We live in a time of crisis. Not just the kind that shows up on the news, though there is no shortage of that. The deeper crisis is one of understanding, one that touches truth, relationships, and eternity.
We have a crisis of our understanding of truth and morality. Most people don’t believe there is one absolute truth, one explanation for who we are, why we’re here, and who created us and the universe. Most people don’t believe there is an absolute standard of morality. They believe morality is relative. It’s good enough to be better than most people, or worse, it’s good enough to think you’re better than most people.
We have a crisis of our experience of relationships. Most people don’t know that they are truly loved by a perfectly loving God who desires our love in return. Most people don’t experience true, loving fellowship with other people. People crave and try to satisfy their need for love through relationships driven by infatuation, or by enjoying the company of a crowd. But these kinds of relationships tend to be driven by selfish motives. They are relationships that make you feel good.
And we have a crisis of our perspective of eternity. Most people live for today only. They don’t believe there are eternal consequences to our choices. Most people don’t believe there is a tomorrow worth living for, one in which we could have eternal life with the perfect, loving God. Most people don’t believe there is a tomorrow that must be avoided, one where we could experience eternal death apart from God.
Perhaps what’s most disturbing is that even Christians today, and the Christian church, are struggling with the very same crises. We get some things right, some of the time, but because we are all flawed, sinful human beings, we’re in a constant battle to keep a proper perspective on these very same things.
These crises were already becoming a major problem among Christians and the early churches in the first century, almost immediately after Jesus’ death and resurrection and the founding of the churches. That is why the Apostle John, perhaps Jesus’ closest companion, wrote the letters of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John to the new Christians and early churches near the end of the first century.
John recognized that the main problem facing the Christians and church at this time was declining commitment: many believers were conforming to the world’s standards, not standing up for their convictions and Christ, and thereby compromising their faith. There were many false teachers propagating enticing but confusing messages, accelerating the church’s downward slide away from the Christian faith. Does this situation sound at all familiar?
So John wrote these letters to put believers back on track. He wanted to show them the difference between truth and error, between absolute morality (or holiness) and relative morality. He called this “light.” He wanted to encourage the believers and the church to grow in genuine love for God and fellowship with one another. He called this “love.” And he wanted to assure them that they possessed eternal life with God, and also an abundant life here on this earth. He called this “life.”
In short, John wrote these letters to early Christians, and to Christians today, to assure us that we can experience light, love, and life through Jesus.
This first lesson kicks off the series by looking at 1 John Chapter 1. The title is “Walking in the Light,” and as it suggests, we begin with John’s case for why light is so important for us.
One note about John’s writing style before we dive in. Some Bible commentators have tried to outline John’s letters, especially 1 John, in a linear fashion: light in Chapters 1 and 2, then love in Chapters 2 through 4, then life in Chapter 5. But John’s writing style is anything but linear. Some have described it as circular. Others have more generously, or artistically, referred to it as “symphonic.” He states themes, moves away from them, and then revisits them with variations, just like a beautiful musical symphony. Expect to see these themes of light, love, and life show up repeatedly throughout the letters.
The Word of Life (vs 1-4)
If you’re familiar with John’s Gospel, you might recognize that he opens this letter similar to the way he began his Gospel. He emphasizes that Jesus Christ, who is the Word of life, is eternal, that God came into the world as a human, that John was an eyewitness to Jesus’ life, and that Jesus brings light, love, and life to us.
On what basis does John claim that his testimony is believable? He states no fewer than four times that he was an eyewitness to the physical and historical reality of Jesus’ life and ministry on earth. “Which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands.” John was right there by Jesus’ side for three full years. He was certainly qualified to make his claims.
Notice how clear John is about Jesus’ divinity. This is a central point of the Christian faith, and many people struggle to believe or understand it. How do we know Jesus really was God, and not just a great man, a great teacher, a great historical figure? John, who spent three years with Jesus, has no doubt. He says Jesus “was from the beginning,” that is, from the beginning of time. Jesus always existed, which is only possible if he is God. In verse 2, when he proclaims “the eternal life,” he’s not talking about our promised eternal life in the future, but Jesus’ eternal life, since the “life” he’s referring to is Jesus himself, whom he just called the “Word of life.” Then he explains that although Jesus always existed, he was “made manifest,” publicly seen and known by people.
Because of and through Jesus, or the life, who is God, we can have what? According to verse 3: fellowship. We can experience true love. And not just loving fellowship with one another, but also loving fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Discussion
- How many times does John claim to have “seen” or “looked at” the evidence? Why does he repeat this so emphatically?
- What is the difference between true Christian fellowship and just enjoying the company of others?
- If fellowship’s foundation is the testimony of God’s Word, how does that change the way we view our relationships with other believers?
Key Takeaways
- John’s testimony is rooted in eyewitness experience. He wasn’t theorizing. He had seen, heard, and touched the Word of life.
- Jesus is fully God, existing from the beginning. His divinity is not an add-on to the faith. It is the foundation.
- True fellowship flows from God first. The void in a believer’s heart is first filled by fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus, which leaves room for selfless, sacrificial love for other people.
Walking in the Light (vs 5-10)
“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” Numerous scriptures in the Bible, including John’s letters, use light as a picture of God.
