Mid Week Quarantine Study (I John 1)

I John 1 

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“The Truth About Christianity” •  4.16.20  •  Calvary Christian Fellowship, Thursday Night Study (Covid-19 #5)

Intro.

- As with the gospel of John, the first Epistle of John, was written toward the end of the first century. John's gospel presents the historical events that serve as the foundation of Christianity.

- John's first epistle presents a snapshot of what Christianity was facing, as the century marker was about to change. You will find then that this is a passionate and direct letter.

- John's intention is to make a clear demarcation of what Christianity is and is not. We'll see this from the outset, as we take a look at verse 1.

Text

• I John 1:1 : "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—" : The Apostle John seemingly cannot begin a gospel or epistle without stunning his audience with profound and mysterious truth!

- In this case, there is a group of people that believed themselves to have figured out the mysteries of the Universe, but did so by ignoring the center and purpose for it!

- Jesus is the center of all that John wants to communicate to the church. The Apostle is rightly obsessed with transmitting true and accurate information about Him.

- You'll note with these words that John is hardly subtle. He notes first that Jesus was from the beginning! You'll do well this evening to re-read John's Gospel prologue and compare it with this one.

- There is a question about what John is actually referring to. Is John referring to the beginning of the creation of the Universe? He does affirm elsewhere that Jesus was there.

- In fact, John claims that Jesus was responsible for creating everything that has been made. (John 1:3) Jesus has always been. He is the uncaused Cause!

- Prior to the creation of the Universe, the Trinity enjoyed uninterrupted, joyous fellowship. When our creation was formed, Jesus was there, pre-existent to His humanity.

- The people that John was writing to were Christians in Ephesus, living at the end of the first century, who were being bombarded with philosophies that contradicted the Christian faith.

- You will hear me, during the course of our study in I John, mention a group known as "the Gnostics." They are the main targets that John has written to counter.

- The Gnostics taught that all matter, material, was evil and that only "spirit" was divine. One had to be saved via a special knowledge which freed them from living on the material plane.

- They believed therefore, that Jesus could only have "become the Christ" or assumed "Christ consciousness" at a certain point. John answers this bluntly and clearly in the first verse!

- Jesus was always Christ, was always Divine AND, He was material! Jesus was transcendant as God, but imminent in His humanity! Look at the senses that John employs here. "We have heard."

- It's at this point where some believe John to have meant to refer to the beginning of His earthly ministry. This doesn't negate the truth of what I've just shared, but there is merit in this.

- Notice two points. First, John is writing on behalf of a group. This could be applicable to the disciples, though, at this point in history, he was the last living member of Christ's group.

- He is certainly writing on behalf of a group of elders that oversaw the churches in and around Ephesus. This group claims to have heard the Lord and did so whenever God's word was preached.

- When we study the word of God, we are hearing the voice of God speaking lous and clear.

- By the time John writes this, it will have been 65 years plus since he was able to physically "hear" His Master's voice. Don't think for a second that he didn't treasure every memory of the sound.

- John heard Jesus speak at the top of His lungs and he remembered when the Lord whispered the identity of His betrayer right into John's ear the night before He died.

- They had heard and the tense of the verb indicates that they "kept on hearing." His voice resounded and reverberated through the chambers of their minds and hearts.

- The Apostles had heard His voice and the church that John had Pastored had heard His voice through the preaching of the Apostle's doctrine! They knew what His voice sounded like.

- Additionally, John and the disciples had literally looked upon Jesus with their own eyes. You could really say that John said, "We've seen with our own two eyes!"

- Jesus wasn't an illusion. He was flesh and blood! The Gnostics would have denied this, claiming that Jesus was more of an apparition or phantom. That wasn't John's experience!

- He speaks as the last living representative of a group that had seen and looked upon Him. It seems redundant to say it this way in English, but the Greek words are quite different.

- Our word "theater" comes from this word. When it says that they "looked upon" Him, the implication is that they gazed at Him as one gazes upon a person that is admired.

- The disciples were His biggest fans! They watched His every move and scrutinized His every word. They didn't just watch from afar. These men were close enough to physically touch Him.

- Listen to this definition from Blue Letter Bible's lexicon: "To manipulate, ie. to verify by contact!" They had to think at some point that He wasn't real, so they tested that and put it to rest!

- These men hugged the Lord, took Him by the arm! They knew what His arms and shoulders felt like. He was as much a physical person as anyone else. John calls Him the "Word of Life!

- The "logos" is central, governing idea and purpose of the Universe. Greeks believed it to be the very reason for the existence of all things.

