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1 John 1:7 - Walking with Jesus brings Cleansing and Fellowship.

1 John 1:7 (KJV) 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. 

1 John 1:7 (NLT) But if we are living in the 
light, as God is in the light, then we have 
fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his 
Son, cleanses us from all sin.  

INTRODUCTION

Sin, by its very nature, brings death - that 
is a fact as certain as the law of gravity. 
Jesus did not die for his own sins; he had none. 
Instead, by a transaction that we may never fully 
understand, he died for the sins of the world. When we 
commit our lives to Christ and thus identify 
ourselves with him, his death becomes ours. He has 
paid the penalty for our sins, and his blood has 
purified us. Just as Christ rose from the grave, we 
rise to a new life of fellowship with him (Romans 
6:4). [Life Application SB] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

Call It What It Is
   Our culture has come up with new words 
for sin so we dont feel so bad. Instead of 
someone saying they committed the sin of adultery, 
they say there has been a moral failure. 
Instead of someone saying they lied, they claim they 
misspoke or offered alternative facts. And 
instead of someone saying theyve sinned, they 
say, Well, Im not perfect. I made a 
mistake. 
   But theres a difference between a 
mistake and a sin. According to Merriam-Webster, a 
mistake is a wrong judgment: misunderstanding 
or a wrong action or statement proceeding 
from faulty judgment, inadequate knowledge, or 
inattention. 
   For example, you were supposed to turn 
right on that street and you turned left. It was a 
mistake. It wasnt deliberate, but it happened. 
   A sin, on the other hand, is deliberate. 
Its something we do at will. We need to call it 
what it is. If we have been guilty of a sin, then 
lets call it that. 
   Its one thing when you realize that 
something you said wasnt accurate and then say, 
I researched this and found that I wasnt 
correct in all my facts. Let me restate it. But a 
lie is another thing altogether. A lie is when 
you know something is true but you choose to say 
something false instead. 
   Call a lie a lie. Call a sin a sin. And 
when you do, apply the blood of Jesus Christ. 
Come to Him and confess your sin and repent of 
your sin. Accept His forgiveness because of His 
blood that was shed. And then drop it. Stop 
dredging it up. We should not choose to remember what 
God has chosen to forget. That doesnt mean 
there wont be ramifications for it. But that 
sin is covered by the blood of Christ, and it is 
forgiven. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

COMMENTARY

Authentic Friendships Happen in the Light
   In Christian fellowship, people should 
experience authenticity. 
   Authentic fellowship is not superficial, 
surface-level chit-chat. Its genuine, heart-to-heart, 
sometimes gut-level sharing. 
   It happens when people get honest about 
who they are and what is happening in their 
lives. They share their hurts, reveal their 
feelings, confess their failures, disclose their 
doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their 
weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer. 
   Authenticity is the exact opposite of 
what you find in many churches. Instead of an 
atmosphere of honesty and humility, there is 
pretending, role-playing, politicking and superficial 
politeness, and shallow conversation. 
   People wear masks, keep their guards up, 
and act as if everything is rosy in their lives. 
These attitudes are the death of real friendship. 
   Its only as we become open about our 
lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The 
Bible says, If we live in the light, as God is 
in the light, we can share fellowship with each 
other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are 
fooling ourselves (1 John 1:7-8 NCV). 
   The world thinks intimacy occurs in the 
dark, but God says it happens in the light. We 
tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, 
fears, failures and flaws. But in the light, we 
bring them all out into the open and admit who we 
really are. 
   Of course, being authentic requires both 
courage and humility. It means facing our fear of 
exposure, rejection, and being hurt again. 
   Why would anyone take such a risk?
   Because its the only way to grow 
spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, 
Make this your common practice: Confess your sins 
to each other and pray for each other so that 
you can live together whole and healed (James 
5:16 The Message). [Daily Devotional by Rick 
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

Without End
   Christ has paid for you.
   Receive this, the great miracle of mercy. 
Let the grace of God flow over you like a 
cleansing cascade, flushing out all dregs of guilt and 
shame. Nothing separates you from God. Your 
conscience may accuse you, but God accepts you. Others 
may dredge up your past, but God doesn't. 
   I took a break from writing to go to the 
beach with our family. Rosie, grandchild number 
one, had never seen the ocean. We all wondered 
how she would respond to the sight. When she saw 
the waves and heard the roar of the water, she 
watched and listened and then finally asked, "When 
does it turn off?" 
   It doesn't, sweetie.
   We ask the same about God's grace. Surely 
it will dry up and stop flowing, right? Wrong. 
Surely we will exhaust his goodness, won't we? 
Never. We will at some point write one too many 
checks on his mercy and love, correct? Incorrect. 
His grace and goodness, his love and mercy are 
without end. [You Can Count On God by Max Lucado] 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 

1 John 1:7 - Walking in Jesus brings 
Cleansing and Fellowship. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20151202-1820.html 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20101130-2333.html 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2001/20011206-0000.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: 
https://stepstopeace.org/ 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study 
Guides: 
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible 

Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/  

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657