1 John 1 ESV
    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. 

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.


Illustration:


  When I was young I hung out with the wrong crowd. This ultimately ended in tears. we did all the wrong things. I can't blame them entirely but we rubbed off on each other. We were all without Christ. When I became a believer and attended church, I hung out with the right crowd. And they rubbed off on me then and I believe I became a better person for it. Ultimately all believers have  hung out with Jesus and become better people for it. Not only for this life but the next life beyond the grave. We have not just been walking in light but we have been walking with the light of the world that is Jesus Himself. What a positive influence Jesus is in this world. I remember a Salvation Army captain said to me once, "Without Christianity it wouldn’t be safe to walk the streets," and in this day and age it's seemingly more like that. It's a shame more people don't walk with Jesus. Not only would the world be a better place but they would have assurance of salvation. 


  1. Walking in darkness


  2. Assurance of salvation from walking in the light


Walking in darkness


    1 John 1 ESV
    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—


  In 1 John 1:1, Jesus is identified as the “Word of life.” This is a title that refers to Christ’s divine nature and his role as God’s way of communicating with humanity.


  This title has deep roots in the Old Testament. God’s Word was understood as the powerful force that created everything—when God spoke, things came into existence. Over time, God’s Word became more personalized, especially in passages like Isaiah 55, where it’s described as God’s personal speech that accomplishes His purpose and reveals His will to people. This idea connects to the Old Testament concept of Wisdom as well, which was also personified and active in creation.


  What makes the writer’s use of “Word” special is that he’s not just using it as a poetic way to describe God’s power or attributes. He’s identifying it as an actual person—Jesus himself. This is different from how Greek philosophers or earlier Jewish writers used similar concepts.


  When the writer calls Jesus the “Word of life,” he’s emphasizing both that Jesus is eternal (existing before creation) and that He is fully human and real. John stresses this by mentioning that they heard Him, saw Him with their eyes, and touched Him with their hands. At the same time, John is saying that this real human person is also God Incarnate—God in flesh.


  The phrase “Word of life” appears in John’s first letter, but similar language appears in his Gospel and in Revelation, showing how central this idea was to John’s understanding of who Jesus is.


  “The Word of life” describes Jesus as God’s personal expression and the one who gives divine, eternal life to believers. It’s a title that combines two key ideas about who Jesus is.


  As “the Word,” Jesus expresses God; as “life,” he imparts God’s eternal life to those who believe in him. The phrase teaches that the eternal, pre-existent, fully divine Son came into the world as God’s “definitive revelation”—he is the voice, image, and embodiment of God.


  The writer emphasizes that this wasn’t just spiritual or abstract. The apostles had not only seen and heard the eternal One but had also touched him, meaning Jesus was truly physical. Through Jesus, God became audible, visible, and touchable.


  The “life” part of the title is crucial. Through Jesus, we are given “life”—even “eternal life.” In the New Testament, the word for “life” designates divine, eternal life—the life of God. This life resided in Christ, and he made it available to all who believe in him.


  So when the writer calls Jesus “the Word of life,” he’s saying Jesus is both God’s ultimate self-expression to humanity and humanity’s only source of eternal life. He’s God in human form, touchable and real, bringing divine life to a dying world.


    


    English Standard Version Chapter 1
    2 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—


  When the writer says “the life was made manifest,” (1 John 1:2) he’s saying that the source of all divine life became visible in human form. Jesus doesn’t merely possess life or offer life—he is life in its fullest, truest sense. Just as the Father has life in himself, the Son also has life in himself. (John 5:26) This is life at its origin, life that belongs to God’s very nature.


       English Standard Version Chapter 1
    3 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.



  in 1 John 1 describes a state where someone claims fellowship with God and Jesus (The Word of Life) while living contrary to His character. This means living contrary to God’s moral character—conducting oneself in a sinful manner. The concept carries multiple dimensions of meaning.


  Darkness represents ignorance of God, blindness toward truth, and the practice of sin. The verb “walk” indicates the habitual course of one’s life, both outward and inward, suggesting that darkness isn’t occasional stumbling but a sustained orientation. Someone claiming to be in the light while hating a brother remains in darkness and walks in darkness, blinded by that darkness (1 John 2:9–11).


