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. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
We live in a generation that suffers from alienation, guilt, and confusion. Through electronic communication and social media, we are in constant contact, but feel all alone. We are told there is no right or wrong, but doing anything and everything we please does not feel right and we either experience guilt or, worse, a deadness in our hearts. And while we are completely free and can choose any course or direction for our lives, we are often overwhelmed with options.
John presents here in his letter several contrasts: light and darkness, lies and truth. But there are also the contrasts of fellowship with alienation, forgiveness with guilt, and guidance with confusion.
The blood of Christ is what makes the difference. His blood cleanses us from sin. We could say we don’t have sin, or that there’s not even any such thing as sin. But we would be fooling ourselves (v. 8). But if we confess that sin, we are forgiven through Christ, cleansed, free from guilt (v. 9).
Not only that, but we become part of a community, a family. We have fellowship with one another (v. 7). We are no longer alienated. We belong. We can have relationships with one another as we all have relationships with Christ.
And Christ gives us a new direction. His Word and His Spirit illuminate the way we should go. With Him, we can walk in the light and not bump around in darkness.
Christ is the solution to guilt, alienation and confusion. With so much at stake, we should do as John says, and walk in the light, as He is in the light.