1 John 1
The Least Taught Gospel
Lessons John Learned Directly from His Friend Jesus
The themes of this letter are based on John’s years of walking with Jesus, all over Palestine. It does not have many direct quotes from Jesus, but instead John’s letter contains the distilled wisdom of Jesus. This letter points out what was really important to Jesus, from John’s mature perspective as the last surviving Apostle.
This Letter needs to be understood as a whole package. The early themes are explained and expanded in the latter parts of the letter. The message of this letter is very tightly knit giving warnings and encouragement, which builds over the six chapters. John does not write this letter as a reproof, such as the book of Galatians. Instead, it is a message of great encouragement, to a group of mature, growing, believers in Christ that needed further instruction on the central theme of Jesus to love one another.
Its purpose is especially for devoted followers of Jesus who wish to more closely represent the gospel as John the Apostle and friend to Jesus, teaches us. These themes, all believers can find encouragement, are in the settings of John’s “Dear Children” (1 John 2:1) and “Dear Friends” (1 John 2:7), that he has mentored over a period of time.
The entire letter of John is focused on this small group of believers he calls his “dear children,” nine times in this letter, who he called into “fellowship” (1 John 1:3) with him. To have fellowship with the man that knew Jesus and his mother and brothers, all during His ministry—is a great privilege for us who are so far removed from the life of Jesus while on earth.
John’s letter is very different than any other New Testament book. It challenges us, yes it does. It encourages us, yes it does. It warns us of present and future dangers, yes it does. It calls us to the Ministry of the Spirit, yes it does. It makes love the theme of everything, yes it does. It is plain spoken with very brief sentences, yes, it is. It repeats its themes throughout the letter, yes it does.
It is devoid of many of the points of doctrines or creeds that most congregations teach as an essential. To John they are not so essential.
The theme of John’s letter is love, which he mentions forty-three times, and the Gospel of John love is mentioned is fifty-six times for a total about one hundred times. In Matthew’s gospel, love is mentioned sixteen times; Mark 8 times and Luke 19 times for a total of forty-three times.
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, about the same size of letter, love is mentioned just six times. In Colossians love is used eight times, Galatians 5 times and Titus 5 times and thirteen times for I & II Thessalonians. For Paul 6 letters a total of thirty-seven times.
Obviously, John was very concerned that the later Early Church had lost their focus on love. In Revelation, perhaps the last book to be added, “to the church in Ephesus considered the first or early church founded by Paul, “I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Rev 2:4,5). This is a very serious condition, and every modern congregation should make love a centerpiece. Or they will be left without a light and witness in the community. Many churches wonder why they do not grow; they should look no further than the lack of caring love for each other, in their midst.
The loss of love in the growing early church was a source of real concern for John. It was to him the most important doctrine, of all the teaching of Jesus. John’s letter grows more profound as the letter proceeds.
John mentions the need for believers to love each other about twenty times. This is the MOST neglected part of the gospel we preach and teach. Nearly all congregations present faith in God and forgiveness of sin. But seldom does any congregation present love for each other as command of God. John said, this is God command “to love one another as he [God] as commanded us.” John even goes one step further, “The one that keeps God’s commands live in him and he in them” (1 John 3;23,24). Meaning if we want to have God dwell in us by His Spirit, we need to focus on love for each other. To allow disagreements, over any issue, which leads to feelings of ill-will or even dislike to the point of shunning them—is the sure way of creating a mostly dead congregation.
The center theme of John’s letter is chapter 3 verses 23-24 and chapter 4 verses 7 to 21. The focus is a detailed description of love. John presents the same concept of our need to love others, in a large variety of descriptions.
This is a very serious warning, to neglect the practice of love, without hate in any of its forms. Without the love of God in us, toward others—We stand a serious chance of being outside of the Holy City. Listen to John: “This is his [God’s] command: to believe [have faith] in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he [God] commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them” (1 John 3:23,24). These two commands must always go together. Faith in Christ is demonstrated by love for others.
During the time of Paul and the Apostles of Peter and James, Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church “Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other” (1 Thess 4:9). Paul believed that love for each other in their fellowship was a top priority. So did God, that He Himself taught them to love each other. What a blessed congregation to attend, to be loved with a pure Christ based love.
First John compared to Paul’s letters is less logical and theological. It does not compare to Romans, Ephesians or Galatians that create a theme and logically move you from point A to the conclusion. John’s letter is a serious conversation about the need to love one another, so as not to walk in darkness and to pay close attention to Jesus’ teaching, which will bring into your life the love of God.
Most Christian communities are not noted to being strongholds for Christian love. They are often more concerned about teaching points of doctrine with many general calls to accept Jesus as their Savior, which is good. Many congregations are not very welcoming to strangers, and it may take years for a new person, unless they are very talented, beautiful, highly educated or have friends in high places to be welcomed at the table. If ever John’s letter on love is needed, it is Christian churches all over the world.
John does not spend any time teaching justification by faith in detail as Paul has. Paul spends nearly ten chapters on this subject, four in Galatians and about six chapters in Romans with further description scattered throughout the rest of his letters. John takes us to higher levels, of the believers walk. Although we have found John describing the product of justification without using the word.
Sadly, this letter is mostly neglected in modern pulpits. Many of its themes are buried treasure, which require repeated prayerful uncovering of its many challenges. Some portions of this letter are extremely precious, and we wish to hold the pages on our chest, because they are so encouraging. Large sections of this letter form a bold challenge to examine our own hearts, so see if any darkness of hate and failure to love others is present.
