1 John 1:1-2:2

1:1-2 | The apostle John, the author of this book, was an eyewitness of Jesus and His works. Because he heard, saw, looked upon, and handled Jesus, John affirmed himself as a reliable source of truth about him, contrary to the false teachers of that time (John 1:14; 21:24; Luke 24:39).

1:3 | The fellowship Christians have with each other is rooted in their fellowship with the Father and Jesus the Son. The believers shared salvation and eternal life with God give them a commonality that produces true unity (John 17:21; 1 Cor. 1:9).

1:4 | People can have knowledge about something but not the benefit of it. Joy that rises above one’s circumstances comes through fellowship with Christ (John 15:11; 16:24; 1 Pet. 1:8).

1:5-7 | John describes God as light, indicating that He is infinitely holy, utterly righteous, and morally pure (John 8:12). Darkness is the absence of light. When people stray from obedience to God and step into the darkness, they begin to act in ways that are inconsistent with His character. Then they start avoiding light in every way possible (John 1:4-5; 8:12; 1 Tim. 6:16).

1:6-7 | When confronted with the truth, true believers will turn away from darkness to walk in the light. They walk back toward the truth of who God is, and into restored fellowship. That process is called repentance, and it is the process by which God forgives and cleanses through Christ’s blood (2 Cor. 6:14).

1:8 | In John’s day, as it is today, some people falsely taught that when a person became a follower of Christ, that person’s sin nature was eradicated and he or she could achieve sinless “perfection.” But people who say such things deceive themselves (Ps. 51:3; John 9:41; Rom. 3:23). To have no sin is to have no Savior, which makes the incarnation unnecessary.

1:9-10 | Because everyone sins, those who say they have no sin reveal either their ignorance or pride, demonstrating that they do not belong to Christ. Acknowledging the truth of the gospel is not enough – people must also confess their sin and walk in the light (Ps. 32:5; Prov. 28:13).

1:9 | Christians who do not regularly confess their sins weaken their fellowship with God, and their relationship with Him becomes distant and strained. The false teachers would not admit their sin or their need of Jesus’ cleansing.

2:1-2 | As the living apostle, John was an old man when this letter was written, so he lovingly addresses his readers as his children. He has just highlighted the fact that everyone is a sinner – the bad news. But now he gives the good news: believers’ sins are forgiven because of Christ, and they are represented before the Father by their heavenly Advocate (“defense attorney”) – Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:25; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:25; 1 Tim. 2:5).