1st John 1

How do we convey the realness of God to those who question His existence? I find it is so terribly sad that the Maker of the universe, who gave His life in exchange for ours, is not known by some of His very own creations. Do they believe that the Lord of the world cares for them and wants a relationship with them? Do they believe you when you tell them that if they ask He will hear them, heal them and make them whole? I pray. I speak and wonder if my words reach the very ones that He is calling to Himself. Dear Father, open their eyes that they may see You, their ears that they may hear You, their minds
that they can perceive You and their hearts that they may receive You.

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 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 Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that 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. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

The NKJV says this: The memory of Jesus Christ burned in the mind of John as he reflected on the three and a half years that he and the other disciples were with the Lord. Now he wanted to be sure that the churches under his care enjoyed fellowship with the resurrected Lord and with other disciples. This life is a gift from God, a gift that cannot be earned or taken from us. The life was not hidden or obscured so that few, if any, could find it. Rather, this life was made known openly and had its origin in God the Father. God had provided truth about Himself in nature and through the prophets of old, but the revelation in His Son
is God's finest and clearest presentation of Himself. Fellowship carries both the idea of a positive relationship that people share and participation in a common interest or goal. God is holy, untouched by any evil or sin. To claim fellowship with God without living a moral life or practicing the truth is to live a lie, since God cannot compromise His holiness to accommodate sin. Guilt exposes the truth that we wish to avoid: we have all sinned. John puts it this way: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us". But John does not leave us with this dismal picture of ourselves. Instead he goes on to paint a glorious portrait of a forgiving God. This is our only hope: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". But John does not leave us with this dismal picture of ourselves. Instead he goes on to paint a glorious portrait of a forgiving God. This is our only hope: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". . Only when we admit that we are sinners, unworthy of God's grace, can we make a fresh start. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us from all sin, making it possible for imperfect believers to have fellowship with a holy God. To have no sin is to have no need of a Savior, which would make the coming of Jesus unnecessary. . If a believer confesses his or her specific sins to God, He will cleanse all unrighteousness from that person. Forgiveness and cleansing are guaranteed because God is faithful to His promises. Those promises are legitimate because God is just. God can maintain His perfect character and yet forgive us because of the perfect and righteous sacrifice of Jesus, His own Son. We may admit to having a sin nature while still denying any personal sin and therefore any need for confession. The Greek verb translated we have not sinned indicates a denial in the past that continues to the present. . In other words, a person who denies committing sinful acts does not have the Word of God changing his or her life. God demonstrated His love and justice by providing His own Son.