  The passage emphasizes the contradiction between profession and practice. To claim fellowship with God while walking in darkness is to lie and not practice the truth (1 John 1:5–7). Since God cannot compromise His holiness to accommodate sin, claiming fellowship without living morally is inherently false.


  Walking in darkness involves a refusal to be open toward God and His revelation in Christ. On a practical level this involves getting into the Word of God and learning how to follow Christ, by this actually find a good Christ centred church and be active in prayer. The refusal to do this has relational consequences: those walking in darkness while claiming fellowship with God end up lying and not living by the truth. The contrast with verse 7 sharpens the point—walking in the light means being enlightened by the truth of who God is, which produces genuine fellowship with other believers and cleansing from sin through Christ’s blood.


  The ethical thrust of 1 John 1 is that authentic relationship with God necessarily transforms how one lives. Darkness isn’t merely intellectual confusion; it’s a practical rejection of God’s moral standards expressed through habitual sinful conduct.


  Some things that would constitute walking in the dark are found in the book of Galatians. This list is not exhaustive:


  The Works of the Flesh


  Sexual vices include “sexual immorality,” “impurity,” and “indecency.” False worship appears in “idolatry” and “sorcery.” Social fracturing manifests through “enmities,” “dissension,” “jealousy,” “fits of anger,” “selfish ambitions,” “divisions,” “factions,” and “envies.” Pagan excess appears in “drunken ways” and “orgies.”


  You can't just say you're a Christian and walk in this way.


  Key Distinction


  While flesh produces multiple “works,” the Spirit yields a singular “fruit”—denoting a harmonious unity. These nine attributes come as a composite whole, not as individual items some possess while others lack. Those engaging in works of the flesh “will not inherit the kingdom of God,” whereas the fruit of the Spirit requires no external law, as these inner characteristics naturally guide what is right.


Assurance of salvation from walking in the light


  means existing in fellowship with God and others, with continuous cleansing from sin through Christ’s blood (1 John 1:5–7). This is fundamentally relational and moral, not a state of perfection.


    English Standard Version Chapter 1
    6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.


    English Standard Version Chapter 1
    7 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.


  Walking in the light doesn’t mean sinlessness; rather, it means perceiving your sins through God’s perspective and responding as He does. A person who walks in the light acknowledges sin, agrees with God about it, despises it, repents from it, and when sin is revealed in their life, they confess and admit rather than defending themselves with self-righteousness


    English Standard Version Chapter 1
    8 If we say 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.


  Light signifies Jesus’ glory—fullness of grace and truth. Walking in the light means living each day with God who is light. This involves being truthful with yourself about sin; denying sin or claiming fellowship while walking in darkness makes you a liar, but acknowledging sin brings God’s forgiveness and purification through Jesus’ blood.


    English Standard Version Chapter 1
    10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.


  Importantly, walking in the light isn’t always comfortable—as you walk in it, you become more conscious of your sin, not less. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, with no cause for stumbling (1 John 2:9–11), showing that light-walking includes ethical transformation toward others. This produces genuine fellowship with one another (1 John 1:5–7), creating a community marked by honesty about sin and mutual accountability before God.


  The Fruit of the Spirit


  Love — The foundational virtue reflecting the character of God, who is identified as love


  Joy — A resultant attitude stemming from God’s complete satisfaction


  Peace — The gift of God, who is declared the “Prince of Peace”


  Patience — Part of how a Spirit-led person conducts relationships with others


  Kindness — A virtue demonstrating how one treats others interpersonally


  Goodness — An expression of Spirit-led conduct toward fellow believers


  Faithfulness — A virtue focused on one’s inner character when under the Spirit’s control


  Gentleness — An inner quality reflecting the Spirit’s work in a believer’s life


  Self-Control — The capacity to govern one’s inner life through the Spirit’s empowerment.



  Remember it's not a case of if you sin or not. It's a case of if you confess, repent, and do not live life habitually in sin. 


  Recognizing Jesus as God in flesh and walking in the light frees us from sin's bondage now and grants us eternal, glorified bodies, beyond the grave.


  Please take a good walk with The Word of Life and you can be assured of salvation.