God Is Light, 1 John 1, 12 April 2015
Big Idea: God is light and we are walk with Him.
Author: John writing on behalf of the Apostles
Audience: the early Church
Date: 85-90 AD
Introduction
We examined John’s gospel.
We examined John’s second and third letters.
We have not examined John’s vision much, a book called Revelation.
Background
John is one of Jesus’ three best friends. He wrote the gospel of John. His purpose in writing was clear:
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)
The gospel of John was written around 65 AD, maybe 75-80 AD. Perhaps twenty years or so have passed and we come to 1 John.This is commonly regarded as a letter or epistle, but the form is more like a homily, like a sermon. Some have called it a “letter-essay.”
Imagine being an early follower of Jesus. Maybe you actually encountered him or had friends who witnessed a miracle or even the crucifixion. This new movement called The Way, now known as Christianity, is involving both Jews and Gentiles, two vastly opposing groups. New Christians were being expelled from the synagogues, some of whose colleagues denied Jesus as Messiah and returned to the synagogue. They needed encouragement. Christianity was a startup religion in the shadow of an established, powerful Judaism. It was bold and risky to follow Jesus.
There were other challenges for early believers beyond social and religious rejection. Heresy was growing, including idolatry and the emergence of false prophets.
Docetists believed Jesus was divine but never human.
Cerinthians believed the Christ-Spirit merely came on Jesus but He was not the Christ.
Some Gnostics believed they could not commit real sins.
The real challenge was “secessionists,” people who were Christians but withdrew from the community. John offers two ways to test the spirits: a moral-ethical test (obedience to the commandments) and a faith test (proper view of Jesus).
Who is Jesus? Last month we looked at our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King. He is fully God yet fully human. Many claim to believe in Jesus, but what do they believe?
We often get excited when someone says they believe in God. But what God? What do they believe? Jesus’ half-brother said
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19)
Even demons believe in Jesus…but they do not follow Him as LORD. That’s huge.
It’s easy to romanticize the early church, being in the presence of the likes of Peter, Paul, and John. Yet it was a messy time. There were antichrists, gossip, heresy, division, church splits…some things never change! John addressed this letter to one community, but it was probably intended to be shared with the other churches.
2 John was likely written soon after, a book with warnings about false teachers.
The purpose of this writing is expressed in the fifth and final chapter.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
This is written to believers in Jesus to encourage them and assure them of their salvation.
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. (1 John 1:1)
This may refer to creation, but more likely John is speaking of his eyewitness relationship with Jesus, the beginning of the gospel proclamation. He saw and touched Jesus. He is not a historian writing about an ancient figure, but rather a biographer describing his personal friend.
Some believed Jesus was God but not human.
Some believed Jesus was human but not God.
John touched Jesus. He wasn’t a ghost or vision or a divine apparition like Greek gods.
John witnessed the crucifixion and saw the risen Jesus.
We see echoes in this verse of John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
Jesus is the Word. Jesus is God.
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 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. We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1:2-4)
Jesus appeared. This is a reference to the Incarnation, God becoming one of us.
John’s message is passionate. He proclaims Jesus! Why? Fellowship and joy.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 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, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)
Light and darkness was a common image of contrast. Imagine life without electricity. Fire (from the sun or a flame) was the only source of light. Light and darkness is the perfect contrast between sin and righteousness. The Old Testament condemned the mixing of light and darkness, right and wrong. God is light.
Peter also spoke of the contrast between light and darkness, sin and righteousness.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
The Old Testament described obedience as walking.
The Old Testament spoke of sacrificial blood as purifying for sins.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)
Some believed they had become sinless…of their sins were not sinful.
Notice how John essentially repeats his message about sinlessness…and places one of the most beautiful verses in the entire Bible right in the middle.
God required confession and repentance.
So What?
First and foremost, we are all sinners.
Second, we need Jesus. Jesus is God. Jesus is human. Jesus is real. Jesus is alive!
Third, we can experience forgiveness and purification. Hallelujah!
Fourth, we are to walk in the light. We are to obey.
Fifth, if we obey, we have fellowship with one another.
The Moon
The moon contains no light, yet it beautifully reflects the sun so brightly that it illuminates our night skies.
We are not the light. Jesus is the light. We are the moon. We reflect the light…if we walk in the light.
