Today, we begin a journey through the Book of 1 John in our daily devotional; Its message is profound. Before diving in, let’s consider some background on 1 John. Attributed to John the Apostle, this letter, along with 2 and 3 John, is written by the same disciple who gave us the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation. Written before 100 A.D., 1 John holds five chapters that are both deep and direct, calling Christians to hold true to sound doctrine, live obediently, and love fervently. John, the disciple known for his closeness to Jesus, invites us into themes of forgiveness, the Antichrist, discerning truth, assurance of salvation, and especially love. Let’s begin with 1 John 1 and uncover what this passage has to offer us today. To explore how the Bible says to praise the Lord, read the daily devotional on Psalms 145-150.
1 John 1 Commentary by Allen J. Huth
Today, we begin the Book of 1 John. Chapter 1 is only ten verses. But before we begin, let’s look at a little background on 1 John. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John are all attributable to John the Apostle. He also wrote the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation. 1 John was written by John before 100 A.D. The five chapters of 1 John are rich in content. It is one of my favorite books in the New Testament because it calls Christians back to true doctrine, obedient living, and fervent devotion.
What Are the Key Points of 1 John?
John moves from subject to subject covering things like forgiveness of sin, the Antichrist, testing the spirits, assurance of salvation, and love. There is much about love in 1 John, written by the disciple whom Jesus loved. 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter in Scripture, but I believe 1 John 4 is the second love chapter in the Bible. I have read 1 John over fifteen times in forty-five years and will be sharing some of my thoughts from my Bible reading journals at various ages and stages of my life. Please read or listen to 1 John 1.
What a great chapter of Scripture, 1 John 1! We will be looking at three of my personal Bible reading journals to help us through 1 John. One from 1999, the second one from 2003, and the third from 2012.
Where in the Bible Does It Say if We Confess Our Sins?
In 1999, I was a mere forty-four years old when I read this chapter. I wrote in my journal, “John knew Jesus. He spoke from first-hand experience. He said one of my all-time favorite verses and that’s verse 9 (NASB), and one of the first verses I ever memorized. ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Hallelujah!” Then I wrote, “The greatest gift in the world is forgiveness. Thank you, Jesus. I accept your precious gift.”
What Is John 1:1 Referring To?
In another journal entry in 2003, I enhanced what I had written in 1999, “John knew Jesus when he wrote, ‘That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life’ (v. 1).” We need to stop and think about that. We are not just reading about somebody who is writing about Jesus. We are reading from someone who He loved. Then I continued writing, “This is a first-hand account of someone who knew Jesus up-close and personal.”
What Does 1 John Say about Forgiveness?
In 2012, I continued that same theme, “John writes, he shares his first-hand account, according to verse 3, ‘so that you too may have fellowship with us’. So John is writing this so we can understand Jesus from his perspective.” Then I wrote about those great verses of forgiveness, verses 7-10, “Forgiveness of sin comes through the blood of Jesus. How? Confession. We are sinners and need forgiveness.”
Why Is God Called the Word?
Those are some of the journal entries from a few years ago, but let’s look at this passage afresh today. John opens his book by saying, “That which was from the beginning”, which reminds me of the first verse of the Gospel of John, where he wrote, “In the beginning, was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Here again, he reminds us Jesus has always existed.
What Does 1 John 1:4 Mean?
Skipping down to verse 4, “And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” I do not know how your day is going to go, but maybe this passage will remind you to have joy because you were in 1 John 1 today.
Why Is God Called Light?
John goes on to remind us God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. Are we walking in the light or are we walking in darkness? If we have fellowship with Him, we walk in the light. Do you have fellowship with Jesus? Are you walking in light or are you walking in darkness?
What Is Forgiveness According to the Bible?
Now we come to the meat of this chapter, the great verses on forgiveness. I believe forgiveness is the greatest gift in the world. John explains it so well in verses 7-10, “the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (v. 7).There is no other way to be forgiven except through the blood of Jesus. Verse 8 reminds us, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Do you consider yourself a sinner? I know I do. I have a sin nature and as much as I try to avoid it and disclaim it, it reminds me every day I am still a sinner. The next verse reminds us, “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (v. 10).
What Is the Confession of Sins?
But then there is that great promise in verse 9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Forgiveness is a gift. A great invitation is here, but we have to take an action step; “If we confess our sins” (v. 9). To receive the forgiveness of God, we have to confess our sinfulness before Him. Thankfully, He is faithful and just and He will forgive us and cleanse us from all, all, all unrighteousness.
Maybe you think you have done something that cannot be forgiven. It is not the case. These verses give you hope, it gives us hope, that all of our sins can be forgiven. He will cleanse us from “all unrighteousness” (v. 9) if we take the step of confessing our sins.
He closes these great verses on forgiveness with verse 10, “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.” I am not trying to convince you today that you are a sinner. I hope it is revealed to you by our sin nature. And I certainly do not want to make Jesus a liar by saying I have not sinned.
As we close out the first chapter of 1 John, let us ponder a couple of things today:
Did Jesus and John Know Each Other?
First, we have just read or listened, and can always read or listen, to 1 John, a first-hand account of someone who knew Jesus personally. Yes, John the Apostle knew Jesus personally, and he wrote this letter.
What Is the Blessing of Walking in the Light?
Second, we have an invitation to walk in the light. How is your walk? Are you walking in the light of the Lord or are you walking in darkness?
What Role Does Confession Play in Forgiveness?
Third, contemplate the great invitation in verse 9 allowing us to confess our sins and have Jesus forgive us of from our sins and from all unrighteousness.
Maybe there is something in particular you feel guilty about or is haunting you. If so, think about confessing that sin before Jesus and allowing Him to forgive you. Let’s close in prayer.
Prayer
Father, thank You for forgiveness of sin. We are caught in sin, as much we may try not to be. Forgive my sinfulness. I want to walk in Your light. Help me, Jesus, walk in Your light. Amen.
