December 26

1 John 1-5 (biblegateway.com)

Walking in the Light, Living in Love

After warnings against false teachers and calls to perseverance, we turn to John’s pastoral letter, written to strengthen believers, assure them of their salvation, and anchor them in the love and truth of Christ.

1 John 1–5 is a heartfelt letter from the apostle John, written to believers troubled by false teaching and spiritual confusion. John does not merely defend doctrine; he shepherds hearts, calling Christians to confident faith, holy living, and deep assurance in Christ.

John 1 — The Word of Life, True Fellowship, and Walking in the Light

1 John opens with a clear purpose: to anchor believers in what is true so they will not be led astray by false teachers who deny the full humanity of Christ and minimize the seriousness of sin. John writes as a pastor and eyewitness, urging the church to remain faithful to the message they received from the beginning. True fellowship with God is not based on hidden knowledge or spiritual claims but on a life shaped by truth, obedience, and repentance.

John begins by affirming the reality of Christ’s incarnation. He speaks of the One who existed from the beginning, whom he and the other apostles heard, saw with their eyes, and touched with their hands (v. 1). The “Word of life” was not an idea, vision, or spiritual experience. He was physically present. By stressing this firsthand testimony, John directly confronts those who denied that the Son of God truly came in the flesh. Eternal life was revealed in Christ, and the apostles now testify to what they personally witnessed so that believers may share in genuine fellowship with God and with one another (v. 2–3). Fellowship, then, is rooted in historical truth, not speculation or personal claims.

John explains that he writes these things so that believers’ joy may be complete (v. 4). This joy is not produced by ignoring sin or redefining truth. It grows where truth is received, and fellowship with God is maintained. The Christian life is not meant to be lived in confusion or spiritual uncertainty, but in settled confidence grounded in Christ’s revealed work and God’s faithful character.

John then summarizes the core message the apostles proclaim: “God is light” (v. 5). This statement is foundational. Light represents purity, truth, and holiness, while darkness represents sin, deception, and rebellion. Because God is light, fellowship with Him is incompatible with a life characterized by walking in darkness. Walking in the light does not mean sinless perfection, but a life oriented toward obedience, honesty, and a responsive submission to God’s truth.

From this foundation, John addresses false claims about fellowship. If someone claims to have fellowship with God while walking in darkness, that claim is false, regardless of spiritual language or profession (v. 6). Conduct reveals the truth of one’s relationship with God. A life characterized by unrepentant sin contradicts a claim to know Him. By contrast, those who walk in the light, that is, those who pursue obedience and openness before God, experience genuine fellowship, and the blood of Jesus cleanses them from all sin (v. 7). This cleansing is ongoing. John presents forgiveness not only as a past event, but as a continual provision for those who remain in the light. Fellowship is maintained through continued responsiveness to God, not presumed apart from obedience.

John then confronts another dangerous claim: the denial of personal sin. If someone says they have no sin, they deceive themselves (v. 8). Sin is not merely a behavior that can be outgrown; it is a reality that still requires vigilance and humility. Denying sin does not remove guilt. It reveals a failure to see oneself truthfully before God. The proper response to sin is confession. When believers confess their sins, God is faithful and just to forgive them and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness (v. 9). Forgiveness rests on God’s character and Christ’s completed work, not on human merit. Confession restores fellowship and guards the believer from drifting into self-deception. John’s language shows that forgiveness and cleansing function within an ongoing relationship, not as a one-time transaction detached from daily faithfulness.

John presses the warning further. Claiming to be without sin does not merely deceive the individual; it contradicts God’s Word itself (v. 10). Scripture consistently testifies to humanity’s need for grace. To deny sin is to deny the gospel’s message. True fellowship with God is marked by humility, repentance, and continual dependence on Christ. John’s warnings assume that fellowship can be disrupted when believers walk in darkness or refuse confession, which explains his urgent call to remain in the light.

1 John 1 teaches that genuine fellowship with God is rooted in truth, expressed through obedience, and maintained through continual confession. Christ came in real flesh, revealing eternal life and inviting believers into a shared relationship with God and with one another. Light exposes sin, but it also provides cleansing. Believers are not called to pretend spiritual strength, but to walk honestly before God, trusting in His faithful forgiveness. Fellowship deepens as believers remain in the light, respond to conviction, and depend on Christ’s ongoing cleansing. Walking in the light is not a burden but a gift, drawing believers into the life God desires for them.

