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This was written by the apostle John who was giving testimony to Jesus Christ and to the gospel of our salvation “so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3 ESV). So, not everyone in the hearing of this letter was regarded as a true believer in Jesus Christ, which we will see clearly as we continue reading in this book (this letter).
This letter will dispel many false notions of who Jesus Christ was and is and with regards to the truth of the gospel of our salvation. For right from the start we read that if we say (proclaim, profess) to be in fellowship with God/Christ but while we walk (in conduct, in practice, in lifestyle) in darkness (sin, wickedness, disobedience, rebellion), we are liars who do not practice the truth. So, we can’t be “in Christ” and still walk in deliberate and habitual sin, as a matter of life course (habit, addiction).
But then it says that if we walk (in conduct, in practice) in the light (Jesus Christ, the truth of the gospel, righteousness) as God/Christ is in the light, then we have fellowship (union, partnership, participation) with one another (and fellowship with Christ presumed on that basis). And the blood of Jesus God’s Son cleanses us from all sin. And this teaching is not exclusive to just John. Paul taught the same, as did Jesus and the other NT apostles. For how we live determines whether we are in true relationship with Jesus Christ.
So, do you see what this is saying so far? We can’t be “in Christ” and be in fellowship with God/Christ and still walk (in practice, in conduct) in deliberate sin against our Lord. However, if by genuine God-given faith in Jesus Christ we die with Christ to sin, and we are now walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, and in obedience to our Lord, and in walks of holiness and righteousness, then we have fellowship with Christ and with his body, and Jesus’ blood cleanses us from all sin.
But if we don’t own up to our sin, and if we deny that we have sinned, or if we are sinning, in practice, but we lie about it and we cover it up, and we don’t confess it, then we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. And being self-deceived is not an excuse for continuing in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. For you know the truth. You know right from wrong. Self-deceived just means that you lie to yourself to convince yourself that sin is not sin but it is entertainment or recreation, or whatever.
Now comes the verse which is famously quoted out of context and used oftentimes as a coverup for continued deliberate, habitual, and premeditated sin against the Lord. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But this has to be read in the context of verses 5-10, not as a standalone. And first of all this word “confess” means to agree with God, to align with God and what he says about our sin, and this isn’t just to agree that we have sinned.
For God doesn’t just say that we should admit that we sinned. A mere verbal confession of sin is not enough to have our sins cleansed. We must WALK IN THE LIGHT. We must be those who have turned from walking in the darkness (in sin) to now following our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, and in walks of holiness and righteousness. For if all we do is verbalize a confession of sin but we keep walking in sin, we are not in genuine relationship with God/Christ, and if we claim to be, we are liars.
So, many people professing faith in Jesus Christ, who are still walking in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, are deceiving themselves that if they just make a confession of sin that it cleanses them of sin and therefore they can continue in their sin. Some believe they only have to do this once in their lives, and now all future sins are forgiven, so they can live however they want and still have heaven secured them for eternity. That is NOT what the Scriptures teach! That is a lie of Satan permeating the modern “church.”
For Jesus taught that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him, in practice. For if we hold on to our lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in obedience, then we have eternal life. For not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 6:1-23).
See also: [Matt 24:9-14; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
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“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. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 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. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:5-10 ESV).
This letter will dispel many false notions of who Jesus Christ was and is and with regards to the truth of the gospel of our salvation. For right from the start we read that if we say (proclaim, profess) to be in fellowship with God/Christ but while we walk (in conduct, in practice, in lifestyle) in darkness (sin, wickedness, disobedience, rebellion), we are liars who do not practice the truth. So, we can’t be “in Christ” and still walk in deliberate and habitual sin, as a matter of life course (habit, addiction).
But then it says that if we walk (in conduct, in practice) in the light (Jesus Christ, the truth of the gospel, righteousness) as God/Christ is in the light, then we have fellowship (union, partnership, participation) with one another (and fellowship with Christ presumed on that basis). And the blood of Jesus God’s Son cleanses us from all sin. And this teaching is not exclusive to just John. Paul taught the same, as did Jesus and the other NT apostles. For how we live determines whether we are in true relationship with Jesus Christ.
So, do you see what this is saying so far? We can’t be “in Christ” and be in fellowship with God/Christ and still walk (in practice, in conduct) in deliberate sin against our Lord. However, if by genuine God-given faith in Jesus Christ we die with Christ to sin, and we are now walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, and in obedience to our Lord, and in walks of holiness and righteousness, then we have fellowship with Christ and with his body, and Jesus’ blood cleanses us from all sin.
But if we don’t own up to our sin, and if we deny that we have sinned, or if we are sinning, in practice, but we lie about it and we cover it up, and we don’t confess it, then we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. And being self-deceived is not an excuse for continuing in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. For you know the truth. You know right from wrong. Self-deceived just means that you lie to yourself to convince yourself that sin is not sin but it is entertainment or recreation, or whatever.
Now comes the verse which is famously quoted out of context and used oftentimes as a coverup for continued deliberate, habitual, and premeditated sin against the Lord. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But this has to be read in the context of verses 5-10, not as a standalone. And first of all this word “confess” means to agree with God, to align with God and what he says about our sin, and this isn’t just to agree that we have sinned.
For God doesn’t just say that we should admit that we sinned. A mere verbal confession of sin is not enough to have our sins cleansed. We must WALK IN THE LIGHT. We must be those who have turned from walking in the darkness (in sin) to now following our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, and in walks of holiness and righteousness. For if all we do is verbalize a confession of sin but we keep walking in sin, we are not in genuine relationship with God/Christ, and if we claim to be, we are liars.
So, many people professing faith in Jesus Christ, who are still walking in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, are deceiving themselves that if they just make a confession of sin that it cleanses them of sin and therefore they can continue in their sin. Some believe they only have to do this once in their lives, and now all future sins are forgiven, so they can live however they want and still have heaven secured them for eternity. That is NOT what the Scriptures teach! That is a lie of Satan permeating the modern “church.”
For Jesus taught that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him, in practice. For if we hold on to our lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in obedience, then we have eternal life. For not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 6:1-23).
See also: [Matt 24:9-14; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
