1 John 1:5 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

1 John 1:5 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.

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "darkness", "message", "heard", and "declare". It is saying that the contrast between light and darkness marks a real divide in how people respond to God's work.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And these things write we unto you..." into verse 6's "If we say that we have fellowship...", so "light" and "darkness" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "light" and "darkness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.