1 John 1:5-10 | Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness | TCBS

"The safest place for you, the sinner, is in the light. That's the safest place that you can be. There is no safer place than with him, in fellowship with him, and in his light." — Pastor Chris

Pastor Stacey opened this episode of the Tree Church Bible Study with a lighthearted question for her guests, Pastor Jonathan and Pastor Chris. If their personality was a type of light, what would it be. Pastor Chris said he would be a candle burning at both ends. Pastor Jonathan landed somewhere between a laser and the cat that chases the laser once his energy runs out.

That playful opener led into the heart of the episode. The group continued their study of First John, moving into 1 John 1:5-10, where the apostle John writes about God being light and what it means for believers to walk in that light instead of in darkness.

Pastor Stacey read the passage from 1 John 1:5. This is the message John heard from Jesus and now declares. God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all.

Pastor Jonathan explained that John phrases this in the negative on purpose. There is no darkness in God. No moral contradiction. No hidden imperfection. Pastor Chris connected this to the Old Testament idea of God's glory, a Hebrew word that carries the sense of weightiness and brightness. When the Hebrew people thought of God's fullness, they pictured Him emanating brightness because He is pure goodness.

Pastor Stacey brought in a passage from the beginning of John's Gospel, where the Word gives life to everyone and the light shines in the darkness. The darkness can never put it out.

The group turned to a practical question. How would someone know they are still walking in darkness instead of the light. Pastor Chris explained that anything Jesus commands represents moral light. If someone embraces the opposite of what Jesus calls right, good, and true, they are still walking in darkness.

Pastor Stacey gave real examples, like choosing to move in with a boyfriend or girlfriend despite knowing better, or holding onto bitterness toward someone who hurt you. Pastor Chris clarified that walking in darkness does not mean a single stumble or a momentary lapse. It means living apart from fellowship with Jesus and refusing to trust that His work on the cross is enough to cover those moments. Walking in the light, by contrast, is simply the ongoing direction of a person's life. If the direction of someone's steps is toward Jesus, that is what it means to walk in the light, even while still growing.

The conversation moved into verses seven and eight, where John explains that walking in the light brings fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus cleanses believers from all sin. Claiming to have no sin, John says, is simply fooling ourselves.

Pastor Chris explained that this cleansing is not a one-time event but an ongoing reality. Every sin, past and future, is met by the blood of Jesus. He compared this to the Old Testament sacrifices, which had to be repeated again and again, and contrasted it with the final sacrifice of Jesus described throughout the New Testament. That sacrifice cleanses believers so that fellowship with God can continue even when they fail.

Pastor Chris also connected this to human relationships. Sin breaks fellowship, whether with God or with the people around us. If someone hurts a spouse or a friend and never admits it, bitterness sets in and walls go up. Confession is what restores that fellowship, both with God and with others.

One illustration shared during the episode compared this idea to a ride at Dollywood called Mystery Mine. Riders travel through what feels like a dark, mysterious cave, but one time the lights came on inside the ride. Instead of a mysterious mine, it was just a plain, ordinary looking room. The light did not put anything into the room. It simply exposed what was already there.

The group agreed that the same is true for believers. The light of God does not create sin in us. It exposes what does not look like Him so that it can be dealt with. One helpful practice mentioned was keeping a short list when it comes to confession. As soon as something comes up, take it straight to God rather than running from Him.

The conversation also connected this to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, noting that the very first of Luther's 95 Theses states that the life of a believer is one of repentance. Believers wake up each day striving to live out of the forgiveness Christ has already provided, and when they fail, they bring that failure into the light rather than hiding it.

Pastor Stacey shared a personal reflection from a season of working through anxiety with a counselor. She was taught that keeping struggles hidden only allows them to grow worse, and that speaking them out loud, whether to God or to a trusted friend, is what allows healing to begin.

Pastor Chris spoke directly to anyone who feels like their struggles are too dark to bring into the light. He said the safest place for a sinner is in the light, in fellowship with Jesus, because sin leads to death but light brings refinement and healing. Pastor Jonathan added that Jesus never meets confession with shame or condemnation. He meets people with compassion and grace, because that is why He came in the first place.

Pastor Jonathan noted that while light is life giving for the believer, it also has an exposing effect for anyone who refuses to confess and remains in darkness. He referenced Isaiah's vision of God's holiness in Isaiah 6, where Isaiah is overwhelmed by his own sinfulness in God's presence. Pastor Chris acknowledged this can be a difficult truth, but explained that pure goodness cannot coexist with sin, and that refusing to confess does not remove that reality.

The group discussed how easy it is to assume that since no one is perfect, everyone is simply fine. Pastor Chris pushed back gently on this idea, explaining that grace does not come from comparing ourselves to others. It comes from Christ making a way for people to be brought into the light, where sin is exposed not to bring fear, but freedom and hope.

Pastor Jonathan closed the episode in prayer, thanking God for not leaving people in the dark, and for the way Jesus showed what it looks like to walk in complete fellowship with the Father. He prayed for anyone listening who has been afraid to confess and bring something into the light, asking that they would find the courage to do so and experience God's forgiveness. He prayed that believers would reflect God's light in the way they think, speak, and treat others, and that true confession and community would take root in the church.

This Bible study is part of The Tree Church Bible Study podcast (TCBS), created to help the Tree grow deeper in understanding the Scriptures. New episodes are released regularly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.