Correspondence: 1 John 1:7 Explained

From: Young Christian: Volume 6, 1916

Narrator: Chris Genthree

1 John 1:7 • 2 min. read • grade level: 6

Question 155: Please explain 1 John 1:7⁷But 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. (1 John 1:7). C. M.

Answer: The Christian is in the light. He walks there because he is there. (Sometimes he does not walk according to the light.) We have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all (every) sin. This is not telling when or how we are cleansed, but of what cleanses.

Question 156: Explain different types of forgiveness. From C. M.

Answer: When a soul believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, his sins are eternally forgiven, not some of them, but all his sins. “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake” (1 John 2:12¹²I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12)). And “By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14¹⁴For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)). Sins can never be charged up again to the believer, for “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1¹There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)).

1 John 1:7⁷But 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. (1 John 1:7) is governmental forgiveness. 1 John 2:12¹²I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12) shows us that he is a forgiven child of God, but this verse provides for everyday failures. The Father wants happy children, and we cannot be happy if careless about our walk. If we grieve the Spirit, He will reprove us, and confession and self-judgment is the means for our restoration to communion with the Lord.

Romans 8:3³For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3) shows that the flesh under law could produce no fruit for God. So Christ’s death, as a sacrifice for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, “in order that the righteous requirement of the law should be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.” Our old place as in the flesh is gone in the death of Christ.