1 John 2 — Obedience, Love, Discernment, and Remaining in the Truth

John continues strengthening believers against false teachers who claim spiritual enlightenment while rejecting Christ’s commands and minimizing sin. These teachers separated spiritual experience from obedience, leaving believers vulnerable to deception. John’s goal is not to unsettle genuine believers but to clarify the marks of authentic faith. Assurance is found not in spiritual claims or secret knowledge, but in a life shaped by obedience, love, and perseverance in the truth.

John begins by addressing his readers tenderly as “little children,” reminding them of his pastoral care and shared spiritual relationship (v. 1). He explains that he writes so that they may not sin. The goal of the Christian life is not complacency but growing holiness. Yet John immediately provides comfort for those who stumble. If anyone does sin, believers have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Christ stands on behalf of His people, not to excuse sin, but to secure restoration when repentance occurs. He is the atoning sacrifice for sins, sufficient not only for believers but for the whole world (v. 2). John’s language emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ’s work and the genuine availability of salvation. Christ’s advocacy does not encourage carelessness. It anchors hope when failure occurs and draws believers back to obedience rather than despair.

John then explains how genuine faith becomes visible. Believers know they have come to know Christ if they keep His commandments (v. 3). Obedience does not earn salvation; it reveals a living relationship with Him. Knowledge of God is not merely intellectual or emotional. It is relational and active. The one who claims to know Christ while disregarding His commands speaks falsely (v. 4), because profession without obedience contradicts the truth. By contrast, those who keep His word demonstrate that God’s love is being perfected in them (v. 5). Love matures through obedience. To “walk as Jesus walked” (v. 6) means ordering one’s life according to His teaching, humility, and submission to the Father. This obedience is not a momentary decision but an ongoing response that must be maintained.

John then turns to the command to love, describing it as both old and new (v. 7–8). It is old because love has always been central to God’s revealed will. It is new because Christ has embodied and clarified its meaning through His life and sacrifice. The light of Christ exposes the emptiness of hatred and reveals love as the defining mark of life in God. The believer who walks in the light loves others, while hatred reveals a condition of spiritual blindness and self-deception (v. 9–11). Knowledge without love leads to darkness. Christian maturity is measured not by insight alone but by how believers treat one another. Love is not sentiment or preference. It is a self-giving commitment shaped by Christ’s example.

John pauses to reassure his readers of their standing before God. He addresses children, fathers, and young men, representing believers at different stages of spiritual maturity (v. 12–14). Though their experiences differ, they share common blessings. Their sins are forgiven. They know the Father. They have overcome the evil one. John does not question their salvation or create doubt. He affirms their position in Christ, so they will not be shaken by false teaching. Assurance strengthens resistance to deception.

With that foundation laid, John issues a warning about loving the world (v. 15). Worldliness does not refer to God’s creation, but to a system of desires, values, and priorities that oppose God’s will. The cravings of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are expressions of that system (v. 16). These desires are temporary and ultimately destructive. Love for the world and love for the Father cannot coexist. The believer must choose which will shape the heart. The world passes away, but the one who does God’s will remains (v. 17). Obedience aligns the believer with what endures.

John then names the immediate threat facing the church. False teachers, whom he calls “antichrists,” had arisen (v. 18). These individuals denied Jesus as the Christ and rejected His authority. They came from within the community but departed, and their departure revealed that they were not truly aligned with the truth the church confessed (v. 19). John’s concern is not to analyze their motives, but to emphasize the importance of continuing in what is true. To abandon Christ is to reject the truth one has encountered. To deny the Son is to deny the Father also (v. 22).

In contrast, believers have received an anointing from the Holy One, referring to the Spirit’s work within them (v. 20, 27). The Spirit enables discernment, not by introducing new revelations detached from Scripture, but by confirming the truth already received. John reassures them that they do not need secret knowledge or elite teachers. What they need is to remain grounded in the message from the beginning.

John urges them to let that message abide in them (v. 24). Remaining in the truth leads to continued fellowship with the Father and the Son. God has promised eternal life, but this promise is enjoyed by those who abide in Christ (v. 25). Abiding is not passive. It involves holding fast to Christ’s teaching, resisting deception, and walking in obedience. Eternal life is not detached from perseverance; it is lived out as believers continue in Him.

John closes the chapter by pointing believers toward Christ’s return. They are to remain in Him so that when He appears, they may stand with confidence rather than shame (v. 28). Obedience prepares believers for that moment. Those who practice righteousness reflect the character of the One who saved them (v. 29). True faith does not drift into darkness. It bears fruit in a life shaped by Christ’s righteousness.

1 John 2 teaches that genuine assurance grows through obedience, love, and steadfastness in the truth. Christ’s advocacy comforts believers in weakness, yet His commands guide them toward holiness. Love for God expresses itself through love for others and rejection of the world’s values.

