It is generally believed that 1 John was written from Ephesus when John was an elderly man, about AD 90. By that time the church, as a whole, was in the process of falling away from the pure truth of the Gospel first preached sixty years earlier. Paul had warned of this. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith” (1 Tim 4:1)
Many were now second or even third generation Christians. As the church grew, parts of Jewish religion continued to be held to. Pagans brought in their ideas. It should be noted when John writes the major problem is not persecution, but the danger is from within the church.
The church must be on constant guard, else the church begins to mirror the world and the denominational philosophy. Jesus said, "Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matt. 24:11) The lawlessness spoken of here is to disregard, or modify God’s law, his word. Consequently true love for God will cool when the word is not faithfully kept. A downward spiral away from God always follows.
The fire of enthusiasm and zeal of the early days of the church is turning to a glowing ember in a dying fire. John describes this condition as “lukewarm”. "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Rev. 3:15-16) Anything is better than lukewarm. The apostle sees the indifference coming – yes already beginning.
John wants to fan the burning embers of those Christians back to a roaring fire. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life– the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us– that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” (1 John 1:1-4)
John is saying, we are drifting, so let’s go back to the basics – let’s go back to Jesus and the eternal life, so that we may understand the meaning of fellowship with God and Jesus Christ. This fellowship moves in two directions – horizontal and vertical. The Christian has vertical fellowship with God and horizontal fellowship with other Christians. For example, when Christians meet in fellowship to worship God and to speak and shake hands with one another, this fellowship rekindles the fire. Separate several coals of fire and they die. Together they burn brightly.
But there is more to this fellowship with God and fellow Christians. John continues. “This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:5-10)
John now gets to the point of lawlessness Jesus prophesied of. Light represents truth and knowledge and righteousness. Darkness represents ignorance, sin, and opposition to truth. Darkness and light cannot coexist. There is no twilight zone. Either a person walks with God in the light and His will, or one walks in the darkness of his own will and desires.
To walk in the light with God does not mean that one knows and understands everything in the Bible. Simply, that he or she does not walk in the direction of their own will and desires, but walk with God in the direction He is going.
As we walk with God, “we have fellowship with one another.” That means you and God have fellowship. “And the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” While walking with God in the light we sin, but the blood of Jesus cleanses us of our sin. We were cleansed when baptized. John uses the word “cleanses” meaning that Jesus blood continually cleanses you of sin as you walk with God.
Finally, John writes that while walking with God if we say, “we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Christians traveling in the light with God from time to eternity will stumble and trip and fall, spiritually speaking. As the Christian walks with Christ, he and she will have the sins of bruises, aching muscles and sore feet. But Christians stop and apply ointment, that is, they daily ask God’s forgiveness and keep walking with Jesus. There are only two ways to walk. (Matt 7:13-14) One is to walk in the light with Jesus. The other is to walk in our own way – the way we desire. As long as we walk with Jesus we cannot be lost. Only when we quit walking with and turn and walk in a different direction will the Christian be lost.
John urges those Christians who have grown slack to go back to the basics and remember who they are, who Jesus is, and the walk they committed themselves to when they first obeyed the gospel. It would be well for us to examine ourselves and go back to the basics and make sure the fire within us is not turning to dying embers.
