1 John 1:7

Contextual Overview

⁵ We heard the true teaching from God. Now we tell it to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness. ⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. ⁵ And this is the tydynges which we have hearde of him and declare vnto you that god is lyght and in him is no darknes at all ⁵ This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁵ 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. ⁵ Here is the message we have heard from Christ and now announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. ⁵ And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁵ This then is the message which we have heard from him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁵ This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁵ And this is the message which we have heard of him and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If we: 1 John 2:9, 1 John 2:10, Psalms 56:13, Psalms 89:15, Psalms 97:11, Isaiah 2:5, John 12:35, Romans 13:12, Ephesians 5:8, 2 John 1:4, 3 John 1:4

as: 1 John 1:5, Psalms 104:2, 1 Timothy 6:16, James 1:17

we have: 1 John 1:3, Amos 3:3

and the: 1 John 2:1, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 5:6, 1 John 5:8, Zechariah 13:1, John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:19, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 7:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 5:22 - General Genesis 5:24 - for Exodus 12:13 - and when Exodus 30:18 - a laver Exodus 40:7 - General Exodus 40:31 - washed Leviticus 4:5 - General Leviticus 4:20 - an atonement Leviticus 4:31 - a sweet Leviticus 4:35 - and the priest shall make Leviticus 6:7 - make Leviticus 7:29 - General Leviticus 11:24 - General Leviticus 11:25 - and be unclean Leviticus 11:40 - eateth Leviticus 13:6 - wash Leviticus 15:16 - General Leviticus 15:27 - General Leviticus 16:12 - from off Leviticus 16:30 - General Leviticus 17:11 - I have Numbers 19:19 - shall sprinkle Deuteronomy 5:10 - showing 2 Samuel 12:13 - The Lord 1 Kings 7:38 - ten lavers 2 Chronicles 4:6 - ten lavers Ezra 10:2 - yet now there is hope Ezra 10:11 - make confession Nehemiah 9:2 - confessed Psalms 19:12 - cleanse Psalms 26:3 - and Psalms 36:9 - in thy Psalms 51:2 - Wash Psalms 51:7 - and Psalms 65:3 - transgressions Psalms 103:12 - so far Proverbs 30:12 - not Isaiah 6:7 - thine iniquity Isaiah 33:24 - shall be forgiven Jeremiah 14:20 - We acknowledge Jeremiah 33:8 - General Ezekiel 36:25 - filthiness Ezekiel 36:27 - cause Ezekiel 37:23 - will cleanse Hosea 14:2 - away Zechariah 10:12 - walk Matthew 1:21 - for Matthew 6:12 - forgive Mark 7:4 - except Luke 7:47 - which John 5:4 - was made John 13:5 - to wash John 13:10 - needeth Acts 2:42 - fellowship Romans 5:9 - being Romans 7:15 - what 1 Corinthians 1:9 - the fellowship 1 Corinthians 10:16 - the communion of the blood 2 Corinthians 7:1 - let Galatians 2:16 - we have Galatians 2:20 - the Son Ephesians 2:10 - walk Philippians 1:5 - General Colossians 2:13 - having 1 Thessalonians 2:12 - walk 1 Thessalonians 5:8 - who Hebrews 1:3 - by himself Hebrews 8:12 - General 2 Peter 1:9 - that he 1 John 1:9 - and to 1 John 2:6 - to walk 1 John 2:12 - your 1 John 2:24 - ye also 1 John 3:5 - to Revelation 5:9 - and hast

Cross-References

Genesis 1:8
And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Genesis 1:8
And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

Genesis 1:8
God named the air "sky." Evening passed, and morning came. This was the second day.

Genesis 1:8
God called the expanse "sky." There was evening, and there was morning, a second day.

Genesis 1:8
And God called the firmament Heaven: and the evening and the morning were the second day.

Genesis 1:8
God called the expanse sky. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.

Genesis 1:8
God called the expanse [of sky] heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

Genesis 1:8
And God clepide the firmament, heuene. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the secounde dai.

Genesis 1:8
And God calleth to the expanse `Heavens;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day second.

Genesis 1:8
God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning-the second day.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But if we walk in the light,.... Are persons enlightened by the Spirit of God, so as to have a true sight and sense of sin, to know Christ, and the way of salvation by him; and are children of the light, and are going on and increasing in spiritual light and knowledge; walk on in Christ, the light, by faith, and in the light and truth of the Gospel, and as becomes it, and as children of light; and as such who are called out of darkness into marvellous light:

as he is in the light; according to the light which he has given, who is light itself, is in it, and dwells in it. This "as" denotes not equality, but likeness: when this is the case, then it is a clear point, that

we have fellowship one with another; not with the saints, with the apostles, and other Christians, but with God: "we have mutual communion", as the Arabic version renders it; God with us, and we with him. Some copies read, "with him", as in 1 John 1:6; and such a reading the sense requires; and agreeably to this the Ethiopic version renders it, "and we are partakers among ourselves with him"; that is, we all jointly and mutually appear to be like him, and partake of his nature, and have communion with him; and not only so, but with his Son Jesus Christ, as appears from our having a share in the cleansing efficacy of his blood:

