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1 JOHN

INTRODUCTION

The letter known as 1 John was sent to a group of believers who were in the midst of an unsettling situation. Some of them had abandoned faith in Jesus the Messiah as it had first been taught to them. They found the proclamation that God had come in a human body impossible to reconcile with the common Greek idea that the flesh is evil and only spirit is good. But despite their denial of the Messiah, their immoral lives and their lack of practical love, they claimed to know God and belong to God. They asserted that their spiritual insight put them above the rest of the group, which they demonstrated by deserting the fellowship. Those left behind were deeply shaken, uncertain about everything they had been taught.

Someone who was close to this community and who had been an eyewitness of Jesus wrote to reassure them of what they had heard from the beginning. The author doesn’t identify himself, but very likely he was the apostle John. Much of the language is similar to the Gospel of John. The letter testifies to the reality of the Messiah’s coming in the flesh, reassuring the believers that they have full access to the truth. It emphasizes godly living and practical caring as the signs of those who genuinely know God.

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1 John Chapter 1  (ESV)

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 joy may be complete.

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.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Chapter at a Glance: John based his teaching on his personal knowledge of Jesus and continuing fellowship with God. He pointed out that if anyone claims that he is without sin, he is lying and lives in darkness.  Yet by confessing of sins, it will bring forgiveness and purification by Christ, our atoning sacrifice.
2. God is all light (holiness) and there is no “dark side” to him so that we can trust him completely. We cannot fellowship – have an intimate relationship – with God when we are walking in the darkness (keep on living in sin). The way to step into the light is to admit we are in darkness, that we sin. Let the light – God’s words – move in to our hearts.  And when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
3. So, once again, we begin to understand a bit more of what it means that God is light – God is faithful, just, forgiving, and cleansing. Apparently, it is not our job to make ourselves righteous. We participate in God’s work to make us righteous by turning over to him all the junk His light continues to reveal to us.
4. Pray: Are you struggling with some sin? What deeper bondage is still not released?  Does your guilt hold you back from Jesus?  Talk to Him about this.  Sit silently, listen for Jesus’ response.  What is his desire for you?

 

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.