Fellowship with the Father, which has been made possible through the incarnation of Christ, the eternal Word, can be maintained only by walking in the light, which signifies the recognizing of our sins with frank confession of them and forsaking of them as they are revealed to us, and belief in Christ crucified as the remedy for sin.
I John 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, of the Word of life;
2 (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;)
3 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.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 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.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 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.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
I John 1:1-2 – J. Vernon McGee
I John 1:3 – J. Vernon McGee
I John 1:4 – J. Vernon McGee
I John 1:5 – J. Vernon McGee
I John 1:6 – J. Vernon McGee
I John 1:7 – J. Vernon McGee
I John 1:8 – J. Vernon McGee
I John 1:9-10 – J. Vernon McGee
1 John 1:1-10 – Fellowship in the Light
As the aged Apostle began to write he was living over again his first happy experiences with the Savior. He heard the voice, saw the person, touched the very body in which Deity tabernacled. It was too great a bliss to be enjoyed alone, and John tells us that we may enter into the same close partnership with the Father and the Son. But no impurity or insincerity is permissible to those who enter that fellowship. Our one aim should be to maintain such a walk with God that the union with God may be unimpaired. If there are still sins of ignorance, the blood of Jesus will continue to remove them. Sin differs from sins, as the root from the fruit. God does not only forgive, He cleanses. He is faithful to His promises and just to His Son. Notice the ifs of these verses and in I John 2:1; they are a compendium of the blessed life. —Through the Bible Day by Day
1 John 1:3
Crucified with Him—Romans 6:6
Died with Christ—Romans 6:8
Buried with Him—Romans 6:4
Planted together in the likeness of His death—Romans 6:5
Planted together in the likeness of His resurrection— Romans 6:5
Quickened together—Ephesians 2:5
Raised up together—Ephesians 2:6
Sitting together in heavenly places—Ephesians 2:6
Living together—1 Thessalonians 5:10
Working together—Mark 16:20
Suffering together—Romans 8:17
Glorified together—Romans 8:17
1 John 1:3 – The life of fellowship with God cannot be built up in a day. (F.B. Meyer)
I John 1:6-7—If we say… but if we walk.
In three marked passages, the beloved apostle guards against what men are apt to say, and indicates to them what it would be better for them to substitute in thought and speech.
Men are apt to say that they have fellowship with Christ, and yet continue to walk in darkness.—It arises sometimes from their desire to stand well with their fellows, or because they do not realize how much darkness is still in their lives. But whichever be the cause, they lie and do not the truth. It is better to walk quietly in the light, so far as we have it; and thus we shall secure his blessed fellowship, and his blood will be continually cleansing us from sin, removing all hindrance on Christ’s side to the free communication of his choicest gifts.
Again, men are apt to say that they have no sin (I John 1:8).—It is a profound mistake on their part, arising from defective ideas of what sin is, or from self-ignorance. If they realized what God’s standard of holiness and sinlessness is; if they understood that sin consists in coming short of his glory as much as in distinct violation of his will; if they knew that there may be sin in motive as much as in act, and even in want of love—they would not speak thus. As it is, they deceive themselves, though no one else. It is better to confess our sins and seek cleansing, even for those of ignorance, in the precious blood of Jesus.
Again, men are apt to say that they have not sinned.—Though they have fallen below their own standard, they do not like to admit it, and cling tenaciously to their position of having got beyond the range of sinning. Much better to admit it, and obtain forgiveness through the one Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. —Our Daily Homily
1 John 1:7 – When a man walketh in the sun, if his face be toward it, he hath nothing before him but bright shining light, and comfortable heat; but, let him once turn his back to the sun, what hath he before him but a shadow? And what is a shadow but the privation of light, and heat of the sun? Yea: it is but to behold his own shadow, defrauding himself of the other. Thus there is no true wisdom, no true happiness, no real comfort, but in beholding the countenance of God: look from that, and we lose these blessings. And what shall we gain? a shadow, an empty image,—instead of a substantial, to gain an empty image of ourselves, and lose the solid image of God. (Spencer)
1 John 1:7 – You have seen two thunderclouds meet. One cloud from this mountain, and another cloud from that mountain, coming nearer and nearer together, and responding to each other, crash to crash, thunder to thunder, boom! boom! And then the clouds break and the torrents pour, and they are emptied perhaps into the very same stream that comes down so red at your feet, that it seems as if all the carnage of the storm-battle has been emptied into it. So in this Bible I see two storms gather, one above Sinai, the other above Calvary. and they respond one to the other—flash to flash, thunder to thunder, boom! boom! Sinai thunders, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die;” Calvary responds, “Save them from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom.” Sinai says, “Woe! woe!” Calvary answers, ‘‘Mercy! mercy!” And then the clouds burst, and empty their treasures into one torrent, and it comes flowing to our feet, red with the carnage of our Lord—in which, if thy soul be plunged, it shall go forth free—free! (Talmage)
1 John 1:9 – He that repents every day for the sins of every day, when he comes to die wiIl have the sin but of one day to repent of. (P. Henry)
1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins,” not, “If we ask to be forgiven.” We must face the fact of sin, fully, and not try to excuse ourselves. (J. Hudson Taylor)