Although most place Revelation as the last book to be added to the Cannon, we get the feeling that 1 John is writing after all the Apostles had already died. Because of John’s modest stress that he saw and touched Jesus. He is giving a witness after nearly all other witnesses had died.
Light VS Darkness.
Hate VS love.
Old Commandment VS New Commandment.
Anointing by the Holy One VS The Antichrist.
Doing what is right because God is righteous VS Doing what is sinful like the Evil One.
Spirit of God VS spirit of Falsehood
Born of God to Love VS Not Love because not Born of God
Whoever lives in God will live in love.
God is eternal life
If you do not love another, you are not Born of God
To hate is murder
We know God lives in us because we have the Spirit
We have not intended this commentary to be concise and brief. We have intended to give a longer more detailed, look at each passage, as best as we can. We sometimes repeat the general themes in an effort to be honest with text. To stress what appears to us, to be very important, we have repeated and re-worded similar sections differently. Sometimes repeating the entire verse twice. We know our commentary is long and detailed, well over 112,000 words. Do not’ try reading it all in one setting, each theme must be digested and understood. And do not take one verse out of the context of preceding and following verses. We have not borrowed, knowingly, material from any other known sources, because we wanted to build on Scriptures alone. We are not the final word, but a flawed witness to the glory of Scriptures and our Lord Jesus Christ.
This work is always on-going. From now on there will be correction is spelling and sentence structure. New insights will come to us that need to be further explained in different passages. Understanding Scriptures is Spirit given, which all believers are privileged to have. Different and deeper understanding is strongly related to the individual’s walk with God.
We claim no perfection, in anything. No interpretation is beyond better understanding. The grand ideas John writes about are spiritually concentrated, written to a degree in shorthand. Briefly, so that the reader can connect with similar themes presented elsewhere in Scriptures. John needs the reader to think deeply about each passage with prayer.
As usual, we have not relied on any other published commentaries or books on 1 John. We have purposely not read them, so we come to a verse with no prior opinion already set in our minds. We invite you to further research this letter from other sources, so your understanding will not be based all on what we have written. There is much more to learn than we presented. Share with us your insights, so we will grow in our understanding.
Another reason why we have avoided other authors is that honestly all writers need to honor copyright laws. Thus, we have no copyright issues with any of this material. Yet we trust that none of our readers will take our material to publish for profit. We encourage you to use any material for personal, preaching, teaching, and sharing.
Although we think that 1 John should be studied in connection with Revelation. First John is more like a commentary on the book of John. It is written by one that has spent more than three years walking, talking with the physical Jesus the Christ. The conversation John had with Jesus with a lifetime to dwell on his unique experience, John has written to us this letter.
The text we use is NIV with the NKJV underneath. All Biblical quotes in the text are from NIV unless we otherwise indicate. Neither translation is perfect, however when we combine the two, we are often able to have a clearer picture of the verse. Most underlined words or phrases are taken from the text under discussion. Sometimes our discussion of a text may take many pages. We advise you to keep the text we are discussing in mind.
Authored by: Brothers in Scripture.
Our names are not important, we are not interested in personal acclaim, following the example of Matthew, Luke, Mark, Acts. John who made no mentions of himself, instead he often used the plural names, such as “we” or “our,” or writing in the second person, yet we are open to receive invitation to teach these words in person, as the Lord may will.
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at [observed] and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. NIV
1:1 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, concerning the Word of life NKJV
John uses this expression “we” 20 times in the first chapter, and in the whole letter “we” is used seventy-eight times. In the first chapter John uses “us” 7 times and “our” 6 times with one “ourselves”. John does not use “I” or “myself” even once, in this first chapter.
John does not say, “I have touched him with my hands,” but instead used the plural pronoun “we.” We should take note of John’s style, which was the opposite of religious leaders focusing too much on their own experiences, making themselves the center of their sermon. John had no desire to make himself the center of his teachings, as one that deserves acclaim. Although he could have, he did not. Instead, John displays humility, when he could have talked about HIS experiences, HIS witness and by this means lifted himself up as the supreme great authority, that all should honor. But he did not for even one second.
John could have written about his personal encounters with Jesus, as they walked from town to town, over a period of three years. John could have written that he knew very important people, such as Peter and Paul. He could tell us about the mother of Jesus and repeated some of the stories that she told him about Jesus as a youth. But did not, even for a second, dwell on things that would spotlight him and his activities, in this letter.
John affirms what is most important at the beginning of the letter. He knew Jesus personally. His witness is first-hand, which no one alive in John’s time could claim, as he is writing this letter at the close of the first century.
Thus, what he is about to write should be taken very seriously by us today, because John is the last witness to teach us about Jesus, from a personal, firsthand experience. No author today, has the credentials, that John has, having been with Jesus during his public ministry.
John does not just claim to know Jesus. More than any other person alive at the time John is writing he witnessed the baptism of Jesus with the Holy Spirit as a dove and the voice of Heaven declaring this to be His loved Son. John followed Jesus at all the events of his public ministry. At His resurrection John saw him, he saw him die on the cross, the only disciple to be present.
John does not use the term touched casually. Jesus was touchable, people could approach him and hold on to him. After he healed crowds, “the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all” (Lk 6:19). It would be inconceivable that a man or woman, would not want to embrace him after he healed them. They would want to express their gratitude after they were walking and talking and moving around pain free. Yes, Jesus was very touchable.
Jesus welcomed children around him. “People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them” (Mk 10:13). Imagine sick children holding on to their legs as they were standing or trying to move to speak to another person.
When Mary came to the tomb to cry and heard Jesus speak to her, she immediately went to hug him and he said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father” (John 20:17). She was holding on so tight, to not lose him again. Jesus had to tell her to let him go, because he had been away for more than 30 years from the “one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:6).
