Epistle of 1 John Chapter 1

John the Disciple understood Jesus. He is referred to as the disciple that Jesus loved. He was the first to recognize Jesus on the Sea of Tiberias. At the Passover he reclined on Jesus’ breast. He remained outside at His trial and was he only disciple at the cross. He was the first to believe that Jesus had risen from the grave. Jesus had given John charge over His mother as He died, His brothers not yet believers. John had an intimate relationship with Jesus. He shows us in this letter that we need to have fellowship with one another and the Lord. Let's look at the following scriptures and believe the Lord for an intimate relationship with Him. May we all lay our head on His breast and hear His heart!

John 1:1 The one who existed from the beginning is the one we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life. 2 This one who is life from God was shown to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and announce to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was shown to us. 3 We are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy will be complete. NLT

Jesus was alive when the world began. He was in the beginning, He created all things In 1 John 1:1-4
Jesus is God’s message of Life. In verse 1 in the New Living Translation it states that "He is Jesus Christ , the Word of life." In verse 2 it states that, "This one who is life from God was shown to us….". Jesus needs to be : 1.Heard 2.Seen 3.Looked upon 4.Touched with our hands.

We are begotten (born again) by the Word of God. In the King James Version of 1 John 1:2 it states, (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;)

John defines eternal life in terms of Christ. It can only be found though relationship and intimacy with Jesus. By having faith and fellowship with Him. Verse 3 states "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. (KJV)

Fellowship defined in the Greek literally means "having in common". It includes sharing and participation. Intimacy is the fruit of fellowship with God. We develop a relationship that creates an atmosphere of honesty. God knows everything. Our thoughts, secrets, fears, and hopes. He sees everything! In order for us to acquire intimacy we need to open ourselves up to God and allow Him to shine His light into all the corners of our heart and soul.

In Psalm 119:17 it states "GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. We need to give the Lord permission to deal with us. It is defined as to wean:--bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, + serve, wean, yield. The Lord wants to work in our hearts and set us free from anything that interferes with our walk with Him. Anything that will not allow us to be intimate with Him. We must remember that intimacy is rooted in honesty.

I John 1:5-7 KJV
5 This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.

God is light. Which could be translated, God is the One that makes it possible to see. He has all knowledge, enlightenment, and illumination. He shows the way by giving light. He is opposed to darkness and exposes it. Darkness is absence of light; blackness, blindness, ignorance, gloom, obscurity, secrecy and evil.

God shows us the way to eternal life and cannot have the least degree of ignorance, imperfection, sinfulness and darkness. God is wisdom, holiness and truth. Do you believe that God can not invade your sinful humanity and transform your inner mind and heart? God’s very words framed the universe. He spoke the world into existence . What makes you think He can not remake you?

If you can not see yourself as God sees you - you can not love yourself!
If you can not love yourself - you can not love others!
If you can not love others - you can not love God!

We all need to be set free from our past, and we do this by allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to shine His light into our hearts. When we do this, these things (meaning the things of our past) no longer have power in our lives. This is where honesty brings intimacy. We can not exclude God from the real person inside. Have you allowed the Lord into your very core?

Some other scriptures that confirm this view are as follows:

Psalms 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? KJV

Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. KJV

Psalms 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. KJV

Proverbs 6:23 For these commands and this teaching are a lamp to light the way ahead of you. The correction of discipline is the way to life. NLT

If we say we are His friends ( walking in fellowship with Him) and continue to hide from the Lord our true self with all our flaws and inconsistencies, we are walking in darkness. As we invite the Lord into the rooms of our hearts and He shines His light, we acquire intimacy with Him. This is the prerequisite to intimacy with others.

1 John 1:7 But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. NLT
When we walk in the Light, it enables us to be vulnerable with one another. When we put on an image of perfection, we negate the cross and make fellowship with the Lord and others an impossibility.
Examples of closeness to the Lord are:
1.We are most aware of our need for His grace
2. We have a desire to grow and express it openly
3. We have the ability to identify with the frustrations and failures of others

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. KJV

Sin is missing the mark. It separates us from God. Examples would be running our own lives, or trying to live in our own strength. Pride and self willfulness Anything that keeps us from intimacy with God and with others. All our sins are rooted in trying to be a little god for ourselves and others.

If we say we have no sin, we negate why Christ came, and refuse His forgiveness. We need to admit the things that are in us that try to interfere with intimacy with God and with others. We need to believe God to deliver us from the habitual patterns we have that exclude the Lord.

1 John 1:9 -10 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

We need to be honest with ourselves and with the Lord. We need to allow Him to shine His light in our hearts and be honest with Him. We need to confess and allow the Lord to cleanse us. This will bring forgiveness, and reconciliation with God. Also, the cleansing will remove guilt and shame. This destroys the power of sin. God wants to share every aspect of our life. We are the only one that can truly include Him an all these areas.

John states in 1 John 1:4 And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full. Joy is different from happiness. It is not dependent on circumstances. It means to be full to overflowing with: gladness, warmth, sureness, satisfaction, interior strength, a sense of purpose, jubilance, delight and assurance. Jesus said in John 15:11 "These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. Neh. 8:10 states that the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Joy in Jesus is an overflow of who He is and who we are in Him. 1 John 1:5 states that the Lord is light and has no darkness. Let us walk in the light as He is in the light. Let us turn from darkness and all it's characteristics including hostility, ignorance, jealousy, hatred, envy, fear, anxiety and death. Jesus wants us to lead our lives by walking in the light of His Word in thought, action, and purpose. What a revelation to be able to have the strength to walk as Jesus did. This is the reason for our joy.

Rev. Jan Griffey

August 8, 2000

Back