Walk in the Light

Walk in the Light

1 John 1:1-10

Key Verse 07: 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.

Introduction: We can learn about how we can have meaningful fellowship with God and with one another in the church. The essence of our Christian life is the fellowship with God and each other, and through such fellowship, we have life and joy. The fellowship with Jesus Christ brings many spiritual blessings as well. From today’s passage, we can learn how to have life-giving fellowship with God and with one another. 

John wrote today’s passage to defend against Gnosticism. Gnostics were Christians at first. But later they claim that only the spirit is good, but material things are evil. Therefore, they claim that the Messiah cannot be human, and that they deny Jesus’ incarnation, and that once a spirit is saved, doing all immoral things in the body does not matter. They claim that once their spirit is saved, their immoral behavior has nothing to do with their salvation. Therefore, they have done many immoral things. In doing so, they damaged Christian fellowship with God and each other. 

So Apostle John teaches us how we can have fellowship with God and with each other.

When we have deep fellowship with God and others, we can have true and complete joy. Through the fellowship, we can have life, and joy. It is the fellowship with God and with one another that is the key to Christian life.

Therefore, we need to make an effort to improve this fellowship and make it deeper and stronger. 

V1-4

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

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1. What is John testifying about? Why do you think John uses all the senses to describe how he has experienced the eternal life? What effect does John hope to get from proclaiming this to us? (3) Look at verse 4. Why do you think writing these things makes his joy complete?

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What is John testifying about? 

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us” (v1-2)

John is testifying about “the life” appeared. And he experienced, heard, saw, looked at, and touched the life.

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Why do you think John uses all the senses to describe how he has experienced the eternal life? 

Because he wants to reveal the truth that Jesus is not a secret knowledge as Gnostics believed but a person.

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What effect does John hope to get from proclaiming this to us? (3)

“3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

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John wants these Gnotics to have fellowship with the Father and Jesus and with one another.

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Look at verse 4. Why do you think writing these things makes his joy complete?

“4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

True fellowship with the Father and Jesus and one another brings complete joy.

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Additional Notes from V1-4

That which was from the beginning,

It is related to John 1:1-2. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. ” It shows Jesus’ divinity.

 which we have heard,

John and others have heard.

 which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands,

John emphasized the seeing, touching, seeing Jesus who was from the beginning. It means Jesus is God, and he became a man.  

 concerning the word of life—

 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, 

The eternal life was revealed and manifested to John and others. They saw him, and they testify to it to other people. They proclaim this life to others. Now they call Jesus the eternal life. 

which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

The word of life was with the Father and he was made manifested to John and others.

 3 that which we have seen and heard

They saw and heard Jesus. 

 we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

They proclaimed eternal life, the word of life to them, so that they would have fellowship with God and Jesus and them. 

4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

The purpose of his writing is to make our joy complete.

What John is trying to say here is this: Fellowship with God is possible because Jesus became man. The word of life was manifested to the disciples. They have seen, heard, and touched. In this part, John emphasized Jesus’ incarnation. The Word of life, the eternal life, became a man and manifested in a human form.  

Gnosticism’s arguments is this: Through the secret knowledge, you can be saved. This knowledge is very mysterious, and only those with deep spiritual insight can possess it. So their fellowship with God is vague and mysterious. 

Jesus’ incarnation is emphasized. Gnosticism claimed that they had a high level of connection with God. But this word of life is not far away from us or some mysterious things. The word of life was manifested in human form. So we can experience him and have fellowship with him. So the fellowship with God is not a mysterious thing. Through his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus opened the fellowship with God. The fellowship with God does not require any special knowledge. It is for everyone who believes Jesus. Jesus revealed who God is and what salvation is. He taught us how we can be saved in the way we can see and touch. 

Apostles preached what Jesus said and did so that people may believe what Jesus said and did including his death and resurrection. Now through Jesus they can have fellowship with God and with one another.

Gnostics believe that Jesus is logos and he has certain knowledge. But John says this logos became a man, and we can touch and see him. But Gnostics claim that such high knowledge is high up there, and through a deep kind of meditation, one can get that knowledge. Their fellowship was not with others. They just seek their own deep knowledge.

In some sense, it is similar to Buddhism, which claims, “if you reach the ultimate enlightenment, you can become a Buddha.” The idea of Gnostics came from Greek philosophy. They believe in Jesus. But they believed a different kind of Jesus, not the incarnated Jesus.

Gnostics believed that Jesus, Logos, came, but he was not a man. They said Jesus borrowed someone’s body. The real Jesus was not crucified because he is like a spirit. They claimed that right before he was crucified, he left the cross. So the body on the cross was not Jesus’ body, but somebody else’s. So they denied Jesus’ death.

But the core of Christianity is Jesus’ death, which pays the price of sin. For them, sin-forgiveness is not necessary. Gnostics do not talk about sin. John talks about sin and forgiveness. So John says, “If someone denies he does not sin, he is a liar.” To Gnostics only the spirit matters; bodies do not. They believed that if one have a deep connection with God, he is already saved. 

