John wants to be clear here. He knew Jesus. This is the disciple that leaned against Jesus, reclining at the table. This is the disciple who called himself the one Jesus loved.

He saw Jesus. He touched Jesus. He heard Jesus. He is an eyewitness.

He wants us to know these truths about Jesus so that we can join in their fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus the Christ, the anointed one. Because if you have that fellowship, your joy will be complete.

How do you have that perfect joyful fellowship?

You walk in the light. God is the light. There is no darkness in Him.

If we are walking in darkness, in sin, we’re deceiving ourselves if we think we have fellowship with Jesus.

But, if you walk in the light, just as Jesus is in the light, we have fellowship with Jesus and His body because the blood of Jesus will clean away our sin.

Sin is what destroys everything. If it is removed, there will be love among the brethren and we can join in the fellowship.

If we confess our sin, God will be faithful to forgive us our sin and wash away all our unrighteousness. It’s only if we try to maintain we have no need of repentance in order to join in fellowship, that we are making God a liar. Scriptures make clear all have sinned. No one is righteous on their own.

To enter into fellowship with the Father and Jesus and His body we confess our sin.

Then God can justly remove our sin and its guilt, because of the blood of Jesus, and we can live in the joy of oneness with God and the Body of Christ.

Those who have confessed sin maintain life in that most joyful fellowship by walking in the light, continually being cleansed of sin, being sanctified into the image of the Light and glorifying God.