Understanding Fellowship with God: Insights from the Apostle John's Letter

1 John 1:5-7 King James Version

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.

What did the Apostle John mean in verse 6 of his letter? During his time, false teachers claimed that individuals could maintain a relationship with God while indulging in sinful desires. In other words, they believed they could continue living in sin and remain unholy while serving a holy God. It’s important to note that this isn’t about making mistakes; rather, it concerns the active and deliberate act of sinning against God.

These individuals truly believed they had fellowship with God, but the Apostle John asserted in verse 6 that this belief was a lie and not the truth. He goes on to say in verse 7 that if we walk in the light—because He is the light—we will have fellowship with Him, as the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.