1 John 1:7 - Walking with Jesus brings Cleansing and Fellowship.
1 John 1:7 (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.
1 John 1:7 (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.
INTRODUCTION
Sin, by its very nature, brings death - that
is a fact as certain as the law of gravity.
Jesus did not die for his own sins; he had none.
Instead, by a transaction that we may never fully
understand, he died for the sins of the world. When we
commit our lives to Christ and thus identify
ourselves with him, his death becomes ours. He has
paid the penalty for our sins, and his blood has
purified us. Just as Christ rose from the grave, we
rise to a new life of fellowship with him (Romans
6:4). [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Call It What It Is
Our culture has come up with new words
for sin so we dont feel so bad. Instead of
someone saying they committed the sin of adultery,
they say there has been a moral failure.
Instead of someone saying they lied, they claim they
misspoke or offered alternative facts. And
instead of someone saying theyve sinned, they
say, Well, Im not perfect. I made a
mistake.
But theres a difference between a
mistake and a sin. According to Merriam-Webster, a
mistake is a wrong judgment: misunderstanding
or a wrong action or statement proceeding
from faulty judgment, inadequate knowledge, or
inattention.
For example, you were supposed to turn
right on that street and you turned left. It was a
mistake. It wasnt deliberate, but it happened.
A sin, on the other hand, is deliberate.
Its something we do at will. We need to call it
what it is. If we have been guilty of a sin, then
lets call it that.
Its one thing when you realize that
something you said wasnt accurate and then say,
I researched this and found that I wasnt
correct in all my facts. Let me restate it. But a
lie is another thing altogether. A lie is when
you know something is true but you choose to say
something false instead.
Call a lie a lie. Call a sin a sin. And
when you do, apply the blood of Jesus Christ.
Come to Him and confess your sin and repent of
your sin. Accept His forgiveness because of His
blood that was shed. And then drop it. Stop
dredging it up. We should not choose to remember what
God has chosen to forget. That doesnt mean
there wont be ramifications for it. But that
sin is covered by the blood of Christ, and it is
forgiven. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
Authentic Friendships Happen in the Light
In Christian fellowship, people should
experience authenticity.
Authentic fellowship is not superficial,
surface-level chit-chat. Its genuine, heart-to-heart,
sometimes gut-level sharing.
It happens when people get honest about
who they are and what is happening in their
lives. They share their hurts, reveal their
feelings, confess their failures, disclose their
doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their
weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.
Authenticity is the exact opposite of
what you find in many churches. Instead of an
atmosphere of honesty and humility, there is
pretending, role-playing, politicking and superficial
politeness, and shallow conversation.
People wear masks, keep their guards up,
and act as if everything is rosy in their lives.
These attitudes are the death of real friendship.
Its only as we become open about our
lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The
Bible says, If we live in the light, as God is
in the light, we can share fellowship with each
other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are
fooling ourselves (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).
The world thinks intimacy occurs in the
dark, but God says it happens in the light. We
tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults,
fears, failures and flaws. But in the light, we
bring them all out into the open and admit who we
really are.
Of course, being authentic requires both
courage and humility. It means facing our fear of
exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.
Why would anyone take such a risk?
Because its the only way to grow
spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says,
Make this your common practice: Confess your sins
to each other and pray for each other so that
you can live together whole and healed (James
5:16 The Message). [Daily Devotional by Rick
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Without End
Christ has paid for you.
Receive this, the great miracle of mercy.
Let the grace of God flow over you like a
cleansing cascade, flushing out all dregs of guilt and
shame. Nothing separates you from God. Your
conscience may accuse you, but God accepts you. Others
may dredge up your past, but God doesn't.
I took a break from writing to go to the
beach with our family. Rosie, grandchild number
one, had never seen the ocean. We all wondered
how she would respond to the sight. When she saw
the waves and heard the roar of the water, she
watched and listened and then finally asked, "When
does it turn off?"
It doesn't, sweetie.
We ask the same about God's grace. Surely
it will dry up and stop flowing, right? Wrong.
Surely we will exhaust his goodness, won't we?
Never. We will at some point write one too many
checks on his mercy and love, correct? Incorrect.
His grace and goodness, his love and mercy are
without end. [You Can Count On God by Max Lucado]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
1 John 1:7 - Walking in Jesus brings
Cleansing and Fellowship.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20151202-1820.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20101130-2333.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2001/20011206-0000.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
