has for permitting these things to exist, they do not arise from a place of sin or evil in God, because He is incapable of such acts. They are completely foreign to who He is! This truth should provide comfort to us as we know that the God who is in control of this often-dark world is not dark Himself!

2) Recognize the importance of distinguishing between true confessors of faith and false professors of faith. An important question must be considered from the passage: Who is John addressing? Often, 1 John 1:8-10 is used to describe how someone gets saved. Although that application can be derived from this passage, John’s primary concern is not evangelism, but fellowship. He is concerned with exposing who is “in” and who is “out” of fellowship with God. In his day, there were some professors of faith already walking away from the faith and the fellowship of the church (1 John 2:19), which required answers to some tough questions. In addition, there were likely many who claimed to be in fellowship with God and believe in Jesus, but their lives completely contradicted their claim.

Genuine believers back then needed to be able to know who was truly with them, and who wasn’t. The same reality still applies for Christians and churches in the 21st century. The Christian life is often illustrated by battle or warfare. In battle or war, you need to know who is truly on your side and who isn’t. You don’t want to get invested with those who are actually working for the enemy nor will abandon you in time of need! The Spirit of God has provided these tests of true fellowship to churches for a reason, and we must be obedient to employ them with humility and wisdom.

3) Understand that what God expects is not sinless perfection, but repentance. I won’t belabor this point here since I have addressed this question in another blog on the same passage (See Blog Here). In short, John is clear that believers confess their sin (v. 9). Therefore, the idea of a “perfect” Christian in this life is one who is repentant, not sinless. God is working to make us sinless which will be a reality when His kingdom is fully consummated, but on this side of that consummation, repentance is a major part of that sanctifying work!