- John identifies Jesus as the purpose of the Universe and the ultimate expression of true divine existence! Verse 2.

• I John 1:2,3 : "the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." : Jesus revealed Himself and the type of life that His believers were to enjoy. This "zoe," this life from God was unveiled, clear and exposed to view.

- It was clear to all, not released to a small group with private means to access it!

- The disciples had paid attention to it in practice. As much as they had watched their hero, they also paid equal attention to the life that He lived.

- They had seen it and they were testifying loud and clear to any that would listen, that this life, this eternal life was the same life that existed with the Father.

- The disciples witnessed the kind of joy, peace, patience and kindness that has marked the experience of heaven from before time began.

- The quality of life that they lived in had to be shared and this is why they have shared it! Note again the words of verse 3: "That you also may have fellowship with us!"

- Christianity, by this time, was nearing it's 70th year! John is the last connective tissue to Christ's earthly life. He recognizes the need to bring others into this relationship, this "fellowship."

- "Koinonia" used to be such an often used word among Christians. There was even a jazz fusion band named after this Greek word. Today, it's not as commonly bandied about.

- "Koinos" is that which was common. The Greek of the New Testament is often referred to as "koine" Greek. The idea here is that which is shared in common.

- We might use the word, "partner," but even that has connotations that may not be equal to this word. It's to share to the same degree. To be equally, intimately involved.

- John's desire is to be with people who are just as taken with the life of God as he was! He wants to enjoy relationship with those that are equally invested. That is fellowship!

- A relationship with God requires a desire to hold to a life that is shared with His kids! To say that you love God but have no meaningful point of fellowship, is to be misguided.

- The church at Ephesus, this latest group of believers, could have this kind of relationship with the final disciple and ultimately, beyond that, this was what they all had with God!

- Our investment is in the Father and the Son, whose investment in us was revealed by the sacrifice of the Son's life! In that way, there is no way to maintain equal measures!

- But that isn't the point! In any venture, it's nearly impossible to manage equality. One will always have a greater interest than another. In this case, God's investment can never be matched!

- Yet, He invites us to bring our all into this, as He has brought His all into this! That's where true fellowship begins. That is one goal that John hopes to see fulfilled. Yet, there is another. Verse 4.

• I John 1:4 : "And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." : "These things." That which John has already written and that which is about to be written!

- John has written to ensure that their joy is full! According to the language, it speaks toward our joy being in a state of perpetual, overflowing fullness!

- Some of the other translations use the word "complete." Think about all of these subversive and powerful comments against what you might already know about Gnosticism.

- Gnosticism taught salvation by secret knowledge and the attaining of a life upon a higher plane of existence, where you could experience joys unknown to the material world.

- John is telling the believers that they have all of this in Jesus right now! There is nothing out there that causes the heart of a believer any more joy than to know Jesus for who He is!

- I'm convinced that people that have dallied in Christianity eventually leave Christianity because they believe there is a greater joy or a more full life elsewhere.

- Only those that have never known Christ, tasted of the life that He has given and been engrossed in the joy that belongs to His followers can ever leave.

- John and the Lord want us to experience His person, His life, fellowship and joy! There is nothing better. Verse 5.

• I John 1:5,6 : "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." : Jesus is transcendant, yet imminent; powerful, yet personal. And He is righteous and Holy! Why do I say this? Look at what the Apostles and the church elders have been announcing.

- It does not come from them. It comes through them from Him! This is what they have heard and are reporting to them. "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all!"

- The God of the Universe is the source of light, a metaphor describing holiness. It emanates and originates in Him. It diffuses from Him eternally.

- Because being holy and pure is essential to His nature, darkness cannot come from Him. In fact, this sentence emphatically tells us that there is no darkness, not even a little, in Him!

- The next phrase begins to explain and we see one of the recurring formulas that John uses in his epistle. John is interested in separating fact from fiction, truth from error.

- "If we say" allows him to explore common misconceptions. In this case, there were people in the church who made a claim of being partners with the Father.

- There are some in this life who speak very loudly about their relationship to the Lord. One can only wonder what this was like at the end of the first century, when persecution abounded.

- How much greater is the problem today, when the definition of what it means to be a "Christian" is defined by personal relativism! We are inundated with "designer Christianity."

- John's point in sharing this is that Christianity ceases to be Christianity when a person refuses to acknowledge basic truths.

- Unfortunately, the confession of the "designer Christian" is negated by a steady and easy relationship with darkness. The root idea refers to "shadow." One could even use the word "shady."  

- This person's walk, a euphemistic way to describe their manner of life, their way, is shrouded with, often identified with, darkness.

