“But 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.” (1John 1:7)
The fellowship of the believer is an indication that we walk in God’s light. A true love of the brethren displays to the world that we belong to God. It’s what distinguished the early church. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42) We are commanded not to forget to fellowship and to demonstrate sacrificial love toward one another. “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16)
In the same verse John makes a statement about the blood of the Lamb. Seems like these are two completely different statements which don’t belong one to the other. But in study of the statements, we will see why John placed these two seemingly different statements together.
The Blood of Jesus cleansed us from all sin. The Word doesn’t say will cleanse us, future tense, but cleansed us past tense. It’s a done deal. We are cleansed. This may be confusing for some because in a couple of verses more John writes that if we confess our sins, He will forgive us our sins. The truth is that our sins are forgiven. But we continue to sin. We are not talking about continual, intentional sin, but we fall into sin as God is working sanctification and perfecting us. When sin is revealed, we must immediately do what verse 9 says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9) As the Lord reveals sin to us, we must go to the Blood of the Lamb for forgiveness at the Cross, where it was forgiven. There should be repentance and restored fellowship with the Lord and with the brethren.
One of the first signs that we are in sin is that we stop fellowshipping. We stop going to church services and distant ourselves from believers. This is unrepentant sin. Statements against the brethren may spring up such as “They are hypocrites. I heard them swearing at their spouse.” Etc... While their statements may be true, it’s evidence of repentance and restored fellowship if they have continued fellowship with the brethren, walking in God’s light. But refusal to recognize sin when the Holy Spirit reveals it results in unrepentant sin which festers and severs our fellowship in God’s light.
The fact is that we are being perfected. In that process, God reveals hidden sins, attitudes that don’t please Him and character flaws that are not suitable for a child of God. We cannot dismiss these things with such statements as, “That’s just the way I am.” We must recognize them as God sees them, sin. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1John 1:8) Unconfessed sin and a refusal to repent may lead us down the dark path of being deceived. We can get so deceived that we lose our way completely. “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” (1John 2:9-11)
There is nothing so heartbreaking as a brother or sister who has broken fellowship with God and with the brethren. Pride swells in them and it’s hard to restore them to fellowship. “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.” (Proverbs 18:19) But Paul writes to the Galatians that we must try. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1-2) And on the other hand there is nothing so joyful as to see the brethren restored to fellowship. It’s the welcoming of a family member to the fold.
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