and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin: there is a pollution on human nature, which is original, natural, universal, and internal, and is such that nothing can remove but the blood of Christ; not ceremonial ablutions and sacrifices, nor moral duties, nor evangelical performances, or submission to Gospel ordinances, and particularly baptism, which is not the putting away the faith of the flesh; nor even the graces of the Spirit, no, not faith, no otherwise than as it has to do with this blood; for this cleansing is not to be understood of sanctification, for that more properly belongs to the Spirit of God, and besides, does not cleanse from all sin; for notwithstanding this, sin is in the saints: but either of the atonement of sin, by the sacrifice of Christ, and so of a complete justification from it by his blood, which is put for both his active and passive obedience, the one being finished in the other; or rather of the pardon of sin, procured by the blood of Christ, and the application of that blood to the conscience, which purges it from dead works, and which has a continued virtue in it for that purpose. Christ's blood, being applied by the Spirit of God, has been always cleansing from sin; it had this virtue in it, and was of this use, even before it was actually shed, to the Old Testament saints; whence Christ is said to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; and it has the same efficacy now as when first shed, and will have to the end of the world; and being sprinkled upon the conscience, by the Spirit of God, it takes away the sins of believers, and cleanses from them, as fast as the corruption of nature rises, or sins appear; and removes them out of their sight, and speaks peace to their souls; and which is owing, as to the dignity of Christ's person and the value of his sacrifice, so to his continual intercession, advocacy, and mediation; and which reaches to all sin, original and actual, secret and open sins; sins of heart, thought, lip, and life; sins of omission and commission, greater or lesser sins, committed against light and knowledge, grace and mercy, law and Gospel, all but the sin against the Holy Ghost; and in this Christ was the antitype of the scape goat, of which the Jews say g, that

"it atoned for all the transgressions of the law, whether small or great, sins of presumption, or of ignorance, known, or not known, which were against an affirmative or negative command, which deserved cutting off (by the hand of God), or death by the sanhedrim.''

The Arabic and Ethiopic versions render it, "from all our sins"; and this must be ascribed to the greatness of his person, as the Son of God; wherefore the emphasis lies on these words, "his Son": the Son of God, who is equal with God, and is truly and properly God: as it must be the blood of man that must, according to the law, be shed, to atone for and expiate sin, and cleanse from it, and that of an innocent man, who is holy, harmless, and without sin; so it must not be the blood of a mere man, though ever so holy, but the blood of one that is God as well as man; see Acts 20:28. The divine nature of the Son of God, being in union with the human nature, put virtue into his blood to produce such an effect, which still continues, and will, as long as there is any occlusion for it.

g Misn. Shebuot, c. 1. sect. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But if we walk in the light - Compare the notes at 1 John 1:5. Walking in the light may include the three following things:

1. Leading lives of holiness and purity; that is, the Christian must be characteristically a holy man, a light in the world, by his example.

(2)Walking in the truth; that is, embracing the truth in opposition to all error of paganism and infidelity, and having clear, spiritual views of truth, such as the unrenewed never have. See 2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 2:9-15; Ephesians 1:18.

(3)Enjoying the comforts of religion; that is, having the joy which religion is fitted to impart, and which it does impart to its true friends, Psalms 94:19; Isaiah 57:8; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 13:11. Compare the notes at John 12:35.

As he is in the light - In the same kind of light that he has. The measure of light which we may have is not the same in degree, but it is of the same kind. The true Christian in his character and feelings resembles God.

We have fellowship one with another - As we all partake of his feelings and views, we shall resemble each other. Loving the same God, embracing the same views of religion, and living for the same ends, we shall of course have much that is common to us all, and thus shall have fellowship with each other.

And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin - See the sentiment here expressed fully explained in the notes at Hebrews 9:14. When it is said that his blood cleanses us from all sin, the expression must mean one of two things - either that it is through that blood that all past sin is forgiven, or that that blood will ultimately purify us from all transgression, and make us perfectly holy. The general meaning is plain, that in regard to any and every sin of which we may be conscious, there is efficacy in that blood to remove it, and to make us wholly pure. There is no stain made by sin so deep that the blood of Christ cannot take it entirely away from the soul. The connection here, or the reason why this is introduced here, seems to be this: The apostle is stating the substance of the message which he had received, 1 John 1:5. The first or leading part of it was, that God is light, and in him is no darkness, and that his religion requires that all his friends should resemble him by their walking in the light. Another, and a material part of the same message was, that provision was made in his religion for cleansing the soul from sin, and making it like God. No system of religion intended for man could be adapted to his condition which did not contain this provision, and this did contain it in the most full and ample manner. Of course, however, it is meant that that blood cleanses from all sin only on the conditions on which its efficacy can be made available to man - by repentance for the past, and by a cordial reception of the Saviour through faith.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 7. But if we walk in the light — If, having received the principle of holiness from him, we live a holy and righteous life, deriving continual light, power, and life from him, then we have fellowship one with another; that is, we have communion with God, and God condescends to hold communion with us. This appears to be the intention of the apostle; and so he was understood by some versions and MSS., which, instead of μεταλληλων, with each other, have μεταυτον, with him. Those who are deeply experienced in Divine things converse with God, and God with them. What John says is no figure; God and a holy heart are in continual correspondence.

The blood of Jesus Christ — The meritorious efficacy of his passion and death has purged our consciences from dead works, and cleanseth us, καθαριζειημας, continues to cleanse us, i.e., to keep clean what it has made clean, (for it requires the same merit and energy to preserve holiness in the soul of man, as to produce it,) or, as several MSS. and some versions read, καθαριει and καθαρισει, will cleanse; speaking of those who are already justified, and are expecting full redemption in his blood.

And being cleansed from all sin is what every believer should look for, what he has a right to expect, and what he must have in this life, in order to be prepared to meet his God. Christ is not a partial Saviour, he saves to the uttermost, and he cleanses from ALL sin.