Fellowshipping in the Truth
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, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:7-8 CSB
As a quick reminder again, John is using themes of light and darkness as metaphors for the truth and righteousness verses falsehoods and sin. From yesterday, we read about how walking in darkness hurts our fellowship with God. Continuing on in this verse, on the other hand, from the text, “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.” This verse is fairly straightforward except for the “one another.” There are two ways of interpreting as to what the one another refers to: first, it can refer to other Christians, in that, if we continue to walk in the truth, knowledge and righteousness, we will have clear fellowship with other believers; or two, it can refer to God, so that it could mean that if we continue to walk in the truth, knowledge and righteousness, we have fellowship with God, and from verse 5, we know that God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. In that regard, it seems likely that the second interpretation of “one another” makes more sense in terms of our relationship with the Lord. But, having full fellowship with God is not the only thing that comes out of us walking in the light. A second thing that happens is that “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7b). As believers continue to walk in the light and have fellowship with God, Christ is able to continue to purify them in the present whenever they sin. When Christ died on the cross, the penalty of sin was paid for, and as long as one repents and believes in Him, He is cleared of God’s judgment of which to come. That does not mean, though, that as soon as someone becomes a follower of Jesus that they become perfect and will never sin again. John clarifies that in verse 8, “If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Believers should continue to grow in the knowledge of Christ, becoming more and more like Him, as He is the truth, seen in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to Father except through me.” There should be growth, letting the past sinful habits die away. Believers should not become stagnant and acknowledge that there is always room to grow.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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