1 John 1:5-10

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Questions to consider:

• How is God like light?
• What are the four false assumptions that John warns against?
• What are the contrasting truths?
• What then is the basis of fellowship? How is the fellowship between individuals related to the fellowship of each one with God (it may be helpful to look back to the first few verses of this chapter)?

Possibilities for prayer:

Images of light and darkness occur throughout the book of 1 John and can be rather helpful in understanding who God is. As humans, we tend to associate light with safety and security and darkness with fear and danger. God represents light--and Jesus gives us the ability to be in the “light” through the forgiveness of our sins (the darkness in our lives). God provides us this safety and security through fellowship with Him. Let’s thank God for the ability to experience the light, despite our tendency toward sin and darkness, for the welcome that God extends to us to fellowship with Him.