1 John 1. A few years have passed since John wrote his gospel account of the events of Jesus’s life, and now John writes an additional letter of encouragement and correction to a group of Christians who knew him well. The group has been struggling – some who called themselves Christians were denying that Jesus had come in the flesh, continuing to live immoral lives, and failing to love others well. Undoubtedly this fractured the young church and gave other Christians cause for concern.

John opens the letter with strong words of testimony – I can almost hear him shouting, “I was there and I know for sure this is what Jesus said!” John writes, “That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched… We have seen it, and we testify to it… We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard” (1 John 1:1-3).

What is the message John wants to make clear?

First, we all have sin. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8)

Secondly, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “It is the blood of Jesus that purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Third, having been forgiven of our sins and purified, we are to no long walk in the darkness and make the same immoral choices as much of the rest of the world. “If we claim to have fellowship with [Jesus] and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as [Jesus] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (I John 1:6-7). Those who walk with Jesus care for each other, love each other, and that results in fellowship and a testimony to unbelievers.

We cannot help the fact that we were born sinners and under the curse of sin. Yet in Jesus we can have forgiveness and freedom from the curse. Once we are forgiven, we are called to live differently – to walk in the light, not the darkness. The choices we make every day about how we are living our lives are significant. They affect us, and they also affect the community of believers we call our own. We must not tarnish the name of Christ by claiming to know Him and continually choosing to walk in darkness!

Finally, walking in the light brings us into relational harmony with God, other believers, and ourselves – thereby making our joy complete.

Have you ever been in a community where some who claimed to be Christians lived immoral lives and treated others poorly? How did it make you feel? Maybe you were the one who was making poor choices? We are people who sin, but we are called to seek forgiveness and to walk – intentionally – in the light.