View the video blog for this lesson: I John 1:6
I John 1:6
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
THE STUDY
I want to reiterate the fact that John is presenting this epistle in response to a group of people (Gnostics) who didn’t believe in the fullness of the Christian belief. John does this by starting from the beginning, as the foundation, and applies layer after layer constructing the truth.
Yesterday we read how John revealed the message of this epistle, GOD IS LIGHT. Light is positive, darkness is negative. In his writings, John habitually contrasts opposites, including light and darkness, truth and falsehood, love and hate, right and wrong, life and death, faith and unbelief. He writes, “In [God] there is no darkness at all.” Using the emphatic negative, John stresses the positive. God and darkness are diametrically opposed. Anyone who has fellowship with God cannot be in darkness. He is in the light, glory, truth, holiness, and purity of God.[1]
Today we are going to see the next layer that John adds to make this point. Verses 6-10 are examples of this contrast between positive and negative. Contrast number 1 (Verse 6) is negative; “we lie and do not practice the truth.” The sinner, who refuses to set his life in harmony with God’s will, cannot claim to have fellowship with God.[2] I believe this can be a very hard fact to swallow but it’s the truth. We cannot claim to have fellowship with God yet walk in darkness.
By “walking” John means, our daily life, our movement and activities in the world. This activity will inevitably express the fellowship in which we live.[3] When John writes, “we lie and do not practice the truth,” he is referring to the fact that we are false, both in word and in deed. John was concerned about the TRUTH believing it is not just confined to our language but to our conduct as well.
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH …
- John acknowledges the fact that we lie (sin) if we are professing fellowship with Jesus yet continuing to live in the very sin He released us from.
- He also shows us that a lie is not just words mis-spoken but played out in our conduct. Let out conduct match our words spoken toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION:
I remember when the big fad in Christian culture was the WWJD bracelets. My wife and I had one and we wore it like a badge of honor. Nothing wrong with wearing this bracelet but as I have grown older I believe this question was asked with the wrong response in mind. WWJD is not a question to be answered, “do I respond Christ-like or UN-Christ-Like?” This would present itself as if believers have an option. Meaning, whatever we choose we would still be OK in our relationship with Jesus. As a Christian we are to be like Christ, no if, and's or but about it. WWJD should be a question/statement that is lived through our daily walk with Jesus.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (242). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (243). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
[3] The Pulpit Commentary: 1 John. 2004 (H. D. M. Spence-Jones, Ed.) (4). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
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