Some Christians may have a similar attitude. They claim “I have talked with God and I have a relationship with God, and I am fine.” They may not care how they live.

Gnostics say that only the spirit matters. Once your spirit is good, other things do not matter. It does not matter what you do with your body. They separate body and spirit. Whatever you do with your body does not affect your salvation.

Therefore John says “If you say you have fellowship with God and walk in the night“. Gnostics claim they have a connection with God, but in their bodies, they lived many immoral lives. Gnostics do many sinful deeds and they claimin they have deep fellowship with God. John says, “How can you claim you have a deep relationship with God and still do evil things (walk in darkness)? It does not make sense. You are deceived.” 

Jesus became a man and showed people the true life of a Christian. Through his own life of service and forgiveness, he showed how people should live practically. 

Later, John calls Gnotics “Satan” because they do not acknowledge practical love of service in life. Gnostics believe salvation comes from secret knowledge. Paul says such an idea is a different gospel. If someone knows Jesus’ death and resurrection, he cannot live in darkness continually. So John says if someone walks in darkness continually, he cannot be a Christian. If someone knows the gospel, he cannot walk in darkness continually. 

Gnostics justify their sinful life. They claim, “We have a very special and secret knowledge, and through it we are saved. They believed that one can have salvation and sinful life together. One can be saved without repentance. So many people followed Gnostics. 

Through his humanity and incarnation and his life on earth, Jesus taught people about how they should live as children of God. Only through Jesus Christ can we have real fellowship with God and with each other.

 we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

The Fellowship of Christians is based on the gospel, not something else. Only by believing in Jesus’ death for our sins and resurrection can we have true fellowship with God and one another.

Gnostics have a different fellowship. Gnostics were seeking a different fellowship without the incarnated Christ and his death and resurrection.

Christians have fellowship with Jesus Christ incarnated. And basically it says “the essence of our Christian fellowship is the fellowship with the Father and Jesus Christ.” Then they can have true fellowship, and without this essence, Christian fellowship is missing the true core.

Based on our knowledge or certain ideas about the person, our interaction with the other person would be very different. Our fellowship is based on Jesus’ words. He is the Word of life, and eternal life. We really believe Jesus is the incarnated God and the Word of life. And we think about what he did and what he said, we have fellowship with him and with others.

Putting Jesus’ words in the center of our fellowship is the best way to have the best fellowship .

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V5-7

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 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 his Son cleanses us from all sin. 

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2. Explain the relationship of light and darkness and God. (5) What does it mean to walk in darkness? (John 3:19-21) What is the difference between saying we have fellowship with God and walking in the light? (6-7) Why do you think the word “walk” is used to show what kind of life we are living?

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Explain the relationship of light and darkness and God. (5) 

“5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

God is light, and there is no darkness in God. So we cannot have fellowship with God and God’s people when we walk in darkness. Such fellowship with God who is light is possible only when we walk in the light.

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What does it mean to walk in darkness? (John 3:19-21) 

John 3:19-21

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

To walk in darkness means to do evil. It means to refuse to believe in the light, Jesus, because their deeds are evil. They do not want their evil deeds to be exposed. Therefore, they do not come to the light. Therefore, confessing our sins is closely related to walking in the light. To confess our sins and to be forgiven of our sins through Jesus’ blood is the way for us to walk in the light. 

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What is the difference between saying we have fellowship with God and walking in the light? (6-7) 

“6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 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 his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Walking in the light may refer to the life of doing no evil. Saying we have fellowship with God should match walking in the light in one’s actual life. The Bible always teaches the importance of both believing and walking (obeying).

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Why do you think the word “walk” is used to show what kind of life we are living?

Walking may refer to actual life because our practical life can be described as walking.

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Additional Notes from V5-7

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

God is light. Even Gnostics believe God is light. They claim their knowledge is enlightenment. 

 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 

Because darkness and light cannot go together. But Gnostics say ‘we have light,’ but they walk in darkness. Light and darkness have symbolic meaning. Light refers to life, truth, and darkness refers to evil, deception, unrighteousness, and sin.

When people walk in the light (in God’s righteousness) they can have life and joy. Particularly, walking in darkness means walking in sin and evil. Gnostics claim to have fellowship with light, but their sinful life shows “they lie and do not practice truth.”

7 But if we walk in the light,

It means if we remove sin or give up sinful life through repentance and walk in the light (Jesus). It means we accept sin forgiveness. 

 as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 

If we sin, we confess our sin and accept Jesus’ blood. Then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our sins. When Christians truly repent and walk in the light, they can have true fellowship. But if they have kept sinning, there cannot be real fellowship among them even though they are together.

But Gnostics claim they have fellowship with God and do all kinds of sinful and evil things. When people want to have fellowship without repentance, they cannot have true, meaningful fellowship with God and with one another.

