Bible Study 1 John 1:6-7

                    (1 John 1:6-7)
"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."

While it is true that in this life we will never get to a point of perfection and be sinless, we are to repent from sinful behavior and be grieved and broken over our sin. 

Lets jump into our Bible study  as we tackle verses 6-7


One question that I am often asked by fellow Christians is how we can know if we are truly saved and children of God?  1 John gives three basic tests:

1)-Doctrinal- That is there are certain truths we must confess to even be a Christian (Verses 2-5)


2)-Obedience- As we will see their are numerous verses that tell us that one of the way's we can know if we have been "Born Again" is by our obedience to our Master.  Lets look at a few of these verses:   (The third test is the subjective test of the Holy Spirit and we will tackle that one in the future) 


(1 JOHN 2:2-3)
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

We see that to profess Christ does not mean one actually possesses Christ. We do not do good works to be saved but rather because we are saved good works will flow (Ephesians 2:10).

Every other false system claims we must do something to "please" the deity. The Bible is clear that there is NOTHING we can offer in addition to the work of Christ done on the Cross

(Romans 3:28 ESV)
"For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."

(Romans 4:1-5 ESV)

"What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness"

The OT saints were saved the same as we are today. By grace ALONE, through faith ALONE, by Christ ALONE. Our obedience to Christ demonstrates we are children of God.

(1John 3:7-10)
"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother."

Here we see that why we as believers will not be perfect and we still sin, we are not to make a PRACTICE of sin.

The verses are very clear that to walk blatantly in sin and to make a PRACTICE of sin, demonstrates that you are not a follower of Christ.

Verse 7 makes it clear that it is the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from our sin. Not our good works but by the work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

(2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

The love God has poured out on his elect should fill our hearts with a desire to be obedient to the Master who bought us and redeemed us from sin and death.