It had been about 60 years since John heard the voice of Jesus, now he recalls it from his memory. John remembers not only the sound of his voice, but what He said and how He conducted himself in private and public.
John saw the human body of Christ. They stood beside him, looking into his eyes. They saw him in the morning, they ate their meals with him, they laid down on the ground near him at night. They stood beside him as he raised the dead. After the public trial and death of Jesus, after his resurrection; John was there and heard Jesus say, “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself!” (Luke 24:39). They missed nothing, they saw, they watched, they beheld in wonder of it all.
John followed Jesus and watched him carefully, as he moved through the villages as a man. Stopping to eat at a home where he had healed the sick. Visting the elderly, talking to the children and teaching, always sharing words that bring life and hope.
To John the expression “Word of Life” was a literal expression. The words Jesus spoke was “With authority and power” (Lk 4:36). Jesus did not do well wishes and prayer for a better outcome tomorrow in any event or person in need.
The dead could hear His voice. “Jesus called in a loud voice,” so all the crowds that were following this public event could hear what he was about to say. “Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out of the hillside grave, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face” (John 11:43,44). Nobody that has ever lived has ever done this. No doubt about it, His word contained life and his word gave life, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually—so that we can know for sure that as we read His words have power and life.
Talking about his physical life Jesus said, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down [my life] of my own accord. I have authority [power] to lay it down and authority [power] to take it up again” (John 10:18). Who has ever said, they can give up their life and die. Then after they are dead and buried, could, of themselves, bring themselves back to life again?
There seemed to be no situation that Jesus was incapable of controlling. Even when their fishing boat that was about to capsize with his disciples, Jesus could calmly control the situation. “Men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matt 8:27)
The important thing for us to know is that now, in our time, our century, our lives—the words of Jesus still have power. They have power to give us who believe, eternal life at the resurrection at the last day. There is no one else can claim that about their life, who can say as Jesus did “my words will never pass away” no event on earth, no situation could arise that would cancel the words, the promises of Jesus. Even if “Heaven” or our “earth” will cease to exist, which is a total impossibility that all the cosmos all the millions of galaxies would turn to darkness, “but My words will by no means pass away” (Matt 24:35). Which means that His words were before all things in the cosmos, making all things visible, is now made available to us in the life and teachings of Jesus.
Simon Peter said the truth for us, and we should listen very carefully, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Now it is our turn to “hold firmly to the word of life” (Phil 2:16). He is all that He said he was, the giver of life, “indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world” (John 4:32); “who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:10). Now, right now accept this as the truth “the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:14). Yes, the Word of Life. Life for you, your family that provides to all of us “God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:17).
1 John 1:2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. NIV
1:2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—NKJV
Reworded Text
The life of Jesus, the Word of Life, was open for us to see. We saw him, we have testified, and we have given witness to what we saw and heard from His lips. Now we announce to you that Christ Jesus has Eternal Life inside him, as a birthright. He was with the Father, and the Father was with Him, this was seen and known to us. “For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26).
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (1 John 1:14).
John was Up Close to Jesus
John did not see the life of Jesus from a distance. Not from a secondhand report or that of reading a book on the subject. As one of the first disciples chosen since the time of John the Baptist, he has a true and accurate testimony to give to us in this letter.
This is the purpose of John writing this letter, to proclaim and to declare it to you. That is, you, today. Thank you, Lord for preserving this letter, there is nothing like it in any current or past Christian publications. Along with the gospel’s we treasure this letter from Apostle John
John affirms the fact that he has seen the Lord five times in this letter and four times in the book of John.
Apostolic Personal Testimony
We have heard with our ears
We have seen with our eyes
We have looked at, observed carefully
We have touched, with our hands
We now proclaim to you that we have personally known as “The Word of Life” (1:1)
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it
The life we proclaim to you is the eternal life which was with the Father
This life appeared to us (1:2)
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard (1:3)
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world (4:14)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14)
John the Baptist said: “I have seen, and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One” (John 1:34)
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news of the resurrection of Jesus said, “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18)
Jesus showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (John 20:20).
One of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it [John] has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe (John 19:34-35).
“We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain” (1 Pet 1:18)
“I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings” (1 Pet 5:1)
“He [Resurrected Christ] appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time” (1 Cor 15:6)
Eternal Life in the Son of God
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:11,12). To have Jesus in our lives, is eternal life. This is the gospel. “Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me” (John 6:57).
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). God has reached to all humanity, in a historical human life, that marvels millions every day. When unbelievers look at that Life, they become believers. When believers look at that Life, they are “transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor 3:18).
Appeared or Manifested
The Greek means to make apparent, to make it evident and to display it. Jesus made himself known to those around him. He was always displaying himself, his compassion, his love and caring for others. He was always teaching, He was open and visible, known by many in every village. He was seen and his voice was heard by thousands, who were drawn to him.
Once 5,000 men totaling more than 15,000 with women and children walked long distance, even with infants. It was of such importance that almost everyone forgot to bring something to eat. It was to be where this man Jesus was present, nothing else at the moment or in the immediate future mattered at all, they left their normal activities all behind.
Bear Witness and Testify
The Greek means not only to bear witness and testify but to give evidence, to affirm that they have seen, have heard and have experienced about what they are now talking. Now they bear record and give honest reports on what they know to be true.
John the Baptist was the first public witness and “John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One” (John 1:32-34).
