Proofs of Salvation - 1 John 1:5-10

 5This 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. 

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 Picking up from the end of verse 4, wherein John has made his initial declaration affirming that Christ was, in the beginning, fully and completely God, and later, was born (manifest unto us), making him completely human. John concluded in verse 4 that he is writing unto believers in order for their joy to 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.

John here writes to the believers, expounding on a quote from Jesus in John 3:20. God Is the light, and everyone that does evil hates the light. We also have a reference to 1 Tim 6:16, in which Paul says, talking about Jesus, “dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto”. The light in which Jesus dwells is God the father. Jesus tells us that in John 17:21. This then is the fellowship which John spoke about just a few verses ago, us dwelling in the Lord Jesus, through whom we can approach God the Father.

6: If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

John moves on then into a logical argument of proof (read fruits) of salvation for the believer. If one claims to have fellowship with Christ, but continues to practice an unrepentant lifestyle, they are lying, not only to true believers, but possibly even more dangerously, to themselves. Paul confirms for us that salvation is not a license to sin just because we live under grace (Rom 6:1-2). James also affirms this in his epistle (James 2:17). A profession of a belief is not what saving faith is. Even Satan believes in God, and believes in Jesus. However, Satan refuses to have faith in God the Father and God the son to control, protect, and provide for life. When a true believer fully surrenders their life to Christ, and allows that salvific faith to take root in their heart, body, mind, and soul, their works will begin to mimic the life of Christ. This of course does not go against salvation through faith alone. Faith in the lordship of Christ is the root of salvation, and the works that follow are the fruits thereof. Jesus told his disciples that a good tree will produce good fruit, and an evil tree evil fruit (Matthew 7:17-20). It is by our works that others may know the truth of our faith.

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.

Here John continues the argument of fellowship in the light. If we walk in the Lord (Paul often called this same walk of faith walking in the Spirit as opposed to walking in the flesh) then we have true, Christian fellowship with one another, because we are all branches of that same vine. (John 15:5) Christian believers all bear the same fruit, because we are all of the same vine, and thus can have that fellowship with each other. Again we see a reference to John 17:21, believers will be one with each other, one with the Son, and one with the Father, because of the blood atonement of Christ.

8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

This is a very difficult verse for people outside of the church to understand. There are a multitude of people who believe that they have not done anything bad enough to be barred from heaven, or that they can be good enough to get into heaven. These are dangerous lies. Scripture is clear, Jesus is clear: No man cometh unto the Father, but by [Jesus] (John 14:6). Romans 3:23 affirms for us that none of us are perfect. We are all sinners, we have all come short of God’s glory. That sin separated us from our creator, from our heavenly father, and only the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus could bridge that gap. If you believe that you have never sinned, you are in danger of an eternity in hell, but you can obtain the free pardon of sin through placing your faith in the life of Jesus and in the payment he made on for whomever will call upon his name.

9:If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Herein lies hope for the unbeliever, one who has come to the knowledge of their sin and the separation that their sin has placed between them and a fellowship with a holy God. If we confess our sins God is faithful to forgive us our sins because of the blood of Christ upon the cross. Paul tells us something similar in Romans 10:10, that we believe from our heart, and that conviction that sets in allows us to see and confess our sins with our mouth, confessing our sins to our Lord and Savior unto salvation. Our confession of our sins, the sincere asking for forgiveness and depending on the blood of Jesus to atone, grants us the forgiveness of God, and allows us to restore with him the fellowship that we were created for.

10: If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

However, circling back towards verse 8, if we say that we have not sinned, not only are we deceiving ourselves, but we are calling the Almighty God a liar. Subsequently if we call God a liar, then the truth is not in us, and this is a further proof of a lack of personal salvation. God’s Word is clear that all have sinned and fallen short of his glory. The only exception to this statement is Jesus Christ, God incarnate, the propitiation for our sins.

So as we move on into the rest of the study, be thinking about these verses, examine your life, and find assurance in your salvation. On the other hand, if you read these verses and realize that you have never come to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, today could be the day you give your life to him, and enter from darkness into light. May God bless you this day, and every day.