1 John 1:1-2:6

Ignatian Practice main page

1. Quiet

Spend a few minutes in silence with God. Try to quiet your heart and thoughts. You can do this by closing your eyes and repeating a short prayer (i.e. “You are with me”) or focusing on his creation you feel around you, like the sunshine and breeze.

2. Savor

Read through the passage (1 John 1:1-2:6 below) several time, savoring the words.
Read through the passage several more times with an attentiveness and openness to receive whatever God may have for you today.

3. Contemplate

Use the questions as a jumping-off point for worshipful contemplation.

1. What words, phrases, or ideas are repeated?
2. What is the purpose of this passage?
3. What is the main idea of this passage?
4. How do the purpose and the main idea connect?
5. Which words in the passage would be hard for a child to understand? Ponder these words.
6. What are hindrances to fellowship with God?
7. What is the fruit of fellowship with God?
8. How does this passage explain a Christian’s relationship with sin?

4. Live

Purpose to live in the light of what you’ve taken away from the passage, and ask God to help you.

5. Memorize

Only if you have extra time, choose a piece to “hide in your heart.”

1 John 1:1-2:6

The Word of Life

¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our[a] joy may be complete.

Walking in the Light

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he 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 we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Christ Our Advocate

² My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. ³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. ⁴ Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

(a) 1 John 1:4 Some manuscripts your

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