“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7
As we continue to pray and prepare for Roots Up, I am astonished how God’s Word is eternally great and impactful TODAY. We could say, the Roots Up weekend is going to be like dipping our toes in Payette Lake at the water’s edge. We could wonder what depth can we dive during one weekend? As if to say, how much can God accomplish if we just skim over a few passages? Oh. Be sure and pack your deep sea diving equipment and your AIR-o space suit!! The God of the Word is taking us exploring!
For instance the verses above are so utterly amazing. It’s a shorter section of the “if – then” contrast John is compelled to introduce at the very beginning of his letter. Within those verses is a gloriously exciting realization that I never realized before!! “…and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (v7). It’s the verb tense that is so strikingly glorious!! We would think that the cleansing blood of Jesus happened on the cross, period, but in reality there is ongoing cleansing in the ongoing fellowship that God has called us into. On my word!!
The Greek word, cleanses, is katharizo, meaning to free from the guilt of sin, to purify. The verb tense is V-PIA-3S. “The Present Active Indicative verb describes an action occurring in the present.” In other words, a past action has a continuous, ongoing effect in the present.
Look, I flunked English grammar in high school and barely passed it in college, so while I may not know the fine nuance of V-PIA-3S, if we are talking about something our Jesus accomplished on the cross over 2,000 years that is still flowing in cleansing power TODAY in fellowship with one another, then I am even more utterly in awe of His glorious power!! And that’s probably a run-on sentence, but oh well!! Glory hallelujah to our King!
What does this mean in the fellowship of the saints? As John goes on to write, the matter of sin is still an issue for us redeemed humans on earth. As forgiven and cleansed believers in Christ, we aren’t perfected yet. Sin still happens; however, sin is no longer habitual (practice) for a new creature in Christ. As God’s redeemed ones, we no longer practice sin, because we no longer live in darkness. As a matter of fact—because this New Life is truly based upon the FINISHED work of Christ Jesus on the cross—we NOW “walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light” (v7), and because we are in Christ and walk in the Light, “we have fellowship with one another” (v7)! And… as those who are not yet what we will be in Heaven, the effectual power of “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (v7) with the far reaching effect to us TODAY. We are free from the guilt of sin! Glory to God!
Notice also, “walking in the Light” is the basis of our fellowship. No Light, no fellowship. Remember what Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:7-10, “Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”
Oh my… this is getting long, but I need to at least touch on what this passage also includes, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).
This whole passage is so glorious!! If we spent the whole weekend in 1 John 1, we would be so deeply encouraged! Upward!
As a redeemed, purchased of God believer—one “who lives in the Light as He is in the Light”—we no longer live in the shadow of our sin and failure. And God, knowing we still yet sin and fall short of His glory, has made provision for us to be forgiven and cleansed of sin in an ongoing, continuous work of grace! Yes, there is complete forgiveness of sin in Christ, and there is ongoing, continuous cleansing in the fellowship, and there is ALSO through confession, a cleansing from any guilt of sin that would hinder our walking freely in the Light. Dear Sisters, God has covered it ALL in Christ!! Has not our Father made every provision for us? Indeed He has!!
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Cor 5:17
How absolutely glorious in every direction!! I pray we will all go leaping like calves out of their stalls into the sunlight of His abundant grace today, tomorrow and forever.
Deb Krum
