1 John 1:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: 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.

NASB: but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

CSB: If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

NLT: But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Verse 6 spoke against walking in the darkness. Verse 7 offers the contrast, and calls believers to live according to God's ways. Again, we find connections to the Gospel of John, chapter 1. John 1:8–9 speaks of John the Baptist, stating, "He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world." Jesus was noted as the "light" and "true light." John the Baptist spoke about Him, calling people to repentance in preparation for His arrival. Now believers are called to walk according to Christ's ways.

The second half of this verse states what takes place when believers do walk in the light: fellowship and a cleansing from sin. Two applications are given. First, believers will have community and friendship with one another. Second, believers will experience forgiveness. Even though a person is forgiven (eternally) of sins when he or she first believes in Christ, Christians still commit sins and find themselves in need of forgiveness as believers. See verse 9 for more information on this. Even the apostle Paul noted his many failures, despite his desire to live right, and the many noble works he had done for God (Romans 7).

The implication here is clear: the mere presence of sin in one's life does not imply that the person is lost. Christ's sacrifice removes the eternal penalty of all sins, past, present, and future. Even more importantly, those who trust in Christ are forgiven even for sins they are not aware of. Those sins we become aware of, we should confess, and they will be forgiven. If we walk in obedience with what we have, God will make up for what we lack.

First John 1:5–10 opens the main topic of John’s letter. God is entirely goodness and truth, and those who follow God cannot also follow evil and falsehood. John offers a pattern of “if” statements, comparing each to the truth. In particular, John mentions those who claim to be entirely free from sin, or to have never sinned. Such a belief is literally the opposite of the gospel. No person is sinless other than Jesus Christ.

Chapter 1 re-states the fact that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. John confirms that he has personally seen and heard the things he is teaching. God’s truth is presented as “light,” while false teachings are presented as “darkness.” Those who hold to the truth are saved from sin; those who claim to have no sin at all are self-deceived.

Chapter 1 sets the stage for the rest of John’s letter. The concepts of truth vs. falsehood, light vs. darkness, and rightness vs. self-deception are explored in more detail later on. By claiming to be an eyewitness, and marking the difference between God’s truth and error, Chapter 1 gives a sense of how serious this subject is. In fact, the distinction between truth and error is a primary marker used for spiritual self-reflection.

First John seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the gospel. Rather than re-state these facts, John is concerned with building confidence in Christian believers. At the same time, his words encourage believers to examine their own lives for signs of their relationship with Christ. This letter also challenges false teachers and their incorrect claims about Jesus. Many themes are shared with the Gospel of John.