Cleansed by His blood to love with Him

1 John 1:7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. Yesterday, we were warned by the apostle John, not to lie about God but instead practice the truth that God is light. In today’s verse, John described the practice of a faithful, true believer in Jesus Christ. It seems so simple and clear. We prove that we have fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son if we walk in the light. I think it’s pretty clear from the gospel of John and from this first epistle that in John’s mind, walking in the light is the same as living to love with Jesus. Jesus is in the light, and if He lives in us and we have fellowship with Him, we will walk in the light— we will walk in love. The last line of this verse is intended to give great assurance to those who have the life of Jesus revealed in them through love. As John described the Christian life of love, he assured those who live to love like Jesus that they are cleansed by the blood of Jesus from every sin. The practice of love in a life reveals someone who knows by experience the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. They know they are loved by God, and they can’t help but love those that He loves. Let’s notice, they don’t love so that they can be forgiven of their sins. This is not a verse of prescription, it’s descriptive of someone who has the life of Christ within them. That’s what a Christian is—a person who loves because the blood of Jesus has cleansed them from sin, and the life of Jesus shines in the darkness. We love because we have been forgiven much. Is this verse descriptive of your life? For those of you who answer yes, rejoice in the Lord! Give God thanks and glory for what He’s done for you through Jesus Christ. May this encouragement today stimulate you to love Him more and love with Jesus more. For those of you who know that this verse does not describe you, I encourage you, in the knowledge of your sin and powerlessness to change yourself, to look to the cross of Jesus Christ, where his blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins. Leviticus 17:11 says that the life is in the blood and Heb. 9:22 states that there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. This is how John knew that God is light and that His light is love. John wrote later in 1 John 3:16 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” May the God who is light and love open your heart to receive his love and his life revealed at the cross. Be washed in his blood, so you can have eternal life—Jesus Himself—and live to love with Him. He will transform your life taking you from darkness into His light.