But if we walk in the light, as he [God] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
John tells us that God is light without any darkness (1 John 1:5). Light and darkness are often used in the Scripture as symbols of good and evil. God, as light without any darkness, points to God being perfectly good and holy.
John goes on to point out the absurdity of claiming to have fellowship with God while walking in darkness (1 John 1:6). How can we walk with one who is light while at the same time being in the dark? Walking in darkness is the opposite of walking in the light. It is living a life at odds with God, who is light.
It is when I am walking in the light that I have fellowship with God. But not just with God; I will also have fellowship with others who are walking in the light. If I do not have fellowship with other believers, it is a sign that I do not have fellowship with God and am instead walking in darkness, regardless of what I may claim.
Fellowship is an often misunderstood concept in Christian circles. How often do we refer to sharing a meal together when we use the word? Or the time we spend talking before or after a worship service? Those are good. But the fellowship referred to here is much more than that.
Koinōnia
The Greek word translated here as fellowship is koinōnia. Koinōnia is much more than the casual relationship we often make fellowship out to be. It is a partnership, a close and intimate relationship. The kind of relationship I might have with members of my family. Or the fellowship I will have with other believers if I am walking in the light—in fellowship with God.
If I am walking in the light of God, in koinōnia with him, I will also be in koinōnia with others who are in the light. But if my koinōnia with other believers is poor, it should serve as a warning that my koinōnia with God is not what it should be.
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