I John 1:5-7 "Walk in the Light"

[mailmandan]

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So if we are saved and have un-confessed sins are we not forgiven for them? Are we not fully cleansed? If God cannot stand unrighteousness then would this not affect our salvation?

Is John focusing on confessing every single sin that we commit as we commit them as an additional requirement to remain cleansed? Or does John have in mind here a settled recognition and ongoing acknowledgment that one is a sinner in need of cleansing and forgiveness? Notice that verse 8 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Verse 10 says, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." In contrast to if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Are you trying to imply that everytime a believer commits a sin they are not fully cleansed until they confess that specific sin? Are they lost again until they confess that specific sin? What happens if they forget one?

[mailmandan]

[I]I John 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

We demonstrate that we have come to know Him and are saved by keeping His commandments. The word, "keep," comes from the Greek word tereo Strongs #5083 and means to guard, to watch over, to attend to carefully, take care of, preserve. It does not mean sinless perfect obedience to all that Christ has commanded. We have all failed at that. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, demonstrates that he has not come to know Him and is lost. Whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

What does Jesus mean by the will of the Father? Are you trying to suggest that by the expression "the will of My Father" Jesus meant a life of complete obedience to all that the Father has commanded? Thus only those who do the will of the Father would be people who live absolute godly, holy lives? The problem with that interpretation is that one cannot be said to have done the will of the Father (in that sense) unless he does it completely, 100%. Are you sinless and perfect? In John 6:40, we see "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." The will of God is to believe in Christ for salvation. If we are not believing in Christ for salvation then we are not doing God's will no matter how many so called good works that we attempt to conjure up through the flesh. Beyond believing, as John explained, practicing righteousness and keeping His commandments certainly is God's will yet only those who are born of God are described as doing so. In either sense, only believers do God's will. Unbelievers do not do His will. They may do "their" will or the will of "their church" but without faith it's impossible to please God.

I still think how we live, whether we walk in the light and obey Him or not affects a change in our eternal status. Not just how we are rewarded as some would tell me. But the very essence of whether we are saved.

Did John discuss a change in our eternal status in 1 John 1:6-7 or was he contrasting those who walk in darkness (unbelievers) with those who walk in the light (believers). Believers obey Him. Unbelievers do not obey Him. Are you trusting solely in Christ to save you or are you "also" trusting in how you live (works) to help save you? Does Jesus need supplements or is He an allsufficient Savior? Do you believe that believers will be rewarded according to their works or saved by their works?

Obedience completes His love, if we walk in the light His blood will cleanse us, if we confess our sins we will be cleansed. Something more is happening than simple belief can account for. I know the majority of Protestants follow the doctrine traced back all the way to Martin Luther that works can have nothing to do with salvation, but I do not see that born out in scripture.

Protestants vs. Catholics? Who obeys Him? Who walks in the light? Who confesses their sins? Believers or unbelievers? Is belief too simple for you? Salvation through faith, not works, is not hard to understand, it's just hard for many people to accept. Works have nothing to do with being the basis or actual means of our salvation, but they have everything to do with being the fruit, by product, and demonstrative evidence of our faith. Faith is the root and works are the fruit of our salvation. No fruit demonstrates no root.

He tells us if we love Him obey His commands. He tells us to abide in his love. He tells us to do good deeds to bring glory to the father. He tells us if we are going to build a house we had better build it on the rock. Not on the sand where it will be washed away. How do we do this, by hearing what he says (specifically in this passage it is the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5-7)

Are you trying to imply that salvation is based on our performance/good deeds/works and is not through faith based solely on the merits of Christ's finished work of redemption?

[pilgrim77]

I John 1:⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin

I John 1:⁵ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.(KJV)

So what do you think John meant when he said that if we walk in the light the blood of Jesus would cleanse or purify us?
Does this mean HOW we live can effect a change in our salvation?

No it doesn't mean you can lose your Salvation once you are saved. For one thing, "walking in the light" is your Salvatiion. Once you recieve Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, He cleanses you from all your sin. He chases out the darkness and replaces it with His light, because Jesus is the Light. "I am the light of the world" (Jesus) Then once you are saved, you will seek out the fellowship of likeminded believers. Isn't that how it usually works?

6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew)

You are only full of light once you have Jesus. It is not part light because you have Jesus, and part darkness because of your sins and mistakes. It's all light because Jesus has cleansed you from all your sins, mistakes and darkness of your life. It's all by His Grace.

See, the discrepency comes from people's interpretation of what it means to "walk in the light." It is not a certain narrow minded way that you are supposed to live your life. It means recieving the Light of the world, Jesus, and loving one another, having fellowship one with another.

[pilgrim77]

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So if we are saved and have un-confessed sins are we not forgiven for them? Are we not fully cleansed? If God cannot stand unrighteousness then would this not affect our salvation?

No, because, for one thing, everybody has unconfessed sin in their lives, in the context that everybody is a sinner, even the ones who think they are righteous.

