Day 487: If we say - 1 John 1 vs 5 - 10

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. 

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. 1 John 1:5-10 English Standard Version

Three times John says 'if we say'. In each case the people saying the things he refers to were in progressive danger. They were lying (vs 6), deceiving themselves (vs 8), and, worst of all, making God out to be a liar! (vs 10) While he may've been talking of people in general, it's quite likely he was speaking of a type of thinking certain ‘Christians’ were pushing in those days. There were people who claimed to have more intellectual, spiritual, and even mystical insights than others. They became known as ‘Gnostics’ (from a Greek word for knowledge). It's the sort of thing many 'new age' teachers push today. What was one of the things about the Christian gospel that they obviously didn't like, as we see in today's reading?

They were not keen to see themselves as sinful people. It seems that, for them, sin was more of an illusion. Today we have what are called 'seeker friendly Churches' where things like sin and judgement are also hardly ever mentioned as the preachers don't want people to feel uncomfortable. Instead, these preachers teach that we can shape our own destiny by mouthing the write words. But what does John state so clearly about God that ought to make us realize that sin IS a very real part of our life? (vs 5)

One of the purest things we can think of is light. Light banishes all darkness. John uses that picture to describe what God is like. The Old Testament does the same thing when it speaks of God as being altogether holy. Can any of us say that our lives are as pure as light? Could anyone honestly say there has been no darkness in deeds they have done or things they have thought? What does John say is a true Christian's response to the reality of sin in their life? (vs 7 & 9)

We own up to our sins. We confess them to God, and also to one another where appropriate. Confession is part of what repentance is about. By admitting our guilt we also show our desire to turn away from all that is wrong in our life. The wonderful message of the gospel is that God forgives us, and our sins are washed away through the blood of Jesus Christ. He cleanses us from all our unrighteousness. Jesus' sacrifice paid our penalty and made atonement for us.

So what is the implication for Christians in vs 6-7? What are true believers called to do?

We have to 'walk in the light' and not in darkness. We must not deny the reality of sin and call it an illusion, or say that it can't touch us. We mustn't dress it up in soft words or with clever intellectual arguments. Some who call themselves Christians happily live in sinful relationships and readily join in all the world's indulgences, including porn, greed and self-centred pursuits. If challenged, they explain it away by simply denying sin. What does John say is the key to knowing what the light is - so that we can walk in it? (vs 10)

It is the word of God. And, as John was especially thinking of Jesus Christ, it would be all the words Jesus taught His disciples so that they could pass it on to those who would believe in Him. If what Jesus taught stays in our mind and heart, we will know clearly the difference between light and darkness.