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#4.
As He is, and the cleansing blood.
pp. 138, 139
"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" (I John 1: 7).
The key-words of this fourth phase of fellowship are "As He is", and these words
occur five times in this epistle as follows:--
As He is.
A | 1: 7. As He is in the light . . . . Walk.
B | 3: 2. As He is . . . . . . . . . . Like Him.
C | 3: 3. As He is pure . . . The hope.
A | 3: 7. As He is righteous . . . . Do righteousness.
B | 4: 17. As He is . . . . . . . . . So are we.
"Fellowship", the translation of the word koinonia, is derived from koinoo, "to
partake", and is allied with koinos, "common". Essentially, fellowship is having
something in common. Now what is there in common between light and darkness? That
is the question which underlies this fourth reference to fellowship:--
"This then is the message which we have heard of Him and declare unto you, that God
is LIGHT, and in Him is no DARKNESS at all. If we say that we have fellowship with
Him, and walk in DAKRNESS, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the
LIGHT, as He is in the LIGHT, we have fellowship" (I John 1: 5-7).
For the true maintenance of this fellowship, which involves a walk in the light, there is
gracious provision of the cleansing from all sin. Apart from the provision of the
cleansing blood of Christ, it is right that we should shrink from the searching character of
that light, but it is dishonouring to the Lord to continue in darkness under a false excuse
of personal unfitness, for that denies the very provision here made. By nature none is
worthy of such fellowship. Sinful man has nothing "in common" with God. But Christ
makes all the difference:--
"For ye were sometimes DARKNESS, but now are ye LIGHT in the Lord: walk as
children of LIGHT . . . . . have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of DARKNESS"
(Eph. 5: 8-11).
Here we have the other aspect presented, "Have no fellowship with darkness", while
I John 1: 7 bids us have fellowship with Him Who is light. In this passage of I John 1:
we have the basis of fellowship, while II Cor. 6: and 7: carries it to its true
conclusion:--