Consider what makes light such a powerful metaphor. Light is not like other waves. Sound waves are created by molecules compressing and expanding. You can feel them. But light is something different entirely. Light is an oscillating wave of potential, literally the potential for a force to be exerted on a particle, if there is a particle there to feel it. The potential is there, and oscillates back and forth, whether or not there is something to sense it. Light, like gravity, is not apparent unless you look for it. There isn’t anything visible unless someone or something (like your eye, a camera, or a piece of film) senses it.
What does this have to do with God? God shines his light upon us, everywhere, all the time. It is not a physical thing. It is something we have to look for, to sense with our own eyes and ears and whole being. God’s light is made manifest only when there is something or someone there to sense it.
When light is present, there can be no darkness. Darkness and light cannot exist at the same time. The only way we can see darkness is when there is truly no light. Walking in the darkness means living our lives hiding from God, in places where we don’t allow God to penetrate. Walking in the light means living our lives out in the open, where God’s light is present.
What does God’s light represent? Here and elsewhere in the Bible, God’s light represents not only truth and knowledge, but also purity, holiness, moral perfection. Walking in God’s light means living according to the Word of God as completely true, while simultaneously seeking purity and holiness according to Jesus’ example. It does not mean we know everything. It does not mean we never doubt. It does not mean we never experience sin, falsehoods, and deception. But when these things are “in the light,” they are not hidden from ourselves nor from God. They are in full view. This is the only way we can experience victory over them.
Verse 7 tells us the benefits of walking in the light: “we have fellowship with one another” (in other words, we experience love) and “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (in other words, we receive eternal life). Walking in the light leads to love and life. This is the central theme for the entire letter.
Then John addresses the critical question: How do you walk in the light? The key is in verse 9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confession is like focusing a camera on your life. The light might be there, an oscillating wave of potential, but unless we actively look for it, we won’t see what there is to see.
If God has already forgiven our sins, why do we have to keep confessing? When we believe and accept Jesus as our savior, we are forgiven of all our sins: past, present, and future. But we’re still human, and still sinful by nature. We don’t need to continue to confess in order for God to accept us or to keep the promise of eternal life. Those are secure. But by confessing we are: (1) agreeing that our sin is wrong and that we are willing to turn from it, (2) avoiding the practice of hiding our sins from God and consequently ourselves, and (3) admitting our powerlessness and his power to overcome our tendency toward sin.
Discussion
- What do you think God’s light represents? How does it relate to truth, holiness, and moral perfection?
- If God has already forgiven our sins, why do we have to keep confessing?
- What does it look like practically to live “out in the open” before God?
Key Takeaways
- God is the ultimate source of light, which is truth and holiness. But this light is only made manifest when we choose to live where God’s light is present.
- Walking in the light leads to love and life. Fellowship with one another and cleansing from sin are the results of honest, open living before God.
- Confession is how we walk in the light. It is not about earning forgiveness. It is about living out in the open, where God’s light can reach us.
Something to Sit With
God is light. In him there is no darkness at all. And the invitation of this chapter is stunningly simple: walk in that light. Not perfectly. Not with all the answers. But honestly. Openly. With confession on your lips and trust in your heart.
John doesn’t write to frighten us into holiness. He writes to draw us into fellowship, with the Father, with his Son, and with one another. The light doesn’t expose us to destroy us. It exposes us to heal us.
- Am I living in the light, or am I hiding parts of my life from God and from the people who love me?
- What would it look like for me to practice honest confession this week, not as guilt, but as freedom?
- Do I believe that God’s light is meant to heal, not to shame?
Walking in the light is the starting point. And as we will see throughout the rest of John’s letters, it leads to something beautiful: love and life through Jesus.
“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.” (1 John 1:7, ESV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to walk in the light according to 1 John 1?
Walking in the light means living openly and honestly before God. It does not mean sinless perfection but a willingness to bring our lives, including our failures, into the open rather than hiding them. It involves ongoing confession, trust in God’s forgiveness, and a commitment to living according to his truth rather than in the darkness of self-deception.
Why does John emphasize that he is an eyewitness in 1 John 1?
John establishes the credibility of his testimony by repeating that he personally saw, heard, and touched Jesus. He was not passing along secondhand stories or philosophical ideas. His claims about the Word of life are grounded in direct, physical experience with Jesus over the course of three years of ministry together.
What is the difference between fellowship with God and ordinary friendship?
True Christian fellowship is rooted in shared relationship with the Father and with Jesus Christ. It is not driven by selfish motives or the need to feel good. It is grounded in the truth of God’s Word, strengthened by unity of belief, and marked by sacrificial love. Ordinary friendship may be enjoyable and good, but fellowship with God and with believers has a depth and foundation that goes beyond shared interests.
Why do Christians need to keep confessing sin if they are already forgiven?
Forgiveness through Christ covers all sin, past, present, and future. But confession is not about re-earning that forgiveness. It is about honesty before God: agreeing that sin is wrong, refusing to hide it, and acknowledging our dependence on God’s power to overcome it. Confession keeps us walking in the light rather than drifting into darkness and self-deception.
What does “God is light” mean in 1 John 1:5?
When John says “God is light,” he is describing God’s essential nature as truth, purity, holiness, and moral perfection. Light in Scripture is a picture of what is true and good. Darkness represents sin, falsehood, and hiding. To say God is light is to say there is no deception, no impurity, and no compromise in him. His character is the standard by which all truth and goodness are measured.
This lesson is part of the Abiding in Christ series.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.