Living in the Light

There’s a clear difference between believers and unbelievers, a difference that is as stark as that between black and white, light and darkness. The source of this difference is God himself, since he is light and there is no darkness in him at all. John tells us that this difference shows itself in how believers live, how they address sin in their lives, and in whom they put their trust. Let’s see how John unpacks living in the light with these notes from the NLT Study Bible.

Overview of 1 John 1:5–2:2

Here John focuses on the first aspect of living in fellowship with God. Living in the light means that the believers will see that they are sinners, but they will also realize that Jesus is their Advocate to make them right with God (see Eph 5:6–13).

God Is Light

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.”

1 John 1:5

1:5: from Jesus: Literally from him. God is light: This light shone through Jesus Christ to all he came in contact with, to expose their sin and to illumine the moral nature and character of God (see John 1:4–5, 9; 3:19–21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35–36, 46). In John, “light” represents God’s holiness and revelation. It is the opposite of false teaching and undisciplined living, which is “darkness” (1:6).

False Claims of Fellowship

“So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.”

1 John 1:6

1:6: This is the first of several instances in which John challenges the claims of the Gnostics, who had broken away from the apostolic fellowship and were thus living in spiritual darkness. They claimed to have fellowship with God but did not express his character, which is light. Jesus had warned the Jewish leaders of his day not to let the light they thought they had be darkness (Matt 6:23)—their religious beliefs had blinded them to the spiritual illumination they could have received from Christ. In like manner, these Gnostic teachers thought they were enlightened but were actually darkened by their so-called illuminations. They claimed to have spiritual experiences from God, yet they rejected fellowship with the ones who had actually seen God in the flesh, namely, John and the other apostles.

1:6: koinōnia: fellowship see Acts 2:42

“This noun means an association of close mutual relationship and involvement with another; it is an alliance with another person or group, formal or informal. There is an implication of intimacy, singleness of purpose, trust of one another, sharing of material goods, and harmony rather than hostility.”

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“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.”

1 John 1:7

1:7: Believers have fellowship with each other and with God as they live in the light. People cannot say they commune with God and then refuse to have fellowship with God’s people. This was the case with the Gnostics. The apostles of Christ had known Jesus Christ as God-in-the-flesh and were continuing to have spiritual fellowship with him (1:3).

False Claims of Sinlessness

“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.”

1 John 1:8

1:8: If we claim we have no sin: This is the second false claim of the Gnostics. They claimed that they were or could be sinless since Christ had abolished their sins once and for all—their higher knowledge would lift them above the realm of sin. But Christians do still sin when they live in their old nature (see Rom 7:14–25). The true Christian both acknowledges this sin (1:9) and trusts in Christ to take it away.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

1 John 1:9

1:9: To maintain continual fellowship with God, we need to confess our sins to him. Forgiveness and cleansing are guaranteed because God is faithful to his promises and because he acts on the basis of his justice. Christ’s death for our sins fulfills God’s justice and acquits us of our guilt.

1:9 hamartia: sin see Matt. 26:28

“This noun is a general term for sin, any action or attitude that is contrary to the will of God and the revealed standards of God.”

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“If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

1 John 1:10

1:10: If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar: God’s word emphasizes the permeating and penetrating nature of sin.

True Satisfaction for Sinners

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.”

1 John 2:1

2:1: In order to live “in the light” (1:5–7), one must confess sin (1:9) and stop sinning. John emphasized sin in ch 1 in order to make believers despise their sin and avoid it. if anyone does sin: Believers should repudiate sin, but they should not fear confessing sins to God. advocate (Greek paraklētos, “one who is called to our side” as comforter or advocate): Christ is our defense attorney, representing us before the Father in heaven (see Rom 8:26–34; cp. John 14:16). Jesus Christ, the . . . righteous: We, in contrast, are sinful. Because Christ fulfilled the law and paid sin’s penalty for us, he can plead for us on the basis of justice as well as mercy. When God raised Christ from the dead, he accepted once for all Christ’s plea for our acquittal (see Rom 4:23–25). “The righteousness of Christ stands on our side; for God’s righteousness is, in Jesus Christ, ours” (Martin Luther).

2:1 paraklētos: comforter, helper, advocate see John 14:16

“This noun is a person who helps or enables another person. Sometimes paraklētos has a legal meaning, referring to an advocate in a courtroom setting. It became a title for the Holy Spirit, whose role includes encouraging, strengthening, and supporting God’s people.”

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“He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of the world.”

1 John 2:2

2:2: sacrifice that atones: The Greek hilasmos means “appeasement by means of sacrifice” (cp. 4:10). Christ satisfied God’s justice by dying in our place (Rom 3:25).

2:2 hilaskomai, hilasmos, hilastērion: atonement, propitiation, expiation see 1 John 4:10

“These words refer to the means by which sins and offenses are forgiven. The result of atonement is mercy and reconciliation between the sinner and the one wronged. In the NT, these words refer to Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. Hilastērion can also mean the “place of atonement,” referring to the cover of the Ark.”

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