3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans)

My point being, everybody has sins and commits sins that they don't know are sins. So these kinds of sins are going to go unconfessed, since you aren't going to confess them if you don't know you even have them.

When we get saved Jesus doesn't expect us to sit down and write out a whole list of specific sins that we are guilty of. And then refuse to forgive us if we missed any. That's not how it works either. All we have to do is humbly admit we're sinners and in need of a Saviour and ask Jesus to forgive us for all our sins and accept His blood Sacrifice for our sins and ask Him to give us His free gift of eternal life. Then He comes into our lives and cleanses us from all sin. You don't have to be specific about which sins you are guilty of in order to recieve His forgiveness. You specifically asked for the forgiveness of all your sins and He specifically forgives you and cleanses you from all your sins, regardless of what those sins are.

[pilgrim77]

I John 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

I still think how we live, whether we walk in the light and obey Him or not affects a change in our eternal status. Not just how we are rewarded as some would tell me. But the very essence of whether we are saved. Obedience completes His love, if we walk in the light His blood will cleanse us, if we confess our sins we will be cleansed. Something more is happening than simple belief can account for. I know the majority of Protestants follow the doctrine traced back all the way to Martin Luther that works can have nothing to do with salvation, but I do not see that born out in scripture.

There is a difference between working to earn grace and living in a way to stay on the straight path.
Grace is extended while we were still in sin and darkness. It is a gift beyond what we could ever earn. It is citizenship in Christ's Kingdom offered before we even knew we needed it.

But why is it so far-fetched that once we become citizens of His kingdom that we are required to live like citizens of His kingdom? We obey earthly laws of the geographical kingdom we live within. We find it common sense that our citizenship can be affected by whether we obey the law or not. Why do we think God would let us partake in any excess and it would have no bearing on our salvation if we truly repented and believed a decade earlier?

He tells us if we love Him obey His commands. He tells us to abide in his love. He tells us to do good deeds to bring glory to the father. He tells us if we are going to build a house we had better build it on the rock. Not on the sand where it will be washed away. How do we do this, by hearing what he says (specifically in this passage it is the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5-7).

2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

We do have to obey what Jesus commands us, but then we have to get down to the brass tacks of what exactly are His commandments. Jesus said in John:

6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

This is the work of God: Believe n His Son, Jesus
This is the will of God: believe in Jesus so God can forgive you of all your sins and take you to Heaven to be with Him.

Once you recieve Jesus you have fulfilled the will fo God, you have obeyed His commandments and done His work, therefore you will live forever.

[poorinspirit]

I John 1:⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

I John 1:⁵ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.(KJV)

So what do you think John meant when he said that if we walk in the light the blood of Jesus would cleanse or purify us?
Does this mean HOW we live can effect a change in our salvation?

No. I believe John was addressing this false teaching below.

1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

John was addressing believers that believed that sin was no longer sin and so if they did it, it is not sin anymore.

I believe John was addressing what Peter had noted about errant believers towards Paul's writings.

2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

I believe this was the writing that John was clarifying to those errant believers that misunderstood Paul.

1 Corinthians 7:25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. 27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. 29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;.........

I believe readers took verse 28 as applying to verse 27 of those that are loosed from a wife. Then they used verse 29 as if that future time validates what they are doing now and so it is not a sin to get a divorce and remarry.

But that was not what verse 28 was referring to. Paul was referring verse 28 to the state of a virgin in verses 25-26 because he refers to the male and female each according to gender that if they marry, they have not sinned.

But because of this misreading and ignoring the commandment of the Lord earlier as stated by Paul:

1 Corinthians 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

...errant believers have wrested the scripture to their own destruction by carrying it further by making sin cease to be sin and making His commandments as if they have ceased too that they can walk in darkness.

Thus John goes into about how we walk in the light as He did and in Him was no darkness at all in order for us to have fellowship with Him to reprove the false teaching as stated in 1 John 1:10.

1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

This was what the Lord has shown me in His words as it was odd the way John had written this, but seeing what was happening behind the scenes, like what Peter said... then what Paul's writing was Peter talking about, and why was there no correction written to address it? But wait. There it is. In 1 John.

And as for the destruction: It is not our losing our salvation but about running the risk of being destroyed from being that vessel unto honour in His House into becoming that vessel unto dishonour in His House.

1 Corinthians 3:10-23 and Hebrews 12th chapter refers to how God will judge His House at the pre tribulational rapture event. If you consider how God led Paul about having fellowship in sincerity and in truth and excommunicate any nonrepentant brother in the hopes he may repent, but of not...given over to Satan to the destruction of the flesh so that he may be saved: then we can see how God will judge His House at teh pre tribulational rapture event.

