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.

The Christian life is like a walk. It is a walk in the light, as opposed to a walk in the darkness. This does not mean that one can only be a Christian if one walks in sinless perfection. If that were the case, then no one could be a Christian. Walking in the light means that the primary direction of one’s life is guided by the Holy Spirit and that the fundamental pattern of one’s life is in accord with the will of God.

When we take this lighted path, we are walking in fellowship with God. In 1 John 1:5 we are told that “God is light.” This course also enables us to have fellowship with everyone else who is walking in the light. Christians who have their relationship to God in order can also have their relationship to fellow Christians in order. This does not mean that Christians will never experience alienation in their fellowship, but it does mean that the shared spiritual direction and the shared pattern of life is conducive to fellowship.

Further, if we are walking in the light, then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Although Christians walk in the light, we still sin, and so we still need to be cleansed from our sin on a continuing basis. This is why, later in the chapter, John can say that we should confess our sins so that God can forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). When we are cleansed, we show that we “are all children of light and of the day,” and we do not “belong to the night or to the darkness,” (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Let us thank our great God for guiding us in the light, for mercy, and for the fellowship of the saints which we love.

By John Huisman, Friend of Bible League International