1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
Neither the writer nor the recipients are identified, but this letter is widely held to be written by the Apostle John, around AD 90, when John was an old man, and the other apostles were dead. Some who seemed to be Christians had developed wrong views of Jesus, and were no longer part of the Christian community (1 John 2:19). John wrote to calm the church by providing apostolic teaching regarding the person of Christ. He also provided instruction for Christian living.
1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
The church of Jesus Christ is more than an association of likeminded people; it’s those who are in fellowship with God and with each other. Fellowship includes the values of companionship, mutual support, solidarity and common interests.
I have a friend who belongs to a car club that he enjoys very much. They talk about cars, work on cars, race cars, and enjoy a sense of community from their shared experience. My friend can talk about cars with anyone, but he can only have fellowship with his racing friends.
Christian fellowship is similar, but more profound, because the Spirit of Christ lives within every true believer. When the Spirit of Christ in us, recognizes the Spirit of Christ in someone else, there’s a sense of heavenly fellowship.
Some time ago an American Christian was living in a place where Christianity was illegal. As he walked down the street, he was surprised to hear the person behind him whistling a Christian hymn. He slowed his pace until they were side by side; then, he began to whistle the same hymn. They didn’t speak the same language, but they both stopped, locked eyes, embraced and went their ways. All over the world there are people with the Spirit of Christ, with whom we have fellowship.
1 John 1:7 [T]he blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin.
When we understand the justice of God, and the wickedness of sin, nothing is more important than knowing we’re forgiven. Being in a right relationship with God is precious to us, and we never want to lose it. John assured his readers that faith in Christ’s blood, shed on the cross, is sufficient to make and keep us clean.
A young lady lost her virginity when she was fourteen years old, and felt so dirty that she went home to shower. But no matter how long she washed, or how much soap she used, she couldn’t feel clean. This feeling stayed with her until she came to faith in Jesus Christ, a few years later. Suddenly she felt cleaner inside than she could ever remember, because the blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.
The moment someone believes in Jesus Christ, they receive complete forgiveness (Colossians 2:13). The problem is we don’t stop sinning. We might not sin as badly, or as often, but If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8), wrote John. So whenever we sin, God invites us to confess, so that we can stay close to him throughout our lives.
When my daughter was a little girl I overheard her say to her mom, Don’t tell Daddy. I didn’t know what she had done, and I didn’t care. But I wanted to hear her confession so that I could pardon and restore her, and assure her that all was well. God wants to do the same for us, so he invites us to come to him at any time. He even assures us in advance that he’ll forgive us and restore us.
The reason God forgives isn’t because he’s nice, but because he is faithful and just, wrote John. If I received a speeding ticket, and my older brother paid the fine, the judge couldn’t make me pay it too. That would be unjust. Since Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, it would be unjust of God not to forgive us. If we truly believe in Jesus Christ we’ll be troubled by our sins, and confess them, but we won’t have to wonder about our standing with God. [H]e is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.
1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Whenever we’re in trouble with God, Jesus comes to our defense. He is our defense attorney who advocates on our behalf. We don’t have to defend ourselves because Jesus speaks for us. And he always wins his case.
A dear lady was at a business meeting, with several of her superiors, when she was falsely accused by a coworker. She tried to defend herself but, the more she tried, the guiltier she seemed. Then someone spoke in her defense. I saw everything, and she did nothing wrong. The dear lady was promptly cleared because someone spoke in her defense.
But Jesus comes to our defense even when we’re guilty. He doesn’t try to mislead the Father but simply shows his hands, feet and back. He gets us out of trouble because he paid the price himself. [W]e have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Reflection and Review
What is the value of Christian fellowship?
Why does God forgive our sins?
Why do we need an advocate?
Neither the writer nor the recipients are identified, but this letter is widely held to be written by the Apostle John, around AD 90, when John was an old man, and the other apostles were dead. Some who seemed to be Christians had developed wrong views of Jesus, and were no longer part of the Christian community (1 John 2:19). John wrote to calm the church by providing apostolic teaching regarding the person of Christ. He also provided instruction for Christian living.
1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
The church of Jesus Christ is more than an association of likeminded people; it’s those who are in fellowship with God and with each other. Fellowship includes the values of companionship, mutual support, solidarity and common interests.
I have a friend who belongs to a car club that he enjoys very much. They talk about cars, work on cars, race cars, and enjoy a sense of community from their shared experience. My friend can talk about cars with anyone, but he can only have fellowship with his racing friends.
Christian fellowship is similar, but more profound, because the Spirit of Christ lives within every true believer. When the Spirit of Christ in us, recognizes the Spirit of Christ in someone else, there’s a sense of heavenly fellowship.
Some time ago an American Christian was living in a place where Christianity was illegal. As he walked down the street, he was surprised to hear the person behind him whistling a Christian hymn. He slowed his pace until they were side by side; then, he began to whistle the same hymn. They didn’t speak the same language, but they both stopped, locked eyes, embraced and went their ways. All over the world there are people with the Spirit of Christ, with whom we have fellowship.
1 John 1:7 [T]he blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin.
When we understand the justice of God, and the wickedness of sin, nothing is more important than knowing we’re forgiven. Being in a right relationship with God is precious to us, and we never want to lose it. John assured his readers that faith in Christ’s blood, shed on the cross, is sufficient to make and keep us clean.
A young lady lost her virginity when she was fourteen years old, and felt so dirty that she went home to shower. But no matter how long she washed, or how much soap she used, she couldn’t feel clean. This feeling stayed with her until she came to faith in Jesus Christ, a few years later. Suddenly she felt cleaner inside than she could ever remember, because the blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.
The moment someone believes in Jesus Christ, they receive complete forgiveness (Colossians 2:13). The problem is we don’t stop sinning. We might not sin as badly, or as often, but If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8), wrote John. So whenever we sin, God invites us to confess, so that we can stay close to him throughout our lives.
When my daughter was a little girl I overheard her say to her mom, Don’t tell Daddy. I didn’t know what she had done, and I didn’t care. But I wanted to hear her confession so that I could pardon and restore her, and assure her that all was well. God wants to do the same for us, so he invites us to come to him at any time. He even assures us in advance that he’ll forgive us and restore us.
The reason God forgives isn’t because he’s nice, but because he is faithful and just, wrote John. If I received a speeding ticket, and my older brother paid the fine, the judge couldn’t make me pay it too. That would be unjust. Since Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, it would be unjust of God not to forgive us. If we truly believe in Jesus Christ we’ll be troubled by our sins, and confess them, but we won’t have to wonder about our standing with God. [H]e is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.
1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Whenever we’re in trouble with God, Jesus comes to our defense. He is our defense attorney who advocates on our behalf. We don’t have to defend ourselves because Jesus speaks for us. And he always wins his case.
A dear lady was at a business meeting, with several of her superiors, when she was falsely accused by a coworker. She tried to defend herself but, the more she tried, the guiltier she seemed. Then someone spoke in her defense. I saw everything, and she did nothing wrong. The dear lady was promptly cleared because someone spoke in her defense.
But Jesus comes to our defense even when we’re guilty. He doesn’t try to mislead the Father but simply shows his hands, feet and back. He gets us out of trouble because he paid the price himself. [W]e have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Reflection and Review
What is the value of Christian fellowship?
Why does God forgive our sins?
Why do we need an advocate?