1 John 1:5-10

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.   

The Gospel offers us the most precious gifts imaginable.  The revelation of this amazing Gospel is the greatest privilege we have experienced.  Jesus came to reveal God and the Gospel and then invites us to continue to reveal them to others.  By His grace that revelation came to us.  All who respond to that revelation by faith in Christ will receive these precious gifts of the Gospel. 

FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD: God is light and there is no darkness in Him.  This glorious God has been revealed to us through the Lord Jesus Christ who came to shine the light of God into the darkness of the world so we might know Him and believe on Him.  Those who do believe are transformed by the power of His might.  This transformation results in believers walking in the light of God’s Word and His ways.  This life marked by walking in God’s light is the distinguishing characteristic of true believers.  We reveal whether or not we are in fellowship with God by our commitment to walking in the light.  A life of walking in darkness while claiming to be in fellowship with God is just deception.  By contrast, the greatest gift of our salvation is the privilege of having fellowship with God.  Why He would desire a relationship with us is only explained by His love and grace.  All who receive His love and grace will demonstrate it by living in fellowship with others who have also experience the joy of fellowship with God walking in the light.  Walking in the light in fellowship with God means that we will love that which he loves.  We are members of His body so our love for Him will always be demonstrated by a love for others.

FORGIVENESS FROM GOD: The means of our forgiveness is the precious blood of Jesus that was shed for us.  We are simply required to place our faith in Christ as the only means by which we can be forgiven.  We must recognize that we are sinners, separated from God, and out of fellowship with Him.  We must then, confess that Sin to God Himself that we might enjoy the gift of forgiveness through the blood of Christ.  Once we tire of being enslaved to the darkness of sin, and want to be free from our slavery to sin; we must turn to Jesus who has graciously set us free.  There is no use pretending that we don’t have any sin.  This is simply a delusional attempt to convince ourselves that we are good enough on our own to be accepted by God.  Repentance and faith recognize the fact that we are sinners, that we want to be saved from sin, that we are incapable of saving ourselves, and that Jesus died to save us from sin.  Denial of sin is synonymous with accusing God of dishonesty.

APPLICATION: Thank God for the privilege of having fellowship with Him and one another by walking in the light of His Word.  Recognize our personal sin and repent of it by confessing it to the Lord.  Trust in the death of Christ as the only means by which we can be rescued from our sin.

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