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I. The form of THE ANNOUNCEMENT in the fifth verse is very peculiar: "This, then, is the message," etc. It is not a discovery which we make concerning God, an inference or deduction which we draw for ourselves from observation of His works and ways, and which we publish in that character, and with that weight of influence, to our fellow men. It is an authentic and authoritative communication to us from Himself. And it is to be accepted as such.

1. Positively, "God is light." Let these two thoughts be fixed in our minds; first, the thought of perfect openness; and secondly, the thought of perfect inviolability.

2. Negatively, "In Him is no darkness at all." I connect this part of the statement with that saying of John in his Gospel (John 1:5). In the light itself, in Him who is the light even when shining in darkness, the darkness which comprehendeth it not — there is still no darkness at all. "The light shineth in darkness." He who is the light comes, in the person of His Son, to seek and to save us who are in darkness; who, as to our character, and state, and prospects, are darkness itself. For our sakes, in our stead, in our nature, He who is light is identified with our darkness. And yet "in Him is no darkness at all." In the very heat and crisis of this death struggle, there is no surrender of the light to the darkness; no concession, no compromise; no allowance of some partial shading of the light on which the darkness presses so terribly. All still is clear, open, transparent, between the Son and the Father. In the interest of light triumphing over darkness, not by any plausible terms of accommodation, but before the open face of eternal righteousness, pure and untainted, the Father gives the cup and the Son drains it to the dregs. In that great transaction, thus consummated, before all intelligences, between the Father and the Son, it is clearly seen and conclusively proved that "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."

II. Such being the message in the fifth verse, THE WARNING in the sixth verse becomes simply a self-evident inference: "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." What is this walking in darkness? Our answer is simple enough. All unholy walking is walking in darkness (Ephesians 5:3-11; Galatians 5:19-21). But the matter must be pressed a little more closely home. The characteristics of light are clearness, openness, transparency, and inviolability, retaining and preserving its own pure nature, unmodified, unmingled, unsullied by external influences. Now darkness is the opposite of this light. Instead of openness there is concealment and disguise; instead of inviolability there is facile impressibility. Ah! this walking in darkness! Is it not after all just walking deceitfully? Is it not simple insincerity, the want of perfect openness and transparent honesty in our dealings with God and with ourselves as to the real state of our hearts towards God, and the bias of our affections away from God towards selfishness and worldliness? Is it not that we have in us and about us something to conceal; something that does not quite satisfy us; something about which we have at least occasional misgivings; something that, when we think seriously, and confess, and pray, we slur over and do not like to dwell upon; something that we try to represent to ourselves as not so bad as it seems — as indeed, in the circumstances, excusable and unavoidable?

III. From the solemn message in the fifth verse, and the faithful warning in the sixth, THE GRACIOUS ASSURANCE in the seventh fitly follows: "We have fellowship one with another"; God with us and we with God. The expression may seem to savour of familiarity. The explanation may be found in the conditional clause — "if we walk in the light, as He is in the light." We walk in the light in which God is. It is the light of His own pure truth, His own holy nature. In that light He sees and knows and judges all things. And now the supposition is that we walk — as He is — in that light. To us the light in which we walk is identically the same as the light in which He is. The same lustrous glory of holiness shines on our walk and on His throne. The very same pure medium of vision is common to us both. "We see light in His light."

(R. S. Candlish,D. D.)

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KJV: This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

WEB: This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.