Through the Apostle John, God has given His children a decisive reply to anyone who says not everything is as simple as black and white, good and evil, light and darkness.
“God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1John 1:5 KJV).
The world hates the light because it does not comprehend it. “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:5).
Does God hold us responsible for what we do not comprehend? Yes. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Corinthians 2:14).
Then God discriminates against us arbitrarily? No. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Romans 1:28).
What did we do to cause God to treat us like that? “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (1:20-21).
Doesn’t that leave the entire world in the desperate situation of sinning rebels against God? Yes, but that is where we have our first Good News from God. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1Timothy 1:15).
What does all of this have to do with understanding “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1John 1:5)? God has given us His Spirit, which gives us understanding that He is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Otherwise, we can have no real spiritual understanding. “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1Corinthians 2:10).
If we contend that we have spiritual understanding without the Spirit of God giving it to us, then we are in opposition to God’s plain statement, “God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit” (2:10).
We do not know anything, unless God’s Spirit reveals it to us.
Nothing.
Anything else is only the pride of our intellect masquerading as our spirituality.
If We Say
John continues laying the foundation of this pivotal epistle to his Little Children giving them the certainty “that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1John 5:13), further answering any contradiction of “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1:5).
First, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1John 1:6 KJV). Claiming to have fellowship with the God, who is light, while walking in darkness, is an absolute lie. Our main concern is not who will discover our secret sins, when no one is looking, but God sees the truth about us the world cannot begin to see. This is more profound than everyone claiming to being a saved sinner as opposed to a lost sinner, which destroys the separation of light from darkness.
John’s response to the childish claim of being in fellowship with God while walking in darkness is simply to return to walking in the light. Repentance grants us application of the blood of Christ, which gives forgiveness and renewed fellowship with God. “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” (1John 1:7 KJV).
Second, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1John 1:8 KJV). This is an extension of the previous childish argument of claiming to have fellowship with God while walking in darkness (1:6). This is not calling anyone a liar, who claims they have no sin. If God’s children cannot be without sin, then how could we ever pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12)? And, if this is saying we have a Constitutional Sin Nature by reason of being born physically into this world, then why would God hold that against us? Sin is not a metaphysical condition you were born with, but sin is only a willful act of transgressing God’s law. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1John 3:4).
John’s response to the deception of having no sin, while walking in darkness, is simply to admit the truth and confess the darkness you have been practicing as sin. His faithfulness and justice allows your repentance to complete cleansing. 1John 1:9 is the Christian’s Bar of Soap. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9). Repentance means we never intend to practice that sin again. God’s promises alone preserve us from repeating our sins. “He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). Amen!
Third, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1John 1:10). John concludes the three part response hindering his Little Children from understanding the remainder of the Epistle of First John. Adamantly maintaining, I have not sinned, is calling God a liar for having identified you as a sinner (walking in darkness), while claiming to have fellowship with God (1:6).
John’s response begins the second chapter of this First Epistle of John. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1John 2:1). Not only can sin be forgiven, but sin can be prevented. Jesus Christ is our Advocate, Paraklete to keep us from sinning — not just to clean up our mess after we have sinned. He is the One praying for us. “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
We Need A Miracle 