The Spirit equips believers to discern truth from error, but believers must remain rooted in the message given from the beginning. Security is experienced by those who continue in Christ. Perseverance is not automatic; it is the lived response of faith. As believers abide in Him, they live with confidence, clarity, and readiness for the day when He appears.

1 John 3 — Children of God, Pursuing Righteousness, and Loving in Deed and Truth

John continues distinguishing genuine believers from those who merely claim to know God. His focus remains pastoral rather than speculative. He does not offer abstract tests of faith, but practical marks that reveal whether a person is truly living as a child of God. Righteousness, love, and obedience are not added extras to salvation; they are the visible outworking of a life shaped by God’s transforming grace. For John, salvation and transformation are inseparable. Those who belong to Christ cannot remain unchanged.

John begins with a note of wonder: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God” (v. 1). This identity is not symbolic or merely positional. It reflects a real relationship grounded in God’s gracious initiative. Believers are God’s children because He has chosen to love them. Yet the world does not recognize them, because it does not recognize Him. The life shaped by God’s love has always appeared strange to those who do not know God, and misunderstanding should not surprise those who follow Christ.

Believers are already God’s children, but their transformation is not yet complete (v. 2). What they will be has not fully appeared. When Christ returns, believers will be made like Him, fully reflecting His glory. This future hope does not encourage passivity. It produces moral urgency. Those who fix their hope on Christ purify themselves, not to earn acceptance, but because hope reshapes desire (v. 3). John shows that biblical hope never leads to complacency. It leads to holiness. Longing for Christ’s appearing draws believers toward purity in the present.

John then explains why sin and righteousness matter so deeply. Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness, because sin is rebellion against God’s revealed will (v. 4). Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin (v. 5). His mission and His character stand in direct opposition to sin. Therefore, those who abide in Him do not continue in sin as a settled pattern of life (v. 6). John is not teaching sinless perfection. He is drawing a sharp distinction between ongoing, unrepentant sin and a life oriented toward obedience. Abiding in Christ is relational and active. It is sustained as believers continue to respond to grace, reject sin, and walk in obedience.

Because false teachers distorted this truth, John issues a direct warning. “Let no one deceive you” (v. 7). Righteousness reveals the character of Christ in a believer’s life. Persistent sin reflects alignment with the devil’s pattern of rebellion (v. 8). Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, not to excuse them. Those born of God do not continue in sin because God’s seed, His life-giving presence, remains in them (v. 9). New birth does not remove the possibility of sin, but it creates a new direction. God’s life within believers moves them toward righteousness, and remaining in that life requires continued faith and obedience.

John then states the contrast plainly. This is how the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: those who do not practice righteousness and do not love their brothers and sisters do not belong to God (v. 10). Love is not optional. It is the defining mark of God’s family.

John returns to a command believers have heard from the beginning: love one another (v. 11). To illustrate the opposite of this love, he points to Cain, who murdered his brother because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s were righteous (v. 12). Hatred flows from resistance to God’s truth. For this reason, believers should not be surprised when the world opposes them (v. 13). Love and hatred reflect two different spiritual orientations.

Love, however, provides assurance. Believers know they have passed from death to life because they love one another (v. 14). Hatred reveals spiritual death because it rejects the life God gives. John intensifies the warning by equating hatred with murder in the heart (v. 15). Love is then defined by Christ’s example. He laid down His life, and believers are called to adopt the same sacrificial posture (v. 16). This love must be tangible. If a believer sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to act, God’s love is not active in that person (v. 17). Therefore, love must move beyond words into action. John’s command is direct: love “in deed and in truth” (v. 18). Such love both demonstrates and sustains fellowship with God.

This obedient love shapes assurance. When believers walk in truth, their hearts are reassured before God (v. 19). Yet when the conscience accuses, believers rest in the knowledge that God is greater than their self-assessment and knows all things (v. 20). Assurance is not based on denial of failure, but on continued alignment with God’s will. A clear conscience produces confidence in prayer because believers live in obedience and dependence on God (v. 21–22).

John then summarizes God’s command in its simplest form: believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another (v. 23). Faith and love are inseparable responses to God’s grace. Those who keep His commands remain in Him, and He in them. The presence of the Spirit confirms this abiding relationship (v. 24). Assurance is relational, not mechanical. Remaining in God is ongoing, sustained as believers continue in faith, obedience, and love.

