“3: That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4: And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5: This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1).

In this declaration, we find the means of fellowship and the blessed consequences of making operative this source or means. As is typically the case, we find in John’s statement matters that necessarily involve both God and man. God is seen as the Source or Provider and man is observed as the beneficiary or recipient, providing he accepts what God is offering, in this case, “fellowship,” “joy,” “truth,” and “cleansing,” when verse nine is included. Man is to walk in the light. It is imperative that we understand not just what walk in the light means, but also what walk in the light necessarily entails.

John wrote: “3: That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” Verse three is the outgrowth of John’s statements in verses one and two. Appreciate the fact that John does not write using the masculine pronouns, “he who,” but rather using the neuter relative, “that which.” In other words, John is not just presenting and considering the Word (logos), but all that appertained to Him.

Regarding the truth stated in verse three, one commentator wrote: “The apostle here resumes the thought begun in verse 1, and asserts the purpose for which the Word of life is declared: ‘That ye also may have fellowship with us….’ Through the acceptance of the Word of life a unity of faith, practice, and fellowship is established, and it was for this purpose that the life was being declared. Here, in the most emphatic fashion, the writer points out that only in unity of faith is there communion in religion. It is possible to have fellowship only when there is a common bond established in faith, work, and love” (A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles, by Guy N. Woods, pg. 212, 213).

John continued to write: “4: And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” “We write” shows how this “full joy” is made available. This complete joy is the result of knowing and appropriating the “Word of Life” and obtaining the consequent “fellowship” that John has just mentioned. John responded to “their joy” (Christians) with rejoicing on his part. However, John’s rejoicing was not shallow or frivolous (cp. 2 John 4; 3 John 3, 4).

John injects the message: “5: This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (vs. 5). We need to appreciate the fact that God is light. "The Lord is my light and my salvation," declared David, "Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps. 27: 1). Not only is God pure light, but he is also the source of constant and unwavering light (cp. I John 1: 5; Jas. 1: 17). Therefore, there is no need for man to grope about in darkness and despair. Jesus himself is the light of the world (cp. Matt. 4: 12-16, John 8: 12).

John examines a saying: “6: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” Man is a master at creating and implementing contradictory statements. Since God is pure light as opposed to darkness, it is impossible for man to claim to have fellowship “with him” and “walk in darkness.” The ancient Gnostics (there are actually practicing Gnostics today) and all who have embraced the teaching that how one lives does not affect one’s relationship with God, for the better or worse are teaching matters that contradict the scriptures.

"We take the position that a Christian's sins do not damn his soul! The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct, or his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul…All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the sermons he may practice, all the debts he may pay, all the ordinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may perform will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger…The way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul." -Sam Morris, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Stamford, Texas (A Discussion Which Involves A Subject Pertinent To All Men, pgs. 1, 2.)

Next comes the statement that we shall examine: “7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1). The conjunction “but” (de) indicates a different and even opposite circumstance from the one just stated (vs. 5). The conditional particle “if” (ean) is critical and also pivotal. All conditions different from the “if” are excluded. One common word translated "walk" in the New Testament is the Greek peripateo (word used by John in I John 1: 7). In the total 96 occurrences of "walk" it is used both physically and figuratively (Matt. 4: 18; I John 1: 6-8). "Walk" means, "…the whole round of the activities of the individual life, whether of the unregenerated or of the believer." (W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.)

The word of God is the light source. The world is in a state of darkness, spiritually speaking, not knowing the truth and what is ultimately good (John 3: 16-21). How, then, can man learn of the light and turn from darkness? To this end, please consider the words of the Psalmist: "I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Ps. 119: ).

Two matters result from “walking in the light” and they are: “fellowship one with another” and “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” All the ecumenical efforts of religionists to effect what they call “fellowship” and “unity” are shallow. Most of their “unity” rests on “agreeing to disagree” or “unity-in-diversity.” True fellowship and unity are the result of all involved “continuing to walk in the light.”

Conclusion: The Christian is a law-keeper (I John 2: 3 ff.). Love motivates one to "keep his commandments" (I John 5: 3). Sin is the opposite of keeping God's commandments (I John 3: 4). The Christian must ever search his heart and life and seek to be purged of all sin (cp. Ps. 19: 12). The Christian contemplated by John is one who maintains an attitude of submission and ever seeks to be right with God, making whatever adjustments are required, this is what is meant by, “walk in the light” (Phili. 3: 15, see context). As “walk in the light” does not involve the perfect keeping of law for justification, “walk in the light” as a requirement to both fellowship with God and fellow Christians does not nullify salvation by grace (Eph. 2: 8-10). The provision of confessing sin and Jesus’ cleansing blood are indicative of salvation by grace (I John 1: 9).