1 John 1 (NRSV)
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Confession is the key to deliverance.
Here are some questions for discussion:
1. How does the pairing of walking in darkness (v6) with denying sin (v8) deepen our appreciation for how deception can distort both our behavior and our identity in Christ? Reflect on a time when recognizing self-deception revealed truths about your spiritual journey that mere repentance alone hadn’t exposed. Why do you think truth often only emerges through confronting such denial?
2. How does our confession work to change our shame? Can you think of a time when you felt shame but found your way through it to a better place through confession?
3. Far removed from the action we can still be complicit in the sin. Even if we’re not part of the 2%, how does our refusal to acknowledge that sin today reflect a shameful deceit we must confess?
If you’d like to dig a little deeper, consider the following:
1. In 1 John 1:5 God is described as light with no darkness, and in Exodus 34:29–35 Moses reflects God’s glory so brightly he must wear a veil. How do these images of divine light—God’s holiness and Moses’ reflected glory—shape our understanding of our own encounters with God and they influence how we bring light into our communities and places of darkness?
2. 1 John 1:7 teaches that walking in the light brings us into fellowship with one another. In a world fractured by polarization and cultural divides, how might living in God’s light call us to practice empathetic listening and bridge building across differences? How can confessing our shared complicity in unjust systems become a form of collective repentance that opens the door to healing, justice, and reform?
3. 1 John 1:8 warns that denying our sin is self-deception, while Isaiah 5:20 shows the danger of confusing darkness for light. Naming reality truthfully—both in personal confession and in confronting communal injustice—is a spiritual discipline that anchors us in God’s truth. How might practicing this honesty draw us into deeper fellowship with God and one another?
4. As God is omniscient, what is the purpose of confession? How does this posture of humility help prepare us for this?
5. Streetlights shine only when darkness triggers their sensors, but Jesus calls us to walk continually in His light (1 John 1:5–7). Should our witness operate like a photocell—switching on only when we notice darkness—or should it be an ‘always on’ light? What inner ‘sensors’ alert us when we drift toward spiritual darkness, and how can we train ourselves to stay consistently lit with Christ’s presence rather than reactively flickering on and off?
For further contemplation, consider these quotes & prompts:
1. “You are loved by God, and that too is worth confessing.” Considering that we are loved regardless by God, why do we still struggle to confess our sins? Who are we afraid of if not God?
2. “Confession will show you what forgiveness looks like.” Without confession, there can be no forgiveness but our world often discourages such behavior. Can you think of how the simple act of accountability and confession has been both difficult but wholly worthwhile in your past?