1 John 1

Let us turn, beloved, please, to the First Epistle of John, Chapter 1. This is really a book written by a shepherd for the people of God. I trust that it will indeed bear that character for us today. First Epistle of John, Chapter 1. We're going to read this little epistle.

Our brother, his little chapter, Chapter 1, first of all. And let me just say in opening that when we come to John's writings, it's very, very instructive and very interesting to notice that John employs different characters of presentation when he is writing. And that is very important for us to recognize that we need to look at the emphasis.

Why is he using that presentation? That's an emphasis. He's emphasizing a character of teaching. And when we come to the First Epistle of John, he's reaching for our minds.

So our minds have to be busy when we're studying 1 John. He's not just going to lay out facts. He's going to set things forward and ask you to prove them.

And he's going to give you the material by which you can prove them. And he employs, in a very particular way, three different arenas of testing or of proving in the First Epistle of John. And of course, Chapter 1 is the first one that we're going to look at a little.

And it is the proving of the power of light. And the purpose of the power of light is fellowshipping with God. That is one of the great works of our chief shepherd, and it is certainly one of the works of the shepherds in God's assemblies to teach us the preciousness of fellowshipping with God.

So we'll read the first chapter, please, of 1 John. 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, of the word of life. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.

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. 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.

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. 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. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

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. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Lord bless our reading of His word. It's amazing how you can see from the opening verses of this chapter, John is condensing truth, and yet he's giving to us something that we have to think about.

And you'll notice in the beginning of the chapter where he begins in verses 1 and verse 2, he's going to speak about three glories that belong to the Lord Jesus. And he wants us to think about them, because he's going to base our fellowship and the security of that fellowship upon these inerrant and unchangeable glories that belong to our blessed Lord Jesus, our Savior and our advocate that we have in our passage. Let's just notice them as he begins from verse 1. It's interesting how he commences this letter.

He starts right out, that which was from the beginning. Now, John writes of three beginnings in his writings. Of course, we realize in Genesis chapter 1 that there is a beginning, and that's a commencement.

Of course, that's when it began. And let me just pass it on for the sake of the younger ones. The first 22 chapters of the book of Genesis are all referred to in the New Testament, either by the Lord Jesus or by the apostles.

So don't get the new idea of culture that somehow or other is just an old tale that they had and they wrote it down, and Moses did the best he could with what he heard. Nonsense, brethren, nonsense. What God has given to us in that chapter is God's inerrant Word, and we can rest our feet upon it and stand for it because that is the basis by which God is showing to us he created this world, he formed it for a reason, and that reason is the display of the glory of his Son.

That's an amazing reason for creation, and Calvary is the pivotal point from which it was all arranged by God. That's why he formed the world, brethren, was for Calvary and the resurrection and particularly the coming glories of the Lord Jesus. Three of the glories of our blessed Lord, notice them as they're brought before us in these verses.

The first thing that he is mentioning here in verse 1 is we have seen him with our eyes. We have looked upon and our hands have handled, but notice the Word of life. Now that's an interesting statement, dear younger one, just think it over.

He first brings in his humanity. We've seen him, we can touch him, we heard him, we examined him, we were with him, we watched him closely, and lo and behold, he's the eternal Word. So the eternity of the glory of the Lord Jesus and the impeccability of his humanity is what John is stressing particularly in verse 1. And he mentions in verse 2 in this little parenthesis, for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us and 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. He identifies the Word of life, he identifies the light, he identifies a man. Amazing glory that he is showing of the Lord Jesus preexistent to creation, to incarnation, in incarnation and in chapter 2 and verse 1 we have an advocate with the Father and that is his present glory.

So John is putting into our hand a glimpse of the Lord Jesus. And brethren, that's where, as my beloved brethren are bringing before us, that's where shepherds always begin. It's a drawing to the shepherd.

It's not just a telling of sheep where to go and what to do, it's a drawing to the shepherd because that shepherd has a knowledge that the sheep don't have. That shepherd knows the weeds that are poison and knows the grass that is good. That shepherd knows the face of his flock according to the book of the Proverbs and so it's a drawing to the shepherd and the Lord Jesus is set before us in the beginning of this little chapter.

But let's look at it, if you will, in the first four verses, I want to try and notice with you the preface that is here. He's going to deal with the word of life. And I ask myself the question, why does he entitle the Lord Jesus here as the word of life? In John chapter 1 and verse 1, we read in the beginning was the word, period.

Just the word. But the word was with God, face to face with God and that's oneness and absolute harmony, perfect fellowship, one with God. And the word was God.

Every particular that is necessary in deity is in the word. Now he has not lost that when he comes to 1 John chapter 1. What he's bringing before me is that he is the source and the communicator and the maintainer of life. True life, the word of life.

