Journey Through 1 John
Five men in the New Testament bear the name John. The name means “Jehovah is gracious,” but one of them seems to stand head and shoulders above all the rest. Before he became a disciple, he was a fisherman. He was actually a cousin of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their mothers were sisters, and he became a part of the inner circle of disciples during Christ’s earthly ministry.
He is known as the “Beloved Disciple” or, in the words of Scripture, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20). He had a very close personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Near the end of his life, he is referred to as “the elder”, and he wrote the Revelation of Jesus Christ. He outlived Peter; he outlived Paul by probably 30 years. He died at nearly a hundred years of age. God used the Apostle John to pen some of the simplest and yet profound pages of Holy Scripture.
Journey through 1 John and see what the Lord will teach us through this book.
Listen: Journeying through 1 John
Overview of 1 John
1 John is a sequel to the Gospel According to John. Some have suggested that 1 John is really a commentary on his gospel account. There are a host of similarities that are profitable studies, but John writes this particular book for a specific purpose.
A Family Book
1 John is a family book. There is nothing quite like family. There is a fellowship, a sense of belonging, that God designed for the family to give. The Bible says in the Old Testament that, “God setteth the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6). Earthly families illustrate God’s family and the spiritual reality that He desires for us to enter into in the family of God.
1 John is all about family fellowship. For example, the word “father” is used thirteen times. The tender expression “little children” is used eleven times. There is an intimacy that only family members know. There is a fellowship that only family members enjoy. This idea is expressed at the very beginning of the book. 1 John 1:3-4 says, “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. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
We have fellowship with each other, we have fellowship with the Father, and we have fellowship with Jesus Christ. There is a progression. We have fellowship with one another only because we have fellowship with God. We have the same Father, and we have fellowship with God our Father only because that fellowship was accessed through Jesus Christ.
The only way to know the Father is through the Son, and the only way to be in the family is to be a child of the Heavenly Father. Everything else in the book builds on this idea of family relationship and family fellowship. John frequently refers to them as his “beloved.”
A Book of Family Love
John speaks of love a great deal in this book. It is a book of family love. Put it in context: John outlived all of the disciples. He wrote some of the last of the New Testament Scriptures. Further, by this stage in the early New Testament church, there were many enemies of the gospel.
There are always enemies. Every time God is at work, so is the devil. And there was a certain heretical teaching that had cropped up that claimed to have some superior revelation to normal Christianity. There is no new thing. There is always somebody saying they have something more to tell you than what Christ said. To address this, 1 John was written in such a simple, profound way to lead people back to the truth found in Jesus Christ.
John addressed a false teaching from his day, which proposed an incorrect view of who Christ is and what Christ did (and continues to do). It detracted from the deity of Christ. In the end, it changed the way people lived, because if you do not believe the right thing, you will not behave the right way. Therefore, John, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote this little book to expose error by simply expounding the truth.
The best way to combat the error and the lies in our world is not by debate and not by argument. It is simply by giving the timeless truth of Jesus Christ again and again. And that is what John does in a powerful way. He leads us to understand and know the truth.
A Book of Knowledge and Assurance
The little word know (or a closely related word) is used nearly forty times in the little book of 1 John. It is a book of knowledge and assurance. (Listen to Scott’s series “You Can Know!” by clicking HERE)
For example, there are seven tests of genuine Christianity, a genuine relationship with God found in this book. They are identified by the phrase, “if we say” or “he that sayeth.” Why are they given? Because God wants you to know you are saved. He not only wants you to know you are saved, but He wants you to know once you are saved, that you are in fellowship with Him. The Lord wants you not only to be a believer, but He also wants you to walk with Him every day. The Lord uses this book to lead us back to the simplicity of Who Christ is, and our relationship and our fellowship with Him.
Key Verse of 1 John
The key verse is near the end of the book. It is a verse that we often quote to help lead people to assurance of salvation – 1 John 5:13. It is a good summary verse for the entire book. The Bible says this, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
He is conveying the intent: They wrote these truths so those who believe on Christ will know for sure that they have eternal life, and can go on in faith. In other words, faith is not to be an event; it is to be a way of life. You are to grow in your faith. You are to believe God for greater things and to know the Lord in a deeper way. (Download our free resource “23 Birthmarks of the Believer” by clicking HERE)
It is not just what you believe, it is Who you believe. Who have you believed on? Some believe in idols. Perhaps not like those we read about in God’s Word, but modern idols, including self, that have been placed above Jesus. But Christians believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. At times, the strength of my faith is not what it ought to be, but the object of my faith always is. The object of my faith never changes. The object of my faith is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Outline of 1 John
1 John is unusual because it is not laid out with hard, fast breaks. Rather, it is written with recurring themes. Those themes appear over and over again. He is rehearsing the truths that we must know if we are going to live with full assurance.
John structured his letter with several purpose statements:
- In 1 John 1:4, John records that he is writing so “that your joy may be full.” Do you want your joy to be full today? Then root your assurance in who Christ is.
- In 1 John 2:1, the Apostle declared he was writing, “…that ye sin not.” Would you like not to sin today? We live in a sin-cursed world and sinful bodies of flesh. But God has made a way so that this day you do not have to sin. Now you have a choice. How? Root your life in who Christ is.
- In 1 John 2:19, John explains that he is writing to identify who the seducers are, the people who are trying to lead you astray. How do you identify them? By knowing who Christ is.
- In 1 John 5:13, he is writing so that you will know that you have eternal life, and you will continue to believe on the name of the Son of God. How do you do that? By knowing who Christ is.
We are Rooted in Christ
Our joy, our holiness, our protection, and our assurance are all rooted in who Christ is. I want to challenge you to read through this little book of 1 John. We have often said to people who are having doubts, “Read 1 John.” My friend, that is not just for people who are having doubts. It is for all of us who are trying to live the life of faith.
Read 1 John and ask the Lord, “Lord, help me to be as close to you as I can. Help me to know you in a deeper, fuller way. Help my faith to grow today.” Faith should not simply be the testimony of how we got saved. It should be the story of how we are living every day of our lives.
My prayer for you today on this journey is that you will know the joy and victory that comes through living the life of faith in Jesus Christ.
Related Article: Our Advocate: Jesus Christ the Righteous
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