◄ 1 John 1 Devotional Commentary ►

1 John 1:1

It was John the apostle in his Gospel who penned the incomprehensible words: "In the beginning was the Word." John's thoughts must have travelled back into the distant past when God's first revelation of Himself announced, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," and here at the start of his first epistle, John had not exhausted that weighty theme for he announced, "That which was from the read more...

1 John 1:2

The apostle John was one of Christ's chosen disciples who walked with the Lord Jesus from the very beginning of His earthly ministry. John was among those who heard the Baptist proclaim: REPENT, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.. and who declared: BEHOLD! the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. John was eye-witness to the lovely life of Jesus Christ the righteous - and he saw and testified to the truth, that in Him was everlasting life and love and read more...

1 John 1:3

The apostle John earnestly desired to tell all that he knew and all he had experienced and witnessed of the glory and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. John had spent over three years walking and talking with the Lord and learning from Him. He had been with Jesus constantly, ever since that decisive day on the shores of Lake Galilee when Christ called out to John to "Follow Me."

John was eager to share all that he had read more...

1 John 1:4

In the introductory remarks of his first epistle, John quickly places his focus on Christ Jesus, the incarnate Word of God Who was manifest in the flesh and spoke the words of eternal life. John reminded his readers that the Man about Whom he was speaking existed from the beginning, and yet He lived with His disciples for three amazing years and walked with them, day by day.

Jesus was the Word made flesh, Whom they saw with their read more...

1 John 1:5

The heavens declare the glory of God to humanity and the scriptures increasingly unveil His perfect character and holy attributes to all the children of men, as we see multiple examples of His loving-kindness, His long-suffering mercy, and His gracious faithfulness to all generations.

But in these last days, God has given us the greatest revelation of Himself in the person of His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the read more...

1 John 1:6

When we trusted Jesus as Saviour we became children of God, entering into eternal union with Christ, a relationship that can never be broken. Having been born into God's family through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we enjoy a union with Him that can never be broken. Once we are in union with Christ, we can also commune with the Father and enjoy sweet fellowship with Him. 

Only those who through the Spirit of God have been read more...

1 John 1:7

Fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ can be such a blessed experience, but to enjoy sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Lord is the pinnacle of being a sinner saved by grace. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, and walking in the warmth and radiance of His perfect light and communing with Him is the right and privilege of all believers - nevertheless, fellowship with our Father is a believer's choice.

read more...

1 John 1:7

Once enlightened by the Holy Spirit as born-again children of God, we have a true sight and sense of sin. Having first been convicted by the Holy Spirit of sin, righteousness, and judgment, we are brought face to face with our own depravity and utter sinfulness.

At one time, we were filled with darkness and walked according to the way of the world, but we are not of the world. John asks: "What fellowship has read more...

1 John 1:8

We are not only sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. We are inherently sinners because we are part of Adam's race and we entered this world with a sin nature, inherited from our human father. Sometimes the truth of what we were before we were saved by grace through faith, and the glory of who we presently are in Christ, can appear to conflict.

We move from being a sinner to being a saint. We transfer from the read more...

1 John 1:9

Although an unbeliever can gain much comfort from this verse, it is important to recognise that this is a verse that is addressed to Christians.

For the unbeliever, this verse is certainly a glorious word of truth that the one who confesses their sinfulness with a penitent heart of true repentance will be forgiven. But this truth must not be divorced from the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the anointed Messiah and read more...

1 John 1:10

While John's Gospel was written so that lost sinners might believe in the saving blood of Christ, be forgiven of their trespasses, be redeemed from the slave-market of sin, and have life in His name, the purpose of his first epistle is to enable born-again saints to enter into the fullness of the eternal life we received at salvation. This equips the believer to have fellowship with other Christians and enjoy sweet communion with God the Father and our Lord Jesus read more...