January 16, 2016
Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:6-7
6If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7But 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.
Questions for Reflection:
John returns to one of his central words throughout this letter, fellowship. Do you remember what fellowship means? If you’ve forgotten, revisit the study from 1 John 1:3 here. (LINK: http://onelifechurch.org/daily-bible-readings/january-14-2016/) The audience that John is writing to claims to have fellowship with someone. Who is it?
This passage is the first of three examples that John will use to make a very clear point. John will use the same format for each of the three examples. The flow of each argument will be: “If we claim [negative statement]. But if we [positive statement about God’s character.” What is the first concern that John addresses? What is the claim that they were making but in reality what were they still doing? What did John say they were really doing?
The term “walk in the darkness” denotes on ongoing pattern. Steve Smalley in his commentary on 1 John says ‘Living habitually in darkness’ suggests an attitude of mind…it implies a determination to choose sin (darkness) rather than God (light) as one’s constant sphere of existence.” This was not just someone making a sinful choice, a one-time occurrence; John is getting at an ongoing pattern within someone’s life. Are there areas of your life where you find yourself falling into a continual habit of darkness? What hope does verse 7 offer us?
One of the key themes for John’s writing is the word “truth”. What does that word mean? How does John’s claim that there is an absolute truth conflict with what pop culture is teaching us regarding truth? In a culture that has bought into the post-modern philosophy, how can we have a meaningful dialogue around the idea of standards and morality? If we are going to help shape the worldview of the next generation, we better be ready to follow John’s example and discuss our belief in absolute truth.