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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, purifies us from all sin.--- 1 John 1:7How does Jesus’ blood cleanse us from all sin? In Old Testament times, believers symbolically transferred their sins to an animal, which they then sacrificed (see a description of this ceremony in Leviticus 4). The animal died in their place to pay for their sin and to allow them to continue living in God’s favor. God graciously forgave them because of their faith in him and because they obeyed his commandments concerning the sacrifice. Those sacrifices anticipated the day when Christ would completely remove sin. Real cleansing from sin came with Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Sin, by its very nature, brings death---that is a fact as certain as the law of gravity, Jesus did not die for his own sins: Jesus had none. Instead, by a transaction that we may never fully understand, he died for the sins of the world. When we commit our life to Christ and thus identity ourselves with him, his death becomes ours. He has paid the penalty for our sins, and his blood has purified us. Just as Christ rose from the grave, we rise to a new life of fellowship with him (Romans 6:4).--- Life Application Study Bible notesPRAYERDear Heavenly Father,Thank You for the light I have even in my moments of deepest darkness.Thank You for the hope I have of living with You in glorious light. Help us to build up one another through true fellowship in Your presence.Help us to conquer temptation so that in the end all of our sin will be overcome and we will stand pure and sinless before You.Teach us to be Your light in the continuing darkness.In Jesus’ name,Amen