1 John 1

Focus: Verses 3 and 7

King James Bible
3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.: 7.But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

New International Version
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.: 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, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

New Living Translation
We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.: 7. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

STUDY NOTES

During my regular monthly appointment today, I spoke with one of my therapists about my recent spiritual awakening in Christ. Given that she works for the VA, she likely cannot explicitly share her own views, leaving me unsure of her stance. Nevertheless, despite her discretion, my training in observing subtle facial cues—such as micro-expressions around the eyes and lips—led me to suspect she might be Catholic. When I mentioned that I was leaning in that direction, I noticed a slight flicker in her expression.

I shared with her my turbulent past within Protestantism, confessing my skepticism toward a faith that demands no real conviction or cost. Plenty of evidence reinforces my concerns on this. I have long questioned any form of Christianity in which a soul's salvation produces no discernible outward fruit. This isn't to say I advocate for salvation by good works; I wholeheartedly embrace the concept of Grace. However, I believe that when a person genuinely surrenders their heart and soul to Jesus, an earnest love for God naturally compels them toward greater godliness. God serves as a true mentor, not merely a punch card for eternity.

Many of the videos I watch—and I consume a great deal of them, representing viewpoints from all sides—frequently characterize Protestantism as teaching that fellowship and tithing are the path to Heaven. While that does not entirely align with my personal experience, and I consider the argument somewhat unfair, it does often feel as though little else is expected in many Protestant congregations.

I divide the points of view that I am examining into three general tribes. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. Each is wrong and each is right. I believe that only God has the authority to tally our final score. Each side has arguments to be offered in defense of its own views. (At the moment, I am suffering from profound de ja vue, just saying.) Tonight, after chatting with Gemini about church thoughts  on random-verse Bible study, I decided to add to my formula a more disciplined approach of studying the scriptures by book, rather than chapter. Just by random choice, I started with 1 John. As good a place as any, right?  

Funny how God soothes my soul when I am paying attention. 

--BSB

The Word of Life
(Luke 24:36–49; John 20:19–23)

1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life. 2And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.

3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write these things so that our joy may be complete.

Walking in the Light
(John 8:12–29)

5And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.