1 John 3 teaches that being a child of God transforms both identity and daily life. God’s love brings believers into His family, and His Spirit empowers them to live in righteousness and truth. Sin no longer defines them. Love is no longer optional. Genuine faith expresses itself through purity, obedience, and practical care for others. As believers continue abiding in Christ, their hearts grow in confidence before God. Hope in Christ’s return strengthens holiness today. Abiding in Him is the pathway of assurance, shaping life and revealing the character of the Father who calls His people His children.

1 John 4 — Testing the Spirits, Living in Love, and Abiding in God

John continues equipping believers to stand firm against false teaching and shallow claims of spirituality. Deception was threatening the church, and false teachers denied essential truths about Christ while claiming superior spiritual insight. John reminds believers that genuine faith is rooted in truth, expressed through love, and sustained by God’s abiding presence. Assurance does not grow out of emotion or mystical experience, but through obedience, discernment, and confidence in God’s revealed character.

John begins with a clear warning: not every spirit is from God (v. 1). Spiritual claims must be tested. False prophets have gone out into the world, and believers must exercise discernment rather than accept every teaching at face value. The test John gives is doctrinal, not emotional. The Spirit of God affirms the truth about Christ’s incarnation. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that denies Him is not (v. 2–3). Denying Christ’s incarnation strikes at the heart of the gospel. John identifies such teaching as the spirit of the antichrist. False doctrine does not merely distort minor points; it undermines salvation itself. Discernment, therefore, must be anchored in Scripture and confirmed by the Spirit’s witness, not by personal impressions or spiritual claims.

Despite the presence of deception, John reassures believers of God’s preserving work in them. They are from God and have overcome these false teachers (v. 4). This victory is not achieved by human wisdom or strength, but because “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” The indwelling Spirit enables believers to recognize truth and resist error. False teachers speak from the world and appeal to worldly desires, which explains why the world listens to them (v. 5). Believers, however, recognize the voice of truth. Those who know God listen to the apostolic message; those who do not know God reject it (v. 6). Discernment begins with submission to Scripture. The difference between truth and error is not intelligence, but allegiance.

John then turns from discernment to the defining mark of authentic faith: love. Love is not a secondary virtue. It reveals whether a person truly knows God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God (v. 7). The absence of love exposes a false claim to spiritual life, because God is love (v. 8). God’s love is not abstract. It is revealed in history through the sending of His Son into the world so that believers might live through Him (v. 9). Love begins with God’s initiative, not human effort. Believers love because they have first been loved.

That love is most clearly displayed in Christ’s atoning sacrifice (v. 10). God’s love is not sentimental; it is costly. Since God has loved His people in this way, believers are called to love one another (v. 11). Though no one has seen God, His presence becomes visible when believers love one another (v. 12). Love reveals God’s abiding work among His people.

John explains how believers know that they remain in God and God remains in them: God has given them His Spirit (v. 13). The Spirit affirms the truth about Christ and produces love that reflects God’s character. The apostles testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world (v. 14). John’s language affirms that salvation is genuinely offered to all. Christ is presented as Savior without restriction, and this salvation must be received through confession and faith. Those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God remain in God, and God remains in them (v. 15). Abiding is relational and ongoing. Believers continue in God as they continue to confess the Son and walk in love.

John then explains the fruit of abiding love: confidence. Believers know and rely on God's love for them (v. 16). As God’s love shapes their lives, they grow in Christlikeness. This growth produces boldness in the day of judgment (v. 17). Perfect love, meaning love brought to maturity through obedience and trust, drives out fear (v. 18). This does not mean believers never experience fear, but that fear no longer governs their relationship with God. They obey not out of dread of punishment, but out of love. As believers remain in Christ, confidence grows, and fear loses its power.

John summarizes the relationship between divine love and human response: “We love because He first loved us” (v. 19). Love is always a response to grace, never a means of earning it. A claim to love God that is not accompanied by love for others is false (v. 20). God’s command is clear: those who love Him must also love one another (v. 21). Love is not only evidence of abiding in God; it is one of the ways believers continue in that abiding relationship. Obedience preserves fellowship and guards the heart against deception.

1 John 4 teaches that true faith is marked by discernment, obedience, and genuine love. Believers must test every teaching by the truth revealed in Christ and proclaimed by the apostles. The Spirit within them enables understanding and strengthens resistance to deception. God’s love produces assurance, confidence before Him, and compassion toward others. As believers continue abiding in truth and love, fear diminishes, confidence grows, and Christ’s life is displayed through them. Remaining in Christ requires guarding the truth and living out the love He has shown.

1 John 5 — Faith in Christ, Obedience, Assurance, and Confidence in Eternal Life

John concludes his letter by drawing together the themes he has emphasized throughout: true faith in Jesus Christ, obedience to God’s commands, love for fellow believers, and confidence in the life God gives. His purpose is not to unsettle sincere believers but to provide clarity and assurance, so they may know that they have eternal life and remain steadfast in the face of false teaching.

