In 1 John 1:1-2:6, the Holy Spirit says this through the Apostle John:

“That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life (and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ: and these things we write, that our joy may be made full.

And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce 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 the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him: he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.”

In this passage, John talks about the manhood of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Word of life), His message (the Word of light), His Messiahship (the Word of advocacy), and His mastership (the Word of knowledge).

Jesus’s Manhood

In verses 1-4, John describes the Word of life. He begins by speaking of something that has existed from the beginning, that he has heard, that he has seen, that he has examined, and that he has touched. He calls it the Word of life. By “word,” John means a message, or an expression of thought. He goes on to say that the life itself, that which the message spoke of, was made apparent, and that he had seen Him, bore witness of Him, and proclaimed this eternal life to his audience, and that He had been with God the Father and was made apparent to John. He again says that he had seen and heard the eternal life, and is currently proclaiming Him to his audience, so that they may have a partnership with him, and that partnership is with the Father and His Son, Jesus the Anointed One. Finally, John says that he is writing these things so that both his and his audience’s joy may be made complete.

Jesus’s Message

In verses 5-10, John preaches the message of Jesus, the Word of light. He begins by saying that the message he heard from Jesus, and that he is announcing to his audience, is that God is light, and that there is no darkness in Him. Now, obviously, John is not saying that God is literally light, since God is a Person, and light is a thing, but that God sheds light on reality by providing truth (His Word), including truth about morality, and that there is no darkness, or lies about morality, in Him. Therefore, John says, if someone says that they have a partnership with God, but live daily life in the darkness of lies about morality, or moral darkness, then that person is lying, and does not practice the truth. However, John goes on, if one lives daily life in the light of truth, just as God exists in that light of truth, then that person has a partnership with John and the apostles, and the blood, or bloody death, of Jesus His Son cleanses that person from all sin. However, he says, if someone says that he has no sin, then that person is deceiving himself, and the truth of God is not in him. On the other hand, John counters, if someone confesses, or acknowledges his sins for what they truly are, then Jesus is faithful and just to forgive that person for their sins and to cleanse him from all unrighteousness. Finally, John finishes, if someone says that he has not sinned, then he makes Jesus out to be a liar, and His Word is not in him.

Jesus’s Messiahship

In verses 1-2 of chapter 2, John gives the Word of advocacy to his audience, and reminds them of the Messiahship of Jesus. He begins by calling his audience his little children. They are his little children because they are weak in and of themselves, and they are his children because he was the one that made them disciples, making him their spiritual father. He says that he has written all that he has written to them thus far in this book so that they may not sin. However, he concedes, if anyone does sin, then they have an Advocate, literally “one who comes alongside to help,” on their behalf before the Father, and that His name is Jesus the Anointed One, the righteous One, and that He is the propitiation, or atoning sacrifice for God, for their sins, and that He is not only the propitiation for their sins, but the sins of the whole kosmos, or world, which means the world of humanity. When he says this last thing, he is implying that Jesus is not only the Advocate for his audience, but the Advocate of anyone in the world for whose sins Jesus is the propitiation.

Jesus’s Mastership

In verses 3-6 of this second chapter, John gives the Word of knowledge to his audience by explaining the mastership of Jesus. He begins by saying that they know that they have come to know Jesus if they keep, or practice, His commandments. He then addresses those who claim that they know Him by saying, if they do not keep His commandments, then they are lying about knowing Him, and they do not have the truth in them. On the other hand, John goes on, if someone does keep His Word, or commandments, then the love of God, or knowledge of God, has truly been perfected, or come to completion. Finally, John ends this Word of knowledge by saying that people know that they are in Jesus, or spiritually united to Him in a partnership, by the fact that those who claim to make their homes in Him are obligated to live daily life in the same manner that He did.

So, do you have complete joy?

Are you walking in the darkness, or are you practicing the truth?

Do you say that you have no sin, and that you have not sinned, or do you acknowledge your sins?

Do you practice Christ’s commandments and Word by walking in the same manner as He walked, or do you not practice them?

Do you know what it means that Christ is the propitiation for our sins? The Apostle Paul wrote about it this way:

“. . . I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”              1 Corinthians 15:1-9                                                     

This is what the Apostle John said about the gospel in John 1:1-18:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me. For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

This is what Christ Himself said about the gospel:

“. . . God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” John 3:16-20

John the Baptist said this: “. . . he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on [stays directed toward] him.” – John 3:36

The Apostle Paul said this in Romans 2:4-16:

“. . . despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his works: to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law; for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified; (for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves; in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them); in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ.”

“. . . the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness; because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse: because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful: who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.” – Romans 1:18-32

Speaking of those that practice sin, the Apostle Paul uses this quote:

“. . . There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God; They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one: Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness . . .” – Romans 3:10-14

This is my appeal to you, as written by the Apostle Paul:

“. . . we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.”       – 2 Corinthians 5:20b-21

This is how you become reconciled to God:

“. . . if thou shalt confess [acknowledge] with thy mouth Jesus as Lord [Greek: kurios, or Supreme in Authority], and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him [depend upon Him]: for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [who He is, what He has done, and what He can do] shall be saved.”                    Romans 10:9-13