The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 23

symbol of his trut.h and pmity. Christ may havo given the revelation in thrse words, tho_ugh they are not _to be found in t.he Gospels. It is implied in his being tho Ligh\ while at the same time the Word (John i. 1-9). It Wt\S because he manifested the e~sentia.l light-natnrc of God that ho was Light-bringer to men. We do not have here the good message (language which John nowhere uses), viz. mercy to mon, thoucrh there may be suggestion of this in the great d(ff11,sivene,ss of light. We have that whi~h mercy presupposes in Gorl and seeks to diffuse among men. JI, 'l'HREE FALSE CONDITIONS CONDEMNED, AND THE THREE OPPOSED POSITIONS JUSTrFIED. 1. Ffrstfalsc J>Osition. (1) Stated. "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness." The three hypothetical sayings, introduced in the same way (" if we ~ay "), are unchristian. As one who would be warned as well as others, John includes himself. Christians, according to the conception in ver. 3, are those who say that they have fellowship with God. The position supposed here is saying this while we walk in the darkness, i.e. while we habitually move in this element- while we keep our life away from true and pure influences, loving error and impurity, (2) Co71r]em71e:l,, "We lie, and do not the truth." Our lie is saying that we have fellowship with God. Our doing not the truth evidences our lie. We make our life e. contradiction of the nature of God, which is light, and thus necessarily unfit ourselves for fellowship with God; for what concord bath light with darkness? It cannot be l1eld that we can be indifferent to our manner of life and yet maintain friendship with God. 2. First opposed position. (1) Stated. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light." 'l'his is the Christian supposition opposed to the other. As one who won ld be confirmed, John includes himself. Let us also include ourselves. Light is the Dfrinc clement; let it also be onrs. God is in the light, i.e. has absolute fixedness in it. We are to walk in the light, i.e. to throw onr life open to all true and pure influences, thus moving forward toward his fixedness. (2) Justified. One good consequent. "We have fellowship one with another." This results from our walking in the light. Having a common element for our life, and therefore common sympathies and anti- pathies, the foundation is laid for our having fellowship one with another. This, according to the Johannine teaching, is closely related to our having fellowship with God. But how are we to be fitted for this higher fellowship? The answer is gh·cn in what follows. By walking in the light, we come within the influence of the b'ood of Christ. Another good consequent. "And the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (a) A present power. The blood of Christ refers to the death of Christ, bnt is to be distinguished from it in marking it as having present virtue. It is a great living reality of the present. It is mentioned, along with other verities, in the twelfth of Hebrews : " Ye are come . . . to the blood of sprinkling, that s peaketh better things than that of Abel." (b) A human-Divine power. It is the blood of Jesus, and therefore human blood; but it is also the blood of God's Son, and therefore blood of infinite virtue. (c) A cleansing power. It is blood that cleanses, because it was shed in satisfaction for ~in. The cleansing is with a view to our having fellowship with God. There was constant instruction in this truth under the Jewish dispensation. The cleansinu, in accordance with ver. 9, is to be referred to sanctification. Even after we have bee~ cleHnsed from guilt, we need to be cleansed from impme thoughts and desires, in order that we may be fitted for fellowship with him who is Light. Our whole denendence for sanctification must be on the efficacy of the blood, along with the agency of the Spirit. (d) A universal pow~r. It is blood that _cleanses from ~11 sin. The light-nature of God is constantly revealing the presence of srnful elements m our nature. We have the remedy in the blood of Christ, which will gradually remove all sinful elements, until, thoroughly purified, we are as fitted as creatures can be for holding converse with him who is a consuming Fire to all sin. 3. Secondfalseposi- tion. ·(1) Sfottd. "If we say that we have no sin." 'l'his goes back on the previous thought, viz. the cleansing away of the remaining impurity, until we are completel,r fittkd for fellowship with God. What if this is unnecessary? if our sanctification 1& already completed? '!'his is the supposition which fa now made. (2) Condemned. "We deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." It is too violent a supposition to be entertained in ignorance. It can only be entertained where there has been a con- siderable amount of Bdf-activity in the way of presenting to the mind clcceitf ul eppcar- a!lces-sophismB, such as the Gnostic idea of superior ealightcnment, While there •• OH, H. 1-29.] THE FIRST EPIS'l'LE GENERAL OF JOHN. 19