Fulfilling the Conditions

Let’s look more closely at the statement about the blood that is found in 1 John 1:7:

“But if we walk in the light as He [Jesus] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

We have already seen how these three elements are interrelated and bound together in the Word of God: walking in the light, fellowship with one another, and the cleansing of the blood. Scores of people claim the cleansing and protection of the blood but do not meet the conditions that entitle them to receive it. Cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ is a consequence that follows from something that is preceded by an “if” — it is a conditional statement, contingent upon our fulfilling a premise — if we walk in the light as He is in the light. Then, two results follow — not one, but two. The cleansing of the blood is the second result; the first result is that we have fellowship with one another.

Logically, if we are not in fellowship with one another, it is proof that we are not walking in the light. If we are not walking in the light, it logically follows that we cannot claim the cleansing of the blood of Jesus. So, we come to this conclusion: if we are out of fellowship, we are out of the light. If we are out of the light, the blood no longer cleanses us. The blood of Jesus cleanses only in the light. This is one of the most important principles we can understand.