John says, “We saw him, and we proclaim to you.” Church people accepted the gospel John preached, and they were enjoying fellowship with God and with each other. Then, suddenly, Gnostics came and taught a different gospel. 

The gospel message is that Jesus died for our sins and saved us from our sins. Hearing the gospel message, we repent, and we are saved. Behind all these processes, God’s work is there, of course. 

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V8-10

8 If we say 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 we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

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3. Why do you think John keeps using the phrase: “if we say”? Why do you think there can be such a contrast between what we say and his word? (10) With this in mind, why is it important to confess our sins? (John 9:39-41)

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Why do you think John keeps using the phrase: “if we say”? 

Because there are people who say, “I have no sin.”

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Why do you think there can be such a contrast between what we say and his word? (10)

“10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

God’s word reveals the truth that we are sinners. We sin. So if we say “we have not sinned,” we make God a liar, and his word, which reveals our sin, is not in us.

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 With this in mind, why is it important to confess our sins? (John 9:39-41)

John 9:39-41

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

If we do not confess our sins and if we claim we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and our guilt remains. It is because our sins are not forgiven. Only through confessing our sins through Jesus’ blood can we be forgiven.

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Additional notes from V8-10

Our fellowship with God is based on sin-forgiveness. Sin hinders and breaks our fellowship with God. In Jesus Christ, sin is forgiven, and we are free from sin through Jesus.

False teachers say we have no sin. But in reality they still keep sinning. So there was no true fellowship. They misunderstood the true fellowship.

We are forgiven sinners. We are not perfect. Living in our sinful body until we die, we keep sinning even though we do not want or even without knowing it. Certain sins are not obvious. Apostle Paul did not sin. But he mentioned ‘covet’ (greed), which was not obvious. All of us have greed. Some church leaders may be driven by their own greed and ambition. Sometimes we sin or act in hypocrisy. We have so many sins. That is why Jesus says we need to wash our feet daily. We need millions of sin forgiveness every day. 

8 If we say we have no sin,

We have sin. But Gnostics claim their spirit is completely free from sin, and what they do in their body does not affect their salvation. 

 we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

It is deception, not truth.

 9 If we confess our sins,

To confess means to acknowledge our sins and decide to remove them. Confessing includes repentance. We need to make this confession again and again. One pastor says good Christians are those who repent their sin well. To repent can be compared to throwing away our trash. If we do not remove our trash diligently, our hearts and lives will be full of trash.

 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

He is faithful. It means he keeps his covenant with us. Based on Jesus’ blood, he will forgive any sin. He is also just. He never breaks his covenant. He is “faithful and just”. If we come to God and confess our sins, we should believe our sins are forgiven based on God’s promise and covenant completely. Many Christians live under a sense of guilt and condemnation. Even though they confess their sins to God, they still keep their guilt and condemnation because they do not believe in God’s forgiveness.

Some people trust their feelings in sin-forgiveness. But our forgiveness is not based on our feelings but on God’s covenant. When we hurt someone because of our sin, we confess our sin to God and accept his forgiveness. We may still feel uncomfortable in our hearts. But we should believe our sins are forgiven. In addition we should apologize to the person as much as possible. 

For example, one Christian stole someone’s money. He repents. He needs to return the money if possible. If he still keeps the money, he is still sinning. Repentance includes doing the right things. 

God not only forgives but cleanses us from all unrighteousness. When we put out our dirty feet, Jesus did not say, ‘Okay. I forgive you.” But he cleansed our dirty feet. He removes dirty sins and makes us pure. Isaiah says, “Even if your sins are red like crimson it will be whiter than snow.” 

God cleanses us from all unrighteousness. When we are forgiven and become pure before God we can have fellowship with God and others.

To make our fellowship deep, joyful, and meaningful, we need to repent our sins.

10 If we say we have not sinned,

It means we have sinned. God knows we have sinned.

 we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

One of the purposes of the bible study is to find our sins and keep repenting. That is our Christian life. Whenever we have a Bible study, we find our new sins and become more sensitive about our sins. 

One man said to his pastor, “Now I am too sensitive for my sin. And I am in trouble.” His pastor told him, “You are sensitive because you are alive now.” Spiritually alive person is very sensitive to sin.

God knows we will continue to sin and fall. That is why God gave us Jesus and forgives our sins continually. Apostle Paul says, “To grow in the grace of Jesus Christ”. Jesus said, “Those who are forgiven more love more.” Those who keep confessing sins and repenting and coming to God grow strong. 

But if we remain in condemnation continually, we become weak. We are thankful that we have a covenant with God. God will forgive our sins again and again.

In conclusion. Our fellowship with God and with others is key to our Christian life. We always need to come to Jesus and believe the gospel and accept his sin-forgiveness and cleansing work. Only through his forgiveness and cleanliness can we have fellowship with God and others. 

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John 3:19-21

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 9:39-41

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

The end.