- A person claims to be in the light but is also seeking to explore the shadows, or frequently willing to pull "shady" deals is deceived.

- The Apostle is not talking about a person who ends up in an ackward situation due to a lack of experience or naivete. This person makes a practice of living in the shadows.

- They want to be obscured from the light. Or, said another way, they do not want the light to be shone upon their actions and deeds. This is how they live.

- To whatever degree you may live this way, hear clearly that John declares you to be a liar. You hold an incoherent position. You are being deceived and living in a deceived manner.

- This person has convinced themselves that there is agreement between darkness and light. They figure that the two are normally equal opposites, but not in their case!

- He has come to believe something that isn't possible and isn't remotely true. Consequently, they cannot, as the NIV says, "live out the truth."

- The equation that is being attempted will never issue in a life related to the truth found in the Lord. What equation will work? Verse 7.

• I John 1:7 : "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." : The previous belief left the person without hope of ever truly entering into fellowship with the Lord or with His people. John tells us that a change in our direction changes everything!

- If our manner of life is lived in the light, exposed to the light, out in the view of everyone, we will be as He is. That is where He, where Jesus walks!

- Jesus is the Light of world (John 8:12) and lives in the light with His people. When you are walking with Jesus, you can look around and see who else is walking there.

- Those are the people that you can partner with! Those are the people that you can enjoy unbroken relationship with. They are walking in the same holiness as their Lord and Savior!

- There is safety and joy in such a company. Is there sinless perfection? Far from it!

- It's in that environment that the Lord's blood washes us. The word that John uses gives us our word "cauterize." It was used by the priests to declare something ceremonially clean.

- That is what we are! We are continually, presently ceremonially clean by the blood of the Son from all our guilty stains! This has always been the case.

- God's people, as they conform to the authority of the Holy Spirit will "sin less," but they will never be "sinless!"

- Under the Old Covenant, God's people had the sacrificial system to cover their sins. Today, The Lord's blood stands as our fountain of blood, taking away the stain of our guilt forever! Verse 8.

• I John 1:8 : "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." : Here is a second statement that cannot be substantiated. A Christian who says that they are without sin is deceived. Notice that this is a singular designation.

- I'd submit that what they are meaning to say is that they do not have a sin nature. Why would anyone believe this?

- Remember that the Gnostics believed in a separation of matter and spirit. Whatever was done in and for our bodies, to their way of thinking, didn't affect their spirits.

- There were aesthetic, legalistic Gnostics, but there were also licentious, immoral Gnostics. One either redefined their sin under other names or actually believed that they had conquered it.

- That sounds great, but John tells us that holding to such a belief results in self-deception. The word means to "roam" and speaks of "wandering out from safety." Isn't that the truth!?

- If I am convinced that I am sinless, whatever I do after that puts me in profound danger! The person who believes this error is continually in danger from their own mindset!

- John rightly surmises that the truth is not in them. Thankfully, we are not left without a remedy. Verse 9.

• I John 1:9,10 : "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." : Those of us that are in the light, that are in fellowship with God recognize the sacrifice that is made for us.

- We are not like the Old Testament community that must sacrifice a lamb or a bull. Our sacrifice has already been slain. However, we do need to acknowledge our sin to clear the air.

- God calls upon us to confess our sins. This is to be our continual action. Essentially, we are to employ the same words about sin that God does.

- We aren't supposed to clean up, redefine or romanticize our sin. We cannot justify our sin. We are to come clean before and admit our sin, our falling short to God!

- Gratefully, He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us! Faithful, because He is reliable and willing to act according to His agreements. Just, because there is an accepted atonement!

- The Lord's blood remains the perfect atoning sacrifice to remit our sins and to continually cleanse us from every kind of unrighteousness!

- God sends away our sins from us and then cleanses us from the affects of every kind of unrighteous behavior.

With this as the backdrop for our understanding, what does that say of the one who says we have no sin? We are making God out to be a liar!? This proves that His word is not in us!

Conclusion
- If John wants us to know anything; If Christianity is anything, it is the accurate presentation of the person of Jesus Christ and the subsequent ackowledgement of the truth of men!

- If Jesus is the Savior, He is the Savior of sinners. Jesus cannot be the Father's Savior unless He Himself was Holy. He cannot be our Savior unless He also lived our experience physically!

- Jesus is the transcendant God, who took on human flesh and lived a perfect, sinless life, in order that His blood would be the standing sacrifice for His people to cleansed by.

- These are the people that He has fellowship with. These are the people walking in the truth, who are living in His eternal light and life!