1 John 1:5 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

This then is the message That is, one part of it; which we have heard of him The Son of God; that God is light The light of truth, wisdom, holiness, glory. What light is to the natural eye, that God is to the spiritual eye; and in him is no darkness at all Not the least mixture of ignorance or error, of folly, sin, or misery; if we say Either with our tongue, or in our heart; if we endeavour to persuade ourselves and others, that we have fellowship with him If we pretend to, or make a profession of it; and walk in darkness Live in a state of ignorance, error, folly, or sin, which things are as contrary to his wise and holy nature, as darkness is to that of light, whatever professions we may make of our acquaintance with Christianity, and of being zealous for its interests; we lie, and do not the truth Our conduct shows that our professions are false, and that the truth is not in us. But if we walk in the light In the way of truth, knowledge, and holiness; as he is (a deeper word than walk, and more worthy of God) in the light Is essentially and perfectly wise and holy, then we may truly say, we have fellowship one with another God with us, and we with him; for that is the fellowship the apostle is speaking of 1 John 1:6, namely, fellowship or intercourse between the head and the members of the community: a fellowship which consists in the Father's bestowing blessings on us through the mediation of Christ, and in our receiving these blessings from the Father and the Son with thankfulness. As if the apostle had said, We who have seen, and you who have not seen, do alike enjoy that fellowship with God and Christ, the imitation of God being the only sure proof of our having fellowship with him. And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son With the grace purchased thereby; cleanseth us from all sin Taketh away all the guilt, and therewith all the power of sin, both original and actual. There is also a cleansing from all sin in a higher sense, even from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, (see 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:25-26; Colossians 1:22; Titus 2:14,) from whatever is contrary to the mind of Christ and the image of God, which may be experienced in the present life, by the blood of Christ, who, having died to procure for us the influences of the Spirit for fully sanctifying our nature, may be truly said to cleanse us from all sin by his blood. Of this cleansing, however, the apostle does not speak directly in this verse, but he speaks of it 1 John 1:9.