What is the purpose of bearing witness to us? It is to give us great assurance that, John is bearing witness to the one man that ever lived, can alone give us Eternal Life. Our lives that are so temporary will be replaced with a life that is so permanent and eternal forever- forever. This new eternal life will be so full of life, just as was the life of Jesus on earth.
John said he Proclaims This To You
At this time in 90-110 AD, when John the Elder, is writing, very few people, which knew Jesus are still alive. If they were they would not likely be able to travel to the location this letter was sent. To listen to John, what a privilege, what an honor. If we could, we would soak up our time with John with many questions and take notes of everything he would say about Jesus and the other disciples. Now we have John’s letter telling us about the message of this man that John knew as his friend.
This is the purpose of this letter to you. To proclaim Jesus to you, to know the truth and not be deceived by the “many antichrists [that] have come” (1 John 2:18) “and even now is already in the world” (1 John 4:3). But more important than this is to know that only from this man Jesus Christ you can be given the gift of eternal life. Later John says, “we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). Believe it, it is true.
Eternal Life, Coming from the Father
There is NO doubt, there is no other that has ever lived, or has claimed—to possess in themselves life that is eternal and can give eternal life. There is only one, that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
(1) ‘And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1 John 5:11
(2) “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13
(3) “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20
(4) “Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.’” John 6:38
(5) “Everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:15,16
(6) “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:40
(7) “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.” John 6:47
(8) “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24
(9) “Having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” Titus 3:7
(10) “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” Jude 21
1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 1:4 We write this to make our [your] joy complete. NIV
1:3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 1:4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. NKJV
Join our Fellowship, Like John Experienced with Jesus
The Greek word for fellowship is a Feminine Noun meaning participation and sharing or social gathering, where people are in partnership. John does not invite them to be part of a church but something far different, to be part of a fellowship with other believers.
John invites His “dear children” (1 John 2:1) to be a part of his fellowship. He is following the pattern of Jesus. For instance, when Jesus was invited at the house of Lazarus and his sisters, they would be present with him. John listened and learned from Jesus personal teachings, so he had fellowship with Jesus.
John joined Jesus and other disciples at lunch where they could ask questions and listen to the conversation of Jesus. They were on a first name bases, Jesus to them and John to Jesus. They would have their mats laid on the floor, side by side, in a home that invited them for the night. At the table women would be serving and eating with them. Everyone would be listening to Jesus, asking him questions, and together enjoying the children. Hands touched each other as they dipped bread into a common bowl of olive oil.
They would even listen and watch as Jesus prayed. Once they even interrupted Jesus asking Him to teach them to pray like He prayed. “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk 11:1), just like you do.
Jesus invited people to come to him, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). We want you to imagine people coming to the opening arms of Jesus, with heads bowed. Children were greeted by Jesus with his hands on their heads or pick up a “child in his arms” (Mk 10:16).
All Those near Jesus would naturally find peace and rest from all their anxiety and trouble. It was a joy to experience the peaceful and assuring presence of Jesus.
Join Our Fellowship—Have fellowship with Us
John calls those in this letter his “dear children” five times and six times “dear friends” to be part of his fellowship. This is a fellowship John has patterned after his master, Jesus Christ. Just as he had when he followed Jesus from village to village.
Their fellowship was not based on the business of the gospel, such as making goals to gain a larger number of followers as possible. Of how to increase their tithe and offerings or how to build a larger network of worship centers. Instead, it was based on expressing love for each other. “Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end” (John 13:1).
These early disciples were soon to be the leaders of the greatest movement in the history of the world. A constantly fresh and renewed, from the inside, movement. The disciples had no interest in making the gospel big business, with large salaries. The Early Church did not collect tithe for themselves. Instead, they were to be known for their warm wholesome loving care for each other
Our Fellowship is Together with John and the Father and Son
John does not used the Old Testament names of God, instead he freely uses the new way to look at God, as a Father. Jesus taught a new picture of God as a very loving parent. In the last prayer of Jesus to his Father he prayed, “and you [Father] have loved them just as you have loved me” (John 17:23). John is following Jesus’ example of bringing people together in social, uplifting, fellowship with each other. John frequently told the fellowship, “Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God” (1 John 4:7).
Joy Made Complete
Joy is awareness of God’s grace, love, and favor. Joy that comes from fellowship with Jesus, as John will explain in more detail in his letter. The experience of real fellowship with God and his Son, there will be joy, diffused into our heart. It will be made complete; this is to be carried out all through our life’s ups and downs.
Joy is refreshing, like a babbling brook, apart from circumstances. Joy is not necessarily found at every moment of your life. But once experienced, its presence and comfort, you will not forget. Joy is not like a drug, but is close, akin to delight. Joy when true, will enhance love for God and His Son. Joy and love are twin sisters; they will be made sweeter near to each other. Joy is far from self-indulgence, and anything related to sensual thoughts or desires. It is found in desires to do good to others, to be found close to God in prayer.
Selfishness, pride and forgetfulness of the teachings of Jesus, will cause us to lose this precious gift of joy, and it will be replaced by careless and idle laughter. Later in this letter John warns those in fellowship with him, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (1 John 2:15).
Joy in answered prayer: “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24)
Joy and peace: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:13).
God is Calling You
“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor 1:9). In this letter of John, we will learn more of what it means to be in fellowship with Jesus and the Father. “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor 13:14).
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him [Jesus] and declare [announce] to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1:6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. NIV
1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. NKJV
Light & Darkness is the Overall Theme of John’s Entire Letter.
Light is faith in Jesus, his words, with forgiveness and healing, all in and about love dwelling in the life.
