1 John Chapter 1
A Brief Study of 1 John Chapter 1
The Apostle John wrote three letters in addition to his account of the life of Jesus that we call the Gospel of John. In the first of these letters, he wrote to a mixed audience of both believers and unbelievers. Let’s unpack the first chapter of First John together.
1 John 1:1–4 “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” (NASB 2020)
In the first four verses John says that he is talking about things of which he was an actual witness. He makes clear that he was able to see, truly observe, and actually touch the Word of life. He says that he wants to show his audience the eternal life that was with the Father and was made concrete in Jesus.
Reading about the Word brings to mind the similar introduction he wrote at the beginning of his gospel account. There he wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.” John 1:1–4 (NASB 2020)
In verse three of First John chapter one, we read that John is declaring this information so that the people to whom he is speaking may have fellowship with “us.” Us may refer to the Apostles, or to the assembly of saints. This is clear because he says that “our” fellowship is with the Father, and with Jesus Christ. Since he is writing here to offer a way for his readers be in fellowship with the saints and with God, we can see that John is talking to unbelievers in this part of the letter. He caps it off by adding that his motive is fullness of joy for them. Joy is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22).
He goes on in 1 John 1:5–10 “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (NASB 2020)
In six short verses, John presents the Gospel with great clarity. The message given by Jesus is the message he is presenting. The idea that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all is very important to the message for this particular audience. This is another way of saying that God is perfect. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (NASB 2020)
This is important for these unbelievers in particular to know because they were claiming to have no sin. In verse five we are told that anyone is lying who claims to have fellowship with God but actually walks in darkness. This statement helps us see that the audience for this part of John’s letter is unbelievers.
We know from Ephesians 5:8 that we as believers are light and called to walk as children of light. The passage says, “for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (NASB 2020) We are light, and we are children of Light. John wrote that God is light here in verse five and also in John 1:4. From these passages we see that it is those who are in Christ, who have the Spirit, who are children of light.
John goes on with his presentation of the Gospel message in 1 John 1:7. It reads, “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (NASB 2020)
As we have seen from John 1:4 and Ephesians 5:8, those who are saved walk in the light. How can they not? They are in Him. We also learn that those who walk in the light as He is in the light are cleansed from all sin. This cleansing is not just from the sins of our past. It is not from the individual sins we have confessed. It is not from the sins for which we have asked God to forgive us. It is not from the sins for which we have felt heartily sorry. It is not from the sins from which we have turned away. This cleansing is from all sin.
John is sure not to leave out what it is that provided that cleansing. The blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanses us from all sin. If we are cleansed from all sin, there can be no sin left at all. This is what the blood of Jesus has done for us. He has propitiated our sin. He has taken it away. Therefore, we are cleansed not just from our sins, but from all sin.
No sinfulness remains in us after this cleansing. We are made righteous. We find this in a number of passages in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 6:11 after a list of heinous sins, we find this, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (NASB 2020) And in 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him..” (NASB 2020) 1 Corinthians 1:8 tells us that Jesus, “will also confirm you to the end, blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NASB 2020)
Now John goes on to point out the error being made by some in his audience. These people claim not to have sinned. To them, there is no need for the blood of Jesus. They view themselves as having fellowship with God and as sinless, but their faith is in their own righteousness, not the righteousness of Jesus. John makes it clear that this is a lie and “His word”, Jesus, is not in those who believe this.
John says that the remedy that will provide righteousness, sinlessness, and cleansing is confessing (Greek homologo—to say the same, to agree with) God that they have sinned and cannot make themselves righteous. If anyone will do this, God can be trusted (because He is faithful and just) to forgive their sins and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness.
Two things happen upon agreeing with God about sin and righteousness. (This is belief on Jesus) First there is forgiveness of sins. Second, there is cleansing from all unrighteousness. Anyone cleansed from all unrighteousness is righteous. Anyone who is righteous has no sin.
If we were to continue reading First John, we would encounter a transition in chapter two verse one. John then begins speaking to the believers in his audience. He begins by referring to them as his little children, which makes clear the shift.