You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.
Author: John writing on behalf of the Apostles
Audience: the early Church
Date: 85-90 AD
Introduction
We examined John’s gospel.
We examined John’s second and third letters.
We have not examined John’s vision much, a book called Revelation.
Background
John is one of Jesus’ three best friends. He wrote the gospel of John. His purpose in writing was clear:
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)
The gospel of John was written around 65 AD, maybe 75-80 AD. Perhaps twenty years or so have passed and we come to 1 John.This is commonly regarded as a letter or epistle, but the form is more like a homily, like a sermon. Some have called it a “letter-essay.”
Imagine being an early follower of Jesus. Maybe you actually encountered him or had friends who witnessed a miracle or even the crucifixion. This new movement called The Way, now known as Christianity, is involving both Jews and Gentiles, two vastly opposing groups. New Christians were being expelled from the synagogues, some of whose colleagues denied Jesus as Messiah and returned to the synagogue. They needed encouragement. Christianity was a startup religion in the shadow of an established, powerful Judaism. It was bold and risky to follow Jesus.
There were other challenges for early believers beyond social and religious rejection. Heresy was growing, including idolatry and the emergence of false prophets.
Docetists believed Jesus was divine but never human.
Cerinthians believed the Christ-Spirit merely came on Jesus but He was not the Christ.
Some Gnostics believed they could not commit real sins.
The real challenge was “secessionists,” people who were Christians but withdrew from the community. John offers two ways to test the spirits: a moral-ethical test (obedience to the commandments) and a faith test (proper view of Jesus).
Who is Jesus? Last month we looked at our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King. He is fully God yet fully human. Many claim to believe in Jesus, but what do they believe?
We often get excited when someone says they believe in God. But what God? What do they believe? Jesus’ half-brother said
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19)
Even demons believe in Jesus…but they do not follow Him as LORD. That’s huge.
It’s easy to romanticize the early church, being in the presence of the likes of Peter, Paul, and John. Yet it was a messy time. There were antichrists, gossip, heresy, division, church splits…some things never change! John addressed this letter to one community, but it was probably intended to be shared with the other churches.
2 John was likely written soon after, a book with warnings about false teachers.
The purpose of this writing is expressed in the fifth and final chapter.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
This is written to believers in Jesus to encourage them and assure them of their salvation.
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. (1 John 1:1)
This may refer to creation, but more likely John is speaking of his eyewitness relationship with Jesus, the beginning of the gospel proclamation. He saw and touched Jesus. He is not a historian writing about an ancient figure, but rather a biographer describing his personal friend.
Some believed Jesus was God but not human.
Some believed Jesus was human but not God.
John touched Jesus. He wasn’t a ghost or vision or a divine apparition like Greek gods.
John witnessed the crucifixion and saw the risen Jesus.
We see echoes in this verse of John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
Jesus is the Word. Jesus is God.
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 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. We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1:2-4)
Jesus appeared. This is a reference to the Incarnation, God becoming one of us.
John’s message is passionate. He proclaims Jesus! Why? Fellowship and joy.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 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, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)
Light and darkness was a common image of contrast. Imagine life without electricity. Fire (from the sun or a flame) was the only source of light. Light and darkness is the perfect contrast between sin and righteousness. The Old Testament condemned the mixing of light and darkness, right and wrong. God is light.
Peter also spoke of the contrast between light and darkness, sin and righteousness.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
The Old Testament described obedience as walking.
The Old Testament spoke of sacrificial blood as purifying for sins.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)
Some believed they had become sinless…of their sins were not sinful.
Notice how John essentially repeats his message about sinlessness…and places one of the most beautiful verses in the entire Bible right in the middle.
God required confession and repentance.
So What?
First and foremost, we are all sinners.
Second, we need Jesus. Jesus is God. Jesus is human. Jesus is real. Jesus is alive!
Third, we can experience forgiveness and purification. Hallelujah!
Fourth, we are to walk in the light. We are to obey.
Fifth, if we obey, we have fellowship with one another.
The Moon
The moon contains no light, yet it beautifully reflects the sun so brightly that it illuminates our night skies.
We are not the light. Jesus is the light. We are the moon. We reflect the light…if we walk in the light.
You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.