Darkness is no faith, no love, no fellowship with God, with hate for one another with the open wounds of a guilty conscience in compliance with the wishes of the “Evil One” (1 John 2:13,14; 3:12; 5:18-19).
This is the Message From Jesus
Only John used this expression in the New Testament—This Is The Message. This is straightforward, simple, and easy to understand. It is so important to John that he places it in the opening sentences of his letter, so it is not neglected and there is no ambivalence.
If a young person should visit your church and ask you tell them in a few words what is the message that God wants us to know? You would answer positively with great assurance and conviction—There is no, not at all, no darkness, no evil, no desire to harm, in God at all. Instead, God is the direct opposite, being the source and power of light and truth and twice described by John as “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16).
Let us listen to John, the close disciple of Jesus, what message, what sermon should be given to our church members to our community. What should be the theme for our world evangelism? If we do not teach this message, we are most likely to be walking in darkness.
Let us, with John the Apostle who knows what he is saying is the truth; Let us put it on billboards and print. God is loving, not evil, not destructive, not hateful, not spiteful. Why because there is no darkness in him at all.
God is light
“God is love” (1 John 4:8,16), is repeated twice. “God is Spirit” and when we come to know God, He gives us His Spirit, only by His Spirit can we “worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). “This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13). God’s Spirit is called “the Spirit of truth” (John 16:13; 1 John 4:6). The Spirit will give us light and truth, which comes from “the kingdom of light” (Col 1:12). Never does any form of darkness come from God.
Importance of Self-Awareness
John calls us to an awareness of what it means to be in fellowship with our Savior. Guided by the Apostle John, we must not let darkness rule or influence our lives. All who claim to be in fellowship with Christ must carefully observe their life, as Jesus said, “Take heed, watch and pray” (Matt 13:33 NKJV). They must be careful not to let movies and other entertainment that have evil violence, revenge and uncontrolled passion of lust, soaked up by our eyes, as we eat popcorn. Evil will, surely will, begin to create a toleration for darkness in our lives which will blind the eyes (1 John 2:11). If this is the case, our Christian faith, our fellowship with Him, is a lie and we do not practice the truth that God is light, and He does not support darkness.
This is the Message Jesus Wants us To Know
John is repeating instruction that he learned from Jesus. When the room was full, just as the candles were being lite, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Now John announces it to you also. Light is life. Darkness of evil, of lies, of revenge, of hate—Is death. If not interrupted by the call of light of the gospel—darkness will result in absolute death.
In Christ Life There is No Darkness At All
With God, and Jesus who represented Him, there is no unjust anger, no revenge, no off-color words, or actions. Purity and modesty of his actions and words were habitual.
Humility was his light-righteousness. For the first 30 years of life his greatness was covered over as the “son of man.”
In the life of Jesus there was no hidden sins, nothing to confess. There was absolute truthfulness with no stubbornness, without reason. Jesus could say to everyone, “for I always do what pleases him [God]” (John 8:29), and light pleases God not darkness.
In God There is No Darkness at All
God is not the author of war, storms, tornados, earthquakes, or famines, anymore then Jesus in his life brought to his society destructive weather to punish those who wished to do him harm. Never ever must we charge God with the cause of destructive weather or fire. This is the way of darkness; it is not the way of light.
What did Jesus teach us about God the Father? He said, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:35,36). This is not the picture of God, sending floods, tornados, earthquakes, and hurricanes to destroy the lives and homes of people.
God loves to do good, to give to wicked, ungrateful human beings—not expecting anything in return. No acknowledgement, no thanks, no appreciation. Instead, they may hate God, blaspheme Him, and pay no attention at all to the gospel God has provided through His Son.
God does not give men more attention than women. He does not favor one skin color over another. He does not treat women with inequality to men. He does not give one more love than another. Someday, when we can see, it will be surprising to learn how much God loved the unknown, the unloved and the ungodly on earth.
God’s care is unseen, given without the receiver having knowledge of it. God gives talents, abilities, opportunities, home, good spouse, travel opportunities, or privileges, He passes out these gifts to different people, all over the world. Because God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
John wants us to see His character copied in our lives. For us to be like God the Father, we are to copy his goodness, his love, to the unworthy and those who will not return even a thanks. This is the results of the love of God to us, we extent the goodness of God, in millions of ways. We become his hands, feet, and eyes to do good to others.
This is the character, the actions of the redeemed of the Lord. “Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God” (3 John 1:11).
What does God want of us? “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone” (Col 3:12,13).
Those who Fellowship with Christ will Not Live in Darkness
They will not divorce their spouses, because they fell out of love. They will not steal from another nor will they pursue a course of meanness or rudeness to any person, even if they deserve it. John watched closely the actions of Jesus, who did not bring a destructive storm to kill and hurt his accusers. He did not send lightning down on the soldiers that were whipping him. “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness” (1 John 2:9).
Instead, John repeats to us what he learned from Jesus, saying, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). John also repeats a lesson Jesus taught him on the first days of his discipleship, “For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1 John 3:11).
This is the character of Christ and His Father. There are no dark ways about them, no hate, no desire to cause suffering and pain because they wish to create human suffering. Those in church fellowship will strive to have the very same attitude.
1 John 1:6 If we claim to have fellowship with him [Jesus] and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 1:7 [This is the message] But if we walk in [after] the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. NIV
1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. NKJV
Walking in the Light—Means Dealing with Sin
To walk in the light, requires confession of “sins” (1 John 1:9) daily, as we need light all day long. Anything that comes to our conscience, which leads to guilt, must be confessed to God.
Light has ethical overtones. It represents purity, cleanness, intelligence, song, happiness, awareness, vision, and growth. Without it, life cannot exist very long, because darkness does not produce vibrant life.