Which is why those that err or live in sin are to look to the author and finisher of our faith to help them lay aside every weight and sin ( Hebrewsw 12:1-2) to depart from iniquity so they can be that vessel unto honour in His House ( 2 Timothy 2:18-22 ) and not be destroyed in becoming that vessel unto dishonour in His House when they are left behind from being allowed to attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

[Scooby_Snacks]

I John 1:⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

I John 1:⁵ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.(KJV)

So what do you think John meant when he said that if we walk in the light the blood of Jesus would cleanse or purify us?

P.S. I did not connect salvation with this area of scripture, but I did connect relationship, unity, sanctification and the joy of His Glory.


It is a pretty small chapter, 1 John 1.
I see no reason to break up any of it, but especially the last verses, 5-10.
Together they seem to give clear meaning.
Relationship with Jesus Christ is one that is living and real. He was really on the earth, as a man and had relationships with others. He is a risen and relatable Savior.
He has made a way for all to have unbroken relationship with God. We are adopted children of The Almighty, because of Him and we have the opportunity to fellowship together with Him. When two or more are gathered in His name, there He is!


I started to think of the difference between walking in the light literally and walking in the dark literally.

When I walk in the light (daylight for example) I am out in the open and easily seen.
Daylight is revealing, and so the manner of my walk.

I don’t have to walk in darkness anymore because my shame,, guilt and condemnation have been relieved by His purity, His sacrifice and His Love. I can come boldly to the throne of Grace.

Why do I sometimes refuse to come to Him…

When I walk in the dark (night-time for example) I am hidden, and not easily seen.
In the dark I can slip away. Why would I hide from a God that knows everything? Why would I go my own way when His way is perfect? Because the battle is still being fought between my flesh and my spirit. My flesh wants to live, instead of die/be crucified. I don’t want to feel pain of being purified.

I do not think about the consequences of sin when I am deriving some payoff/pleasure from them, whether it be a feeling of self righteousness or a momentary rush/thrill of getting away with something wicked or some physical sensation. The initial consequence though, is break in relationship with God and others. (spiritual) After that normal cause and effect of sin which may include (physical, mental, emotional, financial areas)

So if I “say” I have fellowship with Christ, but there are things that I know (or don’t know) I am hiding in the dark, I am not being honest with others, or with God.
I am being hypocritical concerning my relationship with Him if I hide my sin in the darkness, and then say that I really don’t have sin.
It isn’t hypocritical to say I have sins, Lord please rid me of them, show me the way, knowing and trusting He will help me to overcome them.

He knows everytime I am in sin and holding it back. I may even ignore the conviction of sin. (think back with King David for example and Nathan) I may be convinced that my sin is no sin at all, while others sin is.
It is self righteousness/self will that is operating …instead of His righteousness/His will.
He knows the old ways I find comfort in the darkness, and how I will try to hide from His light of Truth, so that I can hold onto my old self and my pride. Blessed be the name of the Lord who performs all things for me. He is working out all the issues and problems so that His Glory can be revealed in His Body.

I was given a recent awakening to this darkness hidden but brought out into the open, as someone close to me shared a dream they had.
In the dream they saw me telling someone not to cuss in my house, and then a few minutes later, they saw me cussing in my house!
I grabbed and hugged them because we all need so much grace, and Truth! I said to them, “I’m a hypocrite!” I did wonder about the dream and sought out if in reality this was the case. I did acknowledge that in a specific manner it was.

You see, at the time, I was having some anger/frustration at another persons show of anger/frustration.
So instead of praying in silence as a mature experienced individual might do, then deciding to speak with wisdom, love and truth, in peace, I allowed my own frustration to get the better of the situation. This did not help.
I am also pretty hard on myself, so I had to really work at banishing some shame of not doing better.
Truth hurts, but in the end, I believe that God cared enough to confront me specifically on that issue that I might be cleansed from that area of unrighteousness.
(This happened so quickly too, events that transpired in maybe the length of an hour)

This may have been a combination case of judging that became hypocrisy if I were to look deeper.
The point of joy is that because of Grace I am able to receive healing and forgiveness that I only may receive because of who Jesus is and what He did.


If I talk to God and others about the sins that I would prefer to keep hidden, I bring them into the light of relationship. Then He cleanses, forgives and heals me. If I allow others to be a light into my own areas of darkness that I cannot see (as He uses others to sharpen and fine tune, as in my story) He gives more depth to my relationships with others, and with Him.

To deny having any sin is to lie. God will show me my hidden faults, but I have to be willing to look at them when He shines the light. I have to trust/believe Him, and His love for me.

[BroRog]

I John 1:⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

I John 1:⁵ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.(KJV)

So what do you think John meant when he said that if we walk in the light the blood of Jesus would cleanse or purify us?
Does this mean HOW we live can effect a change in our salvation?

To walk in the light, in this context, is to admit I am a sinner. John was speaking against teachers who claimed they were not sinners. The good news for those who sin is that the blood of Jesus will cleanse them from all sin. To walk in the light is to admit I am a sinner and to affirm that Jesus Christ will cleanse me from sin.