1 John was written to Christians who likely lived in the area of Asia Minor. It was written near the end of the first century. The author made it very clear that he wrote from personal experience. He was an eye witness who physically associated with Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-4). His "right" to instruct these Christians came from his direct association with Jesus.
To affirm to yourself this epistle is written to Christians, scan the book and note the emphasis to fellow Christians. Also note John's inclusion of himself in the text ["we"].
Likely John addressed some common problems among Christians concerning Jesus' nature. False teachers who claimed to represent God denied Jesus' humanity.
Check any of a number of commentaries written in the past few decades. As they address the situation that occasioned the writing, they will give in-depth information regarding the rise of questions concerning Jesus' nature. Those questions seemed to impact significantly the Christian community in the late first century.
As John began his instruction, he affirmed the nature of the Christian's relationship with God (1 John 1:5-10). What he affirmed is insightful and encouraging to Christians of every age. When people become Christians, God does not abandon them to their own strength. The forgiveness that occurs when penitent believers are immersed into Christ is not a "one time occurrence." Forgiveness is a continuing process in a Christian's life, not a one time event. Jesus' atoning blood enables penitent believers to be forgiven of sins at immersion into Christ. After that immersion, John declared forgiveness to be an ongoing process in the lives of people who were in Christ.
This lesson notes John's opening emphasis in 1 John focused on Christians' assurance of forgiveness. The writing quickly transitions into the responsibility of Christians to love each other. The writing made evident this fact: salvation is assured to those who assume responsibility.
God's salvation in Christ is perfect. His means of offering us hope in forgiveness is ideal. He does not offer us forgiveness with impossible conditions. We cannot be sinlessly perfect. We cannot have total awareness of all our sins [the process of spiritual maturing combined with our imperfect knowledge makes sinless perfection forever impossible.] We can be honest with ourselves and with God. We can be faithful. If, as Christians, we accept responsibility for our sins as we through growth reach awareness of them, God's forgiveness will keep us cleansed. A penitent heart that always is ready to repent [acknowledge sin and redirect life] assures God's continuing forgiveness.
In 1 John 1:5-10, John affirmed these facts:
God is not a "mix" of evil and good; He is absolute good.
To calculatingly rebel against God with the deliberate, reasoned intention of rebelling [as distinguished from falling to temptation either through ignorance or weakness] is to "break" fellowship with God. We do not become Christians to continue a rebellious lifestyle. We become Christians to be transformed. Christians who have no intention of redirecting their lifestyles away from evil cannot simultaneously walk with God.
A primary reason for becoming a Christian is one's desire to live as close to God as possible. This desire motivates us to be close to others who seek closeness to God. For those in Christ motivated by such desire is the assurance that God's continuing forgiveness is a reality. Hearts that belong to God are continually cleansed.
God is incredibly patient and compassionate with Christians who realize every form of evil is their enemy seeking to destroy them. God is not as patient or compassionate with Christians who refuse to recognize the reality of personal evil as a problem. Christians who are self deceived regard evil to be innocent. These Christians do not understand the truth that produced God's love and motivated Him to send us Jesus.
Christians can be honest with themselves and God. They can confess [to God] their sins when they realize those sins. In Christ, penitent hearts that confess evil to God result in forgiveness. A Christian with the faithfulness and courage to confess an evil when he or she realizes the evil is assured of forgiveness for the evil and complete cleansing from all unrighteousness.
To claim we do not sin and therefore do not need God's forgiveness is to insult God.
John did two things in this statement.
First, John emphasized each Christian must admit that he or she struggles with evil within himself or herself. As long as a Christian physically exists in this world [in rebellion to God], he or she has the problem. We are "clean" before God because we are forgiven, not because we are perfect.
Second, John emphasized each Christian must accept responsibility for his or her spiritual failures. God values our honesty and faithfulness in penitently saying, "God, I realize this was [is] wrong. Give me strength and forgiveness to redirect my life as I struggle against it."
When Christians are honest about admitting their evil [because they want to be as close to God as possible], God is faithful and righteous [He does exactly as He promised]. God forgives all sin and cleanses from all unrighteousness those Christians who (a) acknowledge their need for continuing forgiveness and (b) acknowledge their evil.
God has no hesitation to cleanse the Christian who admits his or her spiritual failures. He has no hesitation to totally forgive that Christian--even of evils that he or she has no awareness. Since no Christian has one hundred per cent awareness of all evil in his or her life, such forgiveness is essential.
Jesus' atoning blood continually flows in the lives of Christians (a) who maintain an awareness of their need for forgiveness and (b) who accept responsibility for evil in their lives by confessing their evil to God.
The immersion of a believing, penitent person begins the flow of Jesus' blood in his or her life. As long as a believing, penitent Christian confesses his or her sins to God, Jesus' atoning blood never stops flowing through his or her life.
As 1 John 2:1-6 declared, God is not encouraging Christians to sin. Rather, He provides Christians the perfect solution for the continuing problem of evil in their lives. The perfect solution exists because Christians have the perfect Advocate. Jesus Christ the Righteous constantly pleads to God on their behalf.
John did not provide these insights to encourage Christians to do or think evil. He provided them to help Christians understand evil is not an impossible problem. God's solution to evil in Christ is perfect--and very "doable."
The Christian can be a child of the God in Whom there is no evil because of His perfect solution to evil. The perfect solution is Jesus' atoning death and the continuing forgiveness of Jesus' atoning blood in the lives of penitent Christians. It is not our perfection. It is His forgiveness.
Jesus' atoning blood makes it possible, in this world, for imperfect Christians to belong to the perfect God.
Questions
God, Who is free from all evil and despises all evil, [therefore is pure light] can associate with us because He cleanses us. At our very best, we are a mixture of light and darkness. Within us the light and darkness always struggle against each other. [Remember Galatians 5:17.] God's continuing forgiveness makes it possible for the Christian to walk with God.
John's emphasis here is not on "knowing the truth." Knowledge is insufficient. In fellowship with God, it is necessary to allow the truth to be active in our lives by producing a godly lifestyle.
Association with God is based on God's forgiveness. Human perfection is not an option. Christians who convince themselves they have achieved perfection are self-deceived.
In context, "walking in the light" cannot mean sinlessness. Verse 8 says the Christian claim of sinlessness as a life condition arises from self-deception and being void of truth. Verse 10 says the Christian claiming to be sinless makes God a liar and has no truth in him or her.
"Forgive us our sins" refers to sins that we confess because we are aware of them. "Cleanse us from all unrighteousness" refers to sins that have not yet reached our consciousness, our understanding and awareness.
I would not separate confession from the enormous emphasis Jesus placed on repentance [such as Luke 15]. Remember, John affirmed in the opening that he was an eye witness. To me, confession implies regret and a desire to redirect life. That is consistent with the emphases that follow in the book, for example 3:1-12. Confession's motivation: redirection of my life; not placing God under 'obligation.'
Christians declare God is a liar if they declare that they have no sins to be forgiven and thereby do not need God's provision of continuing forgiveness.
No! He has no intention of encouraging them to sin. He wants Christians to understand that God's provision of the perfect Advocate is the complete solution to our need for forgiveness.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 10