Jesus told us a short parable about our need of diligence in making sure our life is in order before God. Jesus said, “suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin” (Lk 15:8,9). This is true excitement, walking in the light, discovering truth that strengthens our hearts.
I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness
but will have the light of life
John 8:12
Walking in Darkness
To walk in darkness is to neglect praying to do the will of God in our lives. To not search our hearts as Paul has said, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Cor 13:5).
Darkness can often be hidden inside us; in gray areas we excuse our behavior. A man or woman may allow illicit thoughts or actions that do not cross into infidelity and feel inside themselves that they have done no wrong. Family or spouse may point out to us our flaws and troublesome weaknesses, our failures to do the right thing in a timely manner. If we flatly reject their observations, we might end in darkness.
Darkness can often be regarded as light by the deceived. Jesus has warned us, “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matt 6:23). To be self-deceived is great darkness. The nature of light is to make things visible. When the light of truth is perceived as darkness, darkness becomes truth, in our lives.
Walking in the Light—Demonstrated by Our Care and Love of Others
Our light will grow dim and leave us in the dark if we do not forgive others. John says, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death” (1 John 3:14). Darkness to John is the same as dead, even while we are alive. Paul says the one that “lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives” (1 Tim 5:6).
John is teaching us what Jesus taught him. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God” (John 3:19-21).
All that we do must be done in prayer with Scriptures open to shine light on our thoughts and lives, so that we can live our life as if done in the sight of God. Nothing hidden from our spouse, children, no practice of a habit or sin that is against our conscience. If pursued without confession, we could find ourselves “thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 8:12).
1-Blood of Christ Cleanses Us
After confession of our sins, God forgives and justifies from all our sins and mistakes. As Paul says, “a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (Gal 2:16). In other words, there is nothing we can do in terms of human love or good deeds, which can make us right, justified, before God. But by faith alone we are forgiven and accepted, standing before God as innocent.
2-Blood of Christ Cleanses Us
The idea of cleansing is that of removing stains and dirt, as in laundry of our clothes. Jesus illustrated this concept, “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. (Matt 8:2,3).
Spiritually this means that God cleanses our hearts, our desires, our outlooks, our interest, our taste and replaces them with a dislike or hatred for the former things we used to love that were of darkness. Peter testified that God “did not discriminate between us and them,” Jews and Gentiles, “for he purified [Greek: cleansed] their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9).
Cleansing is what Jesus told Nicodemus that “no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). The water is a symbol of cleansing, “through the sanctifying work of the Spirit” (1 Pet 1:2). When we are born of the Spirit, the Spirit starts many changes in our hearts, over time we are “sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:16). We have a new life” (Acts 5:20) and “the old has gone, the new is here” (2 Cor 5:17). “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom 6:4).
What blessings does the Spirit bring into our new life?
· “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13), convicting us of the truth of the Gospel.
· “Spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Eph 1:17), to know the ways of wisdom for your life.
· “Spirit of grace” (Heb 10:29), making God’s grace known into your life.
· “Spirit of Christ” (Rom 8:9), bringing an awareness of Christ in our lives.
· “Spirit of his Son into our hearts” (Gal 4:16), God giving us love from the presence of Jesus
· “Spirit of God” (Rom 8:14), bringing to us the promise and assurances of our Father.
· “Power of the Spirit of God” (Rom 15:19), power from above for service and growth.
· “Spirit of the living God” (2 Cor 3:3), giving to us a living presence, not from this world.
· “Spirit of faith” (2 Cor 4:13), giving us warm, certain, unshakable faith.
· “Spirit of glory and of God rests on you” (1 Pet 4:14), God gives His Spirit, His personal glory.
3-Blood of Christ Cleanses Us
When we confess our sins, it should be accompanied by repentance. Although John does not speak of repentance separate from confession. For they are designed to be done together. Do we know what true repentance really is?
The central message of John the Baptist was to repent. He “came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Acts 3:1,2). The kingdom of heaven was the coming of the Messiah, the King from Heaven.
Jesus began his ministry calling for all to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. (Matt 4:17). Jesus was teaching all the world the conditions of entering in the kingdom of heaven, and repentance preceded.
Right after Pentecost Peter addressed the crowds, telling them that “This man was handed over to you…with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” Then Peter told the guilty crowd, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. (Acts 2:38).
Repentance is more than confession, although they often can occur together, but not always. Paul says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret” (2 Cor 7:10). True repentance is not surface work of seeing our sin and confessing to the Lord, with a surface sorrow. True repentance is the work of the Spirit, which gives to us deep heartfelt sorrow that may occur over a period of time. We come to see the wrong we have done, the corruption of our hearts in a way that we have never seen before.
Repentance is accompanied with “godly sorrow” that does not want to ever do it again. That desperately wants to be pure and to be cleansed and made white in “the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:14). You will know when you have true repentance, you will feel deeply about your sin, carrying the real weight of to the cross, to be cleansed. To have a change of heart, so as not to even want to do it again.
Deep repentance causes us to turn away from wrong the things we have done so many times, repeatedly. The Spirit does the work inside us, making permanent, changing our attitudes, hopes, dreams and secret wishes, into submission to the good will of God. Over time our sorrow for sin grows stronger with each repentance. It drives us to prayer, to Bible Study, to self-examination in the light of the gospel. God replaces it with joy in the Lord and a desire to do good.
Godly sorrow is true confession, with no self-deception: “David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord’” (2 Sam 12:13).
“Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ So, he went out and wept bitterly” (Matt 25:75). This was Peter’s true repentance. He owned his sin, he confessed his sin, he saw his actions for what his denial of Christ really was—offensive and wrong. It hurt the man he loved as his friend and Savior. He offered no excuse. His repentance broke him down into true humility with tears. Arising from this experience he learned his need to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18).
Fellowship With One Another
We have mutual fellowship with each other, because we have all been to the cross, “sprinkled with His blood” (1 Pet 1:2), with sins forgiven. This is the truth we practice.
As the results we all love the honesty, loyalty, forgiveness as soon as an offense occurs, patience, kindness, and love for God and one another. For we all know what John as told us, “Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister” (1 John 4:21). We make no excuse to hold any degree of prejudice or willingly show disrespect to others in our fellowship.
What John is teaching, is that believers are brought closer to each other’s as God is brought closer to them. Likewise, walking in darkness brings distance from each other.
1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin [sinless], we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify [cleanse] us from all unrighteousness [guilt of sin]. 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. NIV
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned [anymore], we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. NKJV
The main idea is: If someone does claim to be sinless. They do not need to confess anything, because they don’t need the forgiveness of God. They are ready for translation to heaven to be “caught up together” with all the risen saints, “in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess 4:17). If they believe this, first they deceive themselves and worst of all they declared God is a liar, who says “all have sinned” (Rom 3:23).
“God looks down from heaven on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
(Ps 53:2,3)
The idea is that no one can claim to be sinless. Even the Apostle John uses the expression, “we” five times and “us” three times and “our sins” two times, he did not exclude himself from the need of confession. Whereas in the second chapter John uses the singular expression, such as in “you have the anointing from the Holy One” (1 John 2:20) about twenty-five times.
The truth of the matter is that confession of sin is needed every day just as Jesus told us it the Lord’s prayer, “Forgive our sins, just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us” (Matt 6:12 Easy-to-Read Version).
Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Ps 32:1
Confession is needed so that we can be declared righteous, in right standing before God. Those who claim to be sinless, without sin, will see no need for confession of anything, thus they cannot be forgiven. Because “all have sinned,” and all “fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), they have already fallen short of God’s honor by claiming to have no need of confession thinking they have nothing to confess. Once we have sinned, we can never ever claim perfection, for perfection like God or His Son, does not include even one sin.
What darkness! We cannot walk with God, in prayer, with Scriptures and with the presence of the Spirit without saying, “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips” (Isa 6:5). Like the tax collector in the temple Jesus said, “The tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’… went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Lk 12:13,14).
The issue that the sinless forget, is that only those who humble themselves before God with a sense of their need in every way, will come to confession with great relief that God has made this available to them.
Those who think they are sinless forget what God has declared, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isa 64:6). Spiritual pride can lead some who have been Christians for years to think they are not like other sinners. They hold to Biblical truth, the true Biblical doctrines, thus they don’t ever have much to confess. They should think again, such pride is sin. In our humanity, walking with God is a learning experienced. Humility, being “poor in spirit” (Matt 5:3) is the constant way of the righteous. We are never in no need of grace. John says that the “pride of life” is a sign “the love of the Father is not in them” (1 John 2:15,16).
The NIV is not as clear as it could be. Let’s compare other Bible Translations, which gives to us a stronger meaning.
· 1:8 “If we may say, “We have no sin,” we lead ourselves astray, and the truth is not in us; Literal Standard Version
· 1:8 “If we should say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Berean Literal Bible
· 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Smith's Literal Translation
· 1:8 “If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.]” Amplified Bible
· 1:10 If we claim we have not been sinning, we are making him out to be a liar, and his Word is not in us. Complete Jewish Bible
· 1:10 Do we say, `We have not done anything wrong'? This is like saying that God is not true. That means we do not accept God's word. Worldwide English (New Testament)
If We Don’t Confess Our Sins, How Can We Be Forgiven?
Confession of sins is required in order to be forgiven by God. If someone claims to be sinless, meaning that they have nothing to confess, they cannot be forgiven by God. Again, as the Lord’s prayer, a daily prayer, teaches us about forgiveness, “forgive us our debts [sins], as we [if we] also have forgiven our debtors [those who have wronged us]” (Matt 6:12). Forgiveness is dependent on confession, not just once, but daily. For none of us are without fault in something.
To those who teach that believers are to be perfect, for God to save them. They should realize that any goodness that they possess is borrowed from God. Even their faith in God was given to us. Should we remove it, all the flaws that have been covered and cleansed would resurface. We should be like Paul who said, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Cor 11:30). “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Cor 12:9). Here Paul is saying, he will experience greater evidence of Christ’s power, when he freely admits his flaws and mistakes. Thus, beware of any church leader that thinks they are better than most of us all. They think they have arrived at a higher plane than others. That they are closer to God then others and thus they live a sanctified life of sinlessness.
Forgive Our Sins
When God forgives, it is not for a limited period, then all the sudden God recalls your sins and allows you to be overwhelmed with guilt, all over again. Thankfully this is not the case, God has personally declared, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isa 43:25). In other words, when God forgives us, He enjoys the act of forgetfulness.
Sure, there are some sins we have confessed and found forgiveness, which are serious moral sins or a former addiction to alcohol. We know the pit of sin we stepped in. We know we can never forget the steps that led us into a serious sin, although we have no guilt because we know we have been forgiven by God. However, consider the many other sins we have confessed. Perhaps moodiness, a harsh word, an impatient attitude, self-indulgence in some activities, selfishness, lack of hospitality and caring for each other as we should have. After the Spirit of God has led us to see our mistakes and we confess them freely. We are sorry for them, yes, we are. We know that God has forgiven us, yet we disappointed in ourselves also, because it is our desire to “not sin” (1 John 2:1).