And dearly beloved, that's the one we have put our faith in. In the Lord Jesus, the word of life. And as he's brought before us in this verse, verse 1, we have seen with our eyes, we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life.

Now I just want to note with you why John brings in those statements. We touched him. We saw him, we heard him.

He's not just talking. He's telling us something to think about. He wants us to participate with what they as the apostles had to know physically.

He wants us, he says, we want you to be able to fellowship with us in the word of life. So notice what he mentions here concerning him. He says, we've heard the word of life.

Now that gives to us the inerrancy of Holy Scripture. We heard the word of life. There can be no error in your Bible.

It's the written word of the word of life. In the Lord Jesus, we have the incarnate word. There can be no failure in him, therefore there's no failure in his word.

All the treasure of what he's putting into our hand, beloved. That's the security of what we have. We don't question, we know that translating from the Greek into English, there's many translations.

That's fine, use them. I use them for studying different translations. But just remember the subject matter and the truth that they're in and the word that's given is the word of God and there's no error in it.

Every word may be trusted. Every word should be studied. Every word is given for our benefit.

The word of the word of life. So he's talking about hearing that. We heard it.

Now you will remember in the time of the Lord Jesus, when he was with his disciples, one of our brethren mentioned it I believe already, that he said many things concerning his death and he gave particulars even in regard to his future glory and the coming agenda of the purposes of God in his hand. But they didn't get it. They missed it.

Our brother mentioned it last night. They had ears to hear, but you know what he really meant by that is, do you get my agenda? Not just are you hearing what I'm saying, but did you get the message? And that's what's in the idea here that we heard him. Now he says we got it.

Now we know it after the resurrection and particularly the day of Pentecost. We heard the word of life. Notice the next thing that he mentions.

We have seen with our eyes the visible manifestation of the image of God, the word made visible. The invisible is made visible. Oh, the wonder of it, brethren.

That's the God of eternity. Don't call him Jesus of Nazareth anymore, brethren. That's whom he was in his ministry.

He is now the Lord of glory. He is God in the manifestation of the greatness of the glory he had with his father before the world was. It is mine to bow at his feet.

We saw him. We saw the face, skin of his face shine brighter than the sun. We saw him touch with the fingers of the creator.

We heard his words speak to the very character and powers of death and dismiss them. We saw and we heard. And he adds again to that.

He says we've seen with our eyes which we have looked upon. Now the word for looked upon there is we examined them. There would be questions because they being raised in Judaism they were always looking for their Messiah.

But how would they ever know? Well, they had to look upon what Isaiah would say would be necessary in their Messiah and the other prophets and the rabbis would teach them that. So now they're taking that and they're applying it to the Lord Jesus. Dear brother and dear sisters that's what the spirit of God wants me to do.

He wants me to look at typology and see the Lord Jesus. He wants me to look at prophecy and see the Lord Jesus. He wants me to realize that he is the fulfillment of all the promises of God.

All the prophetic utterances are in his hand and shall be brought to pass. And that's what he's laying the foundation here for the light and the walking in the light and the fellowshipping with God. I must hasten notice continue if you will in verse 3 that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you.

Now the word for declaring there is not just like I am doing I'm declaring I'm giving to you what I have just appreciated myself limited as I know it is but I'm making a declaration of it as being the truth of God. What he's really saying here is in verse 3 that which we have seen and heard declare we we are giving it to you with authority. The authority of personal testimony.

We have looked upon it we have seen it and so on. So in verse 3 he's giving authoritatively that ye may have fellowship with us. In other words your faith in that blessed person is secure.

You have apostolic authority for it. We saw it, we heard it, we're declaring it we are making it known and it shall never be altered it cannot have error therein and it is a declaration of the security of your fellowship with God. Now he says we're going to put that to the test.

Now he says there's three things that he brings before us in verse 6. Verse 1 is the first one pardon me in verse 6. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth. Now that is a very interesting statement rather because the purpose of it is not really to say is there any Christian? Is there a believer that's saying that well I'm walking you know I'm saved all right but walking in the darkness and we lie and we do not the truth. That's a denial a denial by their speaking by their profession they're denying.

No, that's an impossibility for a believer to do this. Impossible. If the previous verses are true and they are their apostolic declaration their divine revelation they are secure.

So it's impossible for a believer to be in verse 6 and that's really the emphasis that he's putting on it. Put it back take it and reverse the order if you will. And what you find in verse 6 here is that that the point being made is that we have fellowship with him and we cannot walk in darkness.

We are not lying and we are speaking the truth. Now three things go together there that's why he's using them in that order. The first of all he says the contrast of light and darkness.

Light brethren dispenses with darkness. There is no darkness unless there's an absence of light and that's what is here. In him is light period.

