Bible Commentaries

The final subject is our fellowship with God in life. This is fundamental, and is shown to be so. The relationship between the life of God and the love of God is self-evident, and that is equally true concerning the life of God and the light of God.

Thus is brought out most clearly the true nature of Christianity. It is first and last and always life. Fellowship with the light of God is not possible to those who are alienated from His life. The experience and activity of His love never come to those abiding in spiritual death.

Seeing that the fundamental aspect of fellowship with God is fellowship in life, and, moreover, seeing that man enters into life by believing, the apostle now gives the witness on which faith takes hold. The first is the truth that Jesus Christ came by water and blood. The reference is certainly to two essential features in the coming and work of Jesus. The water signifies the purity of His human life as consecrated to God and symbolized in His baptism by John. The blood refers to that passion baptism which was the supreme occasion and clear evidence of Jesus' own fellowship with God in love.

Three bear witness to these things: the Spirit of life, the water of light, the blood of love. These three agree in One, and that One is the Son of God.

The concluding words of the writer declare the reason for his writing. His purpose was confirmation of their confidence in God, which was calm and contained. The chief exercise of that confidence is manifested in intercession, that is, in prayer for others . who are not walking in light. All closes with the group of certainties, and an injunction against idols.