1 John 1 — Fellowship with the Father and the Son
Introduction: The apostle John has a distinctive approach that sets his gospel account apart from the other three gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke have a number of parallel historical accounts covering the ancestry, birth, and the public ministry of Jesus. John’s gospel provides much description of Jesus as the God-man including some lengthy quotations from Jesus. John does not anywhere in his gospel account, or in any of his three letters, mention himself by name. His first letter has a style that relates well to the record of the Lord Jesus in his own gospel account.
Many times spiritual truth is difficult to be understood at first because our minds have been influenced by the ways of the world, affected by the entrance of sin into the heart of man in the Garden of Eden. There are some short passages in John’s first letter that are commonly quoted by members of the body of Christ because of the encouragement and assurance they can provide to those who belong to Christ Jesus by grace through faith.
NOTE: All Bible passages are taken from the World English Bible.
A — The Eternal God in Human Form
1 John 1 “1 That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life 2 (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us);”
Comments: John made no opening remarks to identify the intended audience of this letter, but it becomes evident through the text that they knew him and were already aware of many details about Christ Jesus. John presents a reliable record as he describes unique qualities of Jesus because he was chosen by Jesus to be one of the twelve apostles, and had the experience of over three years of personal companionship with the Lord and the other apostles. By opening with the phrase “that which was from the beginning” John declares in a very direct manner, that Jesus is the eternal God. As John opened his gospel account he documents the eternal existence of the Word as God, and that he is the maker of all things. John 1:14 “The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus spoke of his eternal existence in John 8:58 “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.” The apostle Paul speaks of the gift of eternal life from God that comes solely by God’s purpose and grace, “which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal.” (2 Timothy 1:9) Jesus is the eternal God who appeared in the flesh to bring the gospel message of everlasting life available through faith in him. John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.’”
B — Joyfully Sharing in Fellowship with Other Believers
1 John 1 “3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled.”
Comments: A primary purpose for John’s writing of this letter is to point out the fellowship in Christ that is unequaled by any other common bond among men. Believing Jews and converted Gentiles trusted in the LORD God, and John wanted them to be assured that they needed to also believe in Christ Jesus. Jesus said this, John 14:1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.” Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one.” Isaiah 9:6 prophesied the child to be born “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Jesus required that he be honored equally with God the Father. John 5:23 “that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.” Jesus answered the Jews very plainly, John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” The apostle Paul provides 1 Corinthians 8:6 “yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ.” Since our everlasting life is a grace gift through Christ, there is no discouraging circumstance of our physical life that should completely remove our joy: a joy that cannot be understood by the world. Sacrificial love of God and of our neighbor is the source of true joy. John 15:11 “I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
C — God Is Light and in Him Is No Darkness
1 John 1 “5 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. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell 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 Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”
Comments: John used light and darkness at the beginning of his gospel to help us think about the life that is in God versus the darkness of separation from God. John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.” God’s light of truth has always been able to dispel the darkness, and that light can be called upon to lead the receptive person onto the right path. Now that the Son of God has appeared to reveal the light of life in himself and in God the Father, the Son must be accepted as the true and living God. Jesus said, John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
When the light of God’s truth changes the heart, perspective about fear should be changed in such a way as to allow the believer to resist the threats of man that could otherwise prevent maintaining constant fellowship with God in the light. Psalms 27:1 “Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?” The apostle John is calling all believers to share with one another in the fellowship with God the Father and with the Son of God. Jesus is that perfect lamb of God, whose blood was shed for the remission of sins for all who will come to God through that fully acceptable sacrifice. John 1:29 “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
D — Every Person Has Sin That Must Be Cleansed by Christ
1 John 1 “8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
Comments: Sin began in the garden of Eden for all mankind. Adam did eat of the tree, and that brought the sentence of death onto all mankind. Therefore each person must seek the LORD for life. Isaiah 55:7 “let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him.” God is the only one who is totally good, as Jesus told a man who came to him, Mark 10:18 “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one — God.” We must place our faith in Christ Jesus to escape our condemnation of death. John 5:24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
The apostle Paul wanted his Jewish brethren to know that ancestry does not produce righteousness acceptable to the LORD. Romans 3:10–12 “There is no one righteous; no, not one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God.” We must not reject the great love of God and make Him out to be a liar by claiming we have no sin to be forgiven and cleansed. Romans 5:8 “But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Reflections in Prayer
I thank you Lord for the way the apostle John emphatically declared his personal experience of knowing Christ Jesus as the Son of God who took upon himself flesh that we might have a fellowship with our Creator. I am encouraged that John is assuring me through his letter these many centuries later that my fellowship is with the one who provides eternal life because the Lord Jesus has drawn me to that light of life revealed by God the Father. Help me Lord to remember that the fullness of that fellowship is realized by sharing it with others who also have placed their trust in that life giving light of truth by your grace. May I continually honor the Father and the Son with my life as you guide me by the light of your Word.
I believe your Word Lord that I have sinned and you alone can remove that sin and apply the righteousness of Christ to my life. I do not want to walk in darkness, but I know that I will still fail in the weakness of the flesh and I will stray into the shadows away from your light. Thank you Lord that If I confess my sins, you are faithful and righteous to forgive my sins, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I want your Word to remain in me forever as your righteousness provides to me the gift of eternal life. Amen.
Published 30 May 2011