What is the meaning of 1 John 1:6? If we say we have fellowship with Him • John is addressing believers who verbally profess intimacy with God. Fellowship is more than acquaintance; 1 John 1:3 describes it as shared life with “the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” • Scripture treats fellowship as a divine calling, not mere sentiment: “God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:9). • A claim to fellowship implies participation in God’s light, love, and holiness. When a person speaks this claim, others rightly expect to see a family resemblance (John 17:3; Matthew 5:16). Yet walk in the darkness • “Walk” in the New Testament refers to habitual conduct. Darkness stands for sin, ignorance, and opposition to God (John 3:19–20). • Jesus contrasts true discipleship with darkness: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness” (John 8:12). • Paul echoes the same call: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). • Continuing patterns of unrighteousness—malice, impurity, deceit—expose a life still aligned with the realm Christ came to overthrow (1 Thessalonians 5:5). We lie • John does not soften the verdict. To claim fellowship while loving darkness is deception, first toward others and ultimately toward self. • Lying is Satan’s native language: “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Aligning with falsehood places a person on dangerous spiritual ground. • God detests lying lips (Proverbs 12:22), and the early church learned this sober truth through Ananias: “You have not lied to men, but to God!” (Acts 5:3–4). And do not practice the truth • Truth in Scripture is not only believed, it is practiced. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). • A life ruled by truth is visible: “Whoever practices the truth comes into the Light” (John 3:21). • Walking in truth is the mark that delights God: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). • Jesus links love and obedience inseparably: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Only those who live out what they profess demonstrate genuine fellowship. summary 1 John 1:6 warns that verbal claims to a relationship with God are empty when separated from a lifestyle reflecting His light. Habitual sin exposes the claim as a lie and shows that truth is not being lived out. Genuine fellowship produces a walk in the light, integrity before God and people, and consistent obedience to His revealed word. |
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