
1 John 1:6New American Standard Bible 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
If we claim to have fellowship with Christ than it will have an effect on how we live our lives on a daily basis. John is writing his letter to combat false teaching that had found its way into the body of Christ. One of the things they taught was that the body was wicked, and the spirit was good. So, if the body is indeed wicked, then they should indulge in every sinful lust because the body will be destroyed anyway.
When we examine God’s word, we know that this is not true. God’s has revealed Himself in His creation. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is a three part being in which the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct but all one at the same time. The same stands for the very way that God has created us as human being in His image. Our lives are made up of body, soul, and spirit. Each are distinct in themselves, but they are one together, operating and function together. That which we do with our physical body impacts both our soul and our spirit.
Before we come to Christ we are imprisoned and dominated by our sinful nature. But when we come to Christ, we are called to crucify the desires of the sinful nature and instead we are to be led by the Holy Spirit. As a Christian and follower of Jesus, if we continue in sin, it will bring destruction into our lives. As followers of Christ we are not immune to the damaging effects of sin. But thank God through Jesus Christ we have been set free. Through the Holy Spirit we can walk in victory and not be dominated by our sinful nature, but instead in all that we do give the Holy Spirit full control of our lives to Him.
John states if we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. The way we know a person is truly a Christian is not based on how much of the bible they have memorized or even how long they have gone to church. To truly know if someone is a follower of Jesus is to simply examine the course of their lives. To truly have fellowship with the Living God will keep us from practicing and walking in darkness.
There is a difference between making a mistake and practicing darkness. To practice darkness means that sin is the lifestyle we are living in. An example would be someone who has come out of addiction to alcohol. If they have truly come to Christ, they will still be tempted by alcohol, but they will not carelessly indulged and allow it to consume their lives. They may even struggle early on with the temptations of their sinful nature and at times feel like they are failing greatly. But as they continue to grow in Christ, it is the Spirit of God who will empower and strengthen them to overcome. As they continue to grow in Christ the struggles they used to face with alcohol will no longer remain.
But what John is referring to here would be an individual who claims to be in Christ but continues in sin on a daily basis. They will claim to follow Christ, but their life is clearly not yielded or surrendered to Jesus. All of us who are in Christ face temptations on a daily basis. We may even struggle with sin at times. But that doesn’t give us a license to simply allow it to dominate our lives and throw in the towel. What I have found is the more I draw near to Christ and fellowship with Him, the more His life is produced in me and victory comes from a place of relying fully on His strength and His power. Let us not forget that the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells within you and I.
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