Here is the point: a few weeks, or just a day afterwards that mistake we confessed, we can’t recall it. We have a general idea of our weakness, but the specifics of our many transgressions, our failures to love one another, are gone from our memory. God has removed guilt and replaced it with peace with Himself. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Rom 5:1,2).
Cleanse and Purity
When God pardons our sins, on account of the “blood of Jesus” (1 John 1:7), it includes divine help, comfort from God who is the “God of all comfort” (2 Cor 1:3). What is this comfort? It is the “peace of God” (Phil 4:7) that comes over us, which cannot fully be explained. But it can be experienced, renewed, and often refreshed.
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains:
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
By: William Cowper (1772)
Prayer For Wisdom
When God pardons our sins, He will give you “the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” (Col 1:9). What is wisdom and understanding? The Spirit will enhance our better sense of what is right and wrong. The Spirit will guide us in the right direction, the right decisions, we should go into our lives.
Wisdom is connected with knowing God’s will for our lives; this wisdom is given to avoid foolish mistakes in the myriads of choices we make in life. The Spirit gives us insights, warnings, amid the many small decisions we daily make, while looking to God in prayer.
Wisdom is associated with self-control, the last of the nine “Fruits of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22). A large portion of self-control is based on wisdom and understanding. It gives us reasons why certain actions that are addictive should be limited or abstained. Wisdom from the Spirit offers us solutions that will work for us. This is what it means to be “led by the Spirit” (Rom 8:14; Gal 5:18).
God Removes the Sense of Guilt
God pardons our sins by cleansing us from all unrighteousness, most important the guilt of sin is cleansed away. God’s cleansing not only removes our sins from his records. God also purifies our minds so that we do not constantly relive our mistakes and sins, over and over, with heavy guilt. God removes the disappointments in ourselves, when we did not act in virtue but instead with coolness and criticism. As God cleanses us, he makes us really free “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
To women that have been abused, God considers them unsoiled, after confession of sin. Ask God for cleansing. Waite for the new heart and new attitudes. Waite in faith for God to remove the guilt, which can be very oppressive. God has a thousand ways to do this for you. Sometimes God will send a diversion, which draws your mind and attention to other matters, while the former painful memory slides into distance.
Here Is the Big Issue
God does not expect perfection from us. Anyone who disagrees with this disagrees with John. What can we expect to receive from God when we come in confession of our sins and careless words and actions that have brought offence to others.
a) Divine forgiveness from confession of sin
b) Cleansing from guilt. The sense that you are unworthy of anything. That you are just failure, that you deserve guilt and condemnation. Instead, God justifies us, removes our guilt in love. If we continue to feel guilty after faith in the promises of God, name the guilt for what it is—false guilt. Ask God to remove the guilt that oppresses you. Pray David’s prayer: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit [a right spirit] within me” (Ps 51:10).
c) God will give us fresh starts. He renews our visions and is able to keep our hearts steadfast in faith and hope. God has “saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:5-7).
Those Who Believe They are Sinless are Sinners
Sinlessness and perfection in this lifetime, John declares to be a false teaching. Those who teach it, who claim to have it, who may boast about it—are all liars. According to the disciple John, who knew what Jesus taught, having heard it from his lips. “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt 7:11).
We should thank John for what he is saying. It is comforting to us, instead of striving to be sinless, aiming for perfection, and ending up guilt ridden because we often fail. We should accept the truth that, even in faith, even when we are born of the Spirit, we are still inclined to mistakes. We hate them, we confess at once, we pray about the weakness that arises from our inherited sinful nature, we mourn them.
We know, and are glad of it, that every day we need the cross and blood of Christ. We don’t deceive ourselves into believing that we can be perfect in all his ways, “As for God, his way is perfect” (Ps 18:30). But “we all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin?’” (Prov 20:9).
Sinlessness and perfection are never to be reached in our lifetime. Instead, we are to always be in a confessional state, we confess our sins, as in the Lord’s prayer. We must not misread Jesus’ statement: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48). The call to be perfect in this context is to aim to follow God’s example of love to everyone, even those who abuse us, hate us, mistreat us, and humiliate us. This kind of perfect love is always on-going, ever growing, ever in need of more prayer, calling to God on account of our many weaknesses which is the only way to be made perfect in love.
When the Spirit is Present in Our Lives
When the presence of the Spirit is in our lives, we will ask of God for greater faith and strong hope. Because we know we need faith every day, we need grace and mercy from God every moment of our lives. Sure, we want to please God, sure we want to do good to others, sure we want to have perfect love toward all, but we know that we fall short of these ideas.
Consequently, we are led to deep humility, and dependence on the blood of Christ from the cross to justify us, cleanse us again today and present us to the Father as faultless. We will make progress in clinging to the ways of purity and honesty, but we will need to pray, as Jesus did: “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35). “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (Ps 55:17).
One More Thing--Afterwards
Sometime later, after confession with the realization that our guilt has been removed. We are clean before God, forgiven and loved. God places in us a distaste for our former sins. We don’t look back with pride, instead we seriously don’t want to do them again. Sure, our weakness of our flesh is often a source of repeated failures and personal disappointments. As we daily abide, dwell and live in Christ by faith, we don’t want to “keep on sinning” (1 John 3:6). We don’t like sin at all. We don’t want to disappoint our Savior, ourselves, or our families. We really do want to do “what is right” (1 John 3:7) in the eyes of God that we love.
End of 1 John Chapter 1
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