Reading
1 JOHN 1:1-7
1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we
have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him
with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was
revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim
to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and
then he was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have
actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our
fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing
these things so that you may fully share our joy.
5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is
light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we
have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not
practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light,
then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son,
cleanses us from all sin.
Reflection
- What is John’s main purpose in this opening (vs. 1-4)? What words would we use to describe our own faith? 1 John 1 communicates a personal, desperate, intentional faith.
- List examples of fellowship with God and other believers. This seems like a sweet offering John is presenting. Do we share this excitement and joy in fellowship?
- John gets serious quickly in verse 6. What is the difference between living in darkness and living in the light? What’s the cost of saying we have fellowship with him but walking in darkness?