John begins by identifying the foundation of Christian identity. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God (v. 1). Faith is not a vague feeling or spiritual impulse; it is trust in the true identity of Jesus as God’s Son and the promised Messiah. Those who are born of God love both the Father and His children. Love for God and love for fellow believers are inseparable. John’s order is important: faith is the response God requires, and new birth produces a new way of life. Grace never bypasses the believer’s free and ongoing response to God’s saving work.

John then explains how love for God is expressed. “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (v. 3). Obedience is not a burden placed on believers but the natural expression of a transformed heart. God’s commands are not oppressive because His Spirit enables obedience. Those born of God overcome the world (v. 4). This victory does not come through human effort or moral resolve, but through faith that confesses Jesus as the Son of God. Believers overcome the world’s values, temptations, and false claims as they continue to trust and follow Christ. This victory is not automatic or unconditional; it is experienced as believers remain anchored in faith.

John next turns to the testimony that confirms Jesus’ identity. He identifies three witnesses: the water, the blood, and the Spirit (v. 6). The water points to Jesus’ baptism, where His mission was publicly affirmed. The blood points to His sacrificial death, where redemption was accomplished. The Spirit testifies to both, because He is truth. These witnesses agree in affirming that Jesus is the Christ. To receive this testimony is to receive God’s own witness. To reject it is to treat God as false (v. 10). Faith, therefore, rests on God’s revealed testimony, not on speculation or human opinion.

John then summarizes the heart of the gospel: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (v. 11). Eternal life is not found in religious performance, moral effort, or spiritual experience, but in a living relationship with Christ. The one who has the Son has life; the one who does not have the Son does not have life (v. 12). John states his purpose plainly: he writes so that believers may know that they have eternal life (v. 13). This assurance is not rooted in presumption or a past moment detached from present faithfulness, but in continuing fellowship with the Son. Confidence rests in God’s promise as believers remain in Christ.

This assurance shapes the believer’s prayer life. John explains that believers may approach God with confidence, knowing that He hears them when they ask according to His will (v. 14–15). Prayer is not a means of control but an expression of alignment with God’s purposes. John also addresses prayer for fellow believers who stumble into sin. Some sin does not lead to immediate spiritual death, and believers are encouraged to pray for restoration (v. 16). Other sin leads unto death—not a single failure, but a settled pattern of rebellion that refuses repentance and rejects the life God offers. John does not remove hope lightly, but he warns soberly. Persistent rejection of truth places spiritual life in danger. Even here, the emphasis is discernment, care, and reverence for the seriousness of faith.

John closes by grounding believers in three stabilizing truths. First, those born of God do not continue in sin as a pattern of life. God protects them, and the evil one does not have mastery over them (v. 18). This protection does not remove responsibility; it is experienced as believers continue abiding in Christ. Second, believers belong to God, while the world lies under the power of the evil one (v. 19). This contrast calls believers to vigilance without fear. Third, the Son of God has come and given understanding so that believers may know Him who is true (v. 20). Eternal life is found in fellowship with the true God through His Son.

John ends his letter with a brief but searching command: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (v. 21). Idols are anything that competes with God for trust, affection, or obedience. This final exhortation underscores the believer’s ongoing responsibility. True faith refuses substitutes and guards loyalty to the God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.

1 John 5 teaches that eternal life, confidence, and victory over the world flow from faith in Jesus Christ. Genuine believers love God, love His people, and obey His commands through the strength God supplies. The Spirit testifies to Christ’s identity, anchoring faith in truth rather than emotion or speculation. Assurance grows as believers remain in the Son, pray according to God’s will, and guard their hearts from idolatry. The Christian life is sustained through continued trust and obedience as believers remain in fellowship with Christ. As they continue in faith, they walk securely in the life God has promised.

Conclusion

1 John 1–5 strengthens believers with certainty, clarity, and comfort. True faith is marked by walking in the light, loving others, holding to the truth about Christ, and enjoying the assurance of eternal life. John’s message is not burdensome; it is freeing. The Christian life is rooted in God’s love, shaped by obedience, and upheld by a Savior who came in the flesh, died for sinners, rose in victory, and now indwells His people.

For believers today, 1 John calls us to honest confession, steadfast truth, and genuine love. In a world filled with deception and fear, we walk in the light of Christ, confident that the God who made us His children will keep us until the end. The victory that overcomes the world is our faith, not in self, but in the Son of God who gives life.