There never can be darkness. No darkness. You're secure you're fellowshipping with God is secure in the light.

You are in the light and I am in the light. I'm not told to get into the light and to walk in the light. I'm not told to do that.

I'm told to walk as children of light. That's a difference. That's the light in me and that light that's in me can never be darkness.

Therefore I am to walk and my behavior my fellowshipping with God is in the appreciation of the virtues of light and all that it is going to bring before us in this first epistle. Now I have to keep noticing here with you as well you're going to find in verse 7 if we walk seeing that we're walking in the light as he is in the light and that can't change. He can't change in the light and I can't change in the light brethren.

Oh how precious that is. That has given comfort so many many times. The shepherd knows what he's doing here.

He's just bringing us back. Just take a look at your God. Don't look at your circumstance.

Don't look at your struggles of trying to be a better Christian. Look at God and there is your security. Now he says in verse 7 seeing we walk in the light that's positional as he is in light it's going to be practical we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin and brethren that doesn't happen every time you sin.

That's not what he's saying. No thank God. That precious blood by which our Lord Jesus Christ entered heaven having obtained eternal redemption for us that settles it.

That's the security of it. That's establishes it and I am in the light because of the blood and nothing can therefore separate me from that light. Now when he uses the word walk he's speaking about the same idea that we have even as God is in the light.

In other words every characteristic of behavior of God every characteristic every virtue every movement every participation in the agenda of the almighty the God of eternity is pervaded with light. There's never a moment of doubt. There's never a moment I'm not sure.

There's never a moment well maybe no brethren it's all light and so is your future and so is mine. Oh the wonder of it. That's why he's saying to them here he's going to move into chapter 2 and he's going to say don't love that world.

No and I just want to point out to you that when the spirit of God is using love in the first epistle of John he's using it not so much as what you take and handle and find a lot of fun with or think you're having a good time with or you're making yourself richer with it or whatever no no that's not the love of it. The love of it is that you embrace it by the exclusion of other loves. And brethren that's what he wants to see in my heart regarding the Lord Jesus.

I embrace him by excluding the other. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world the love of the father. Oh the marvel of it.

The singular nature of that love I embrace him. Now I know we all want to do that every day and I know we forget and we fail and that's why he brings in at the end of this chapter yes if any man sin we have an advocate with the father isn't that interesting? He doesn't say if any man sin then you better start paying penance. No that's what the Catholics do.

That's not what Christians do. What do Christians do? They bow at the feet of the Lord Jesus because his presence at the right hand of the father is my security while I'm in this body of flesh still having the Adamic nature. Thank God if I sin and make it the if brethren when the difference God makes let me just point this out for the younger Christian the difference God makes between sinness and the if of sin sinness is a residence characteristic of the nature of Adam and that will never ever change the old critter until the Lord comes oh what a happy day that'll be brethren won't it? Happy day oh happy day when we no more shall grieve thee whom our souls adore I know we all long for it we're looking for it and we'll praise him forever for the greatness of that deliverance but if we sin that's choice if we sin that's choice if we sin we have an advocate with the father what are we to do? Notice let me break into that part and I'll close yes if we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in his death the apostate of course verse 9 if we confess our sin now the word for confess there is interesting how do you confess your sin brother? Smith? how do you confess your sin? Lord if I sin today I'm very very sorry that's not what this means mind you that's a good thing to do brethren but that's not what this means you know what this means? what does light show that sin to be? oh the blackness of it the intrusion of it the weakness of it the criminal nature that it dares to infringe upon the light trying to overcome the light darkness cannot overcome the light it can't brethren light dispenses with the darkness but when I call my sin what light reveals it to be it is put away you see what God is wanting us to appreciate brethren is he wants us to fellowship with him he wants us to look at sin like he looked at it look at Calvary look at the wounds look at the tears look at the blood of Calvary sin! oh sin God graciously rebuke our hearts speak to us brethren help us to be careful in our approach of fellowshipping with God and of how to handle the sin question and what it really means to walk in the light we are in that light we can't get out of it and God wants our attitude our manners the characteristic as we've been hearing of the characteristics of the Lord Jesus to be seen in my attitude one toward another and towards the world and towards the towards God himself and towards our beloved Lord Jesus oh our speaking of him is so shallow he is altogether lovely we have fellowship with God we have fellowship with the apostles doctrine that's what he said fellowship with us is the same word that's used in Acts chapter 2 they continued in the fellowship of the apostles doctrine that's the structure there they continued and that's what it is here taking his precious word realizing there's no error in it it is the treasure and the inheritance of my father for my soul to be occupied with what fills his heart with eternal pleasure the person and the purposes of our Lord Jesus Christ may it be our portion for his name's sake