Conditions For Fellowship
1 John 1:1-9

by Paul George

When John wrote this epistle the heresy of Gnosticism was making its way into the church. Among the teachings were, knowledge is superior to virtue, the nonlinearly sense of Scripture is correct and can be understood only by a select few, evil in the world precludes God being the only Creator, the incarnation is incredible because deity cannot unite itself with anything material such as the body, and there is no resurrection of the flesh.

John tells us Jesus is the subject of good news. He is the foundation and object of our faith and hope. He is the Word of Life, the eternal, intellectual Word of the eternal living Father, manifested in the flesh. Through Him we are united to God. There is sufficient evidence eternal life assumed mortality and dwelt among mankind. The life, the word of life, the eternal life could not be seen and felt; but the life manifested might be, and was.

The Word incarnate presented and evinced itself to every sense of the apostles. To their sense of hearing the Word assumed a human mouth and tongue, that He might utter words of life. The apostles heard His public sermons and private expositions. They were charmed by the words of Him who spoke as never man spoke before or since. To their sense of sight the Word became visible. The apostles saw the eternal Word in the life and ministry of Jesus, in his transfiguration on the mount, and after His return from the grave and resurrection from the dead.

To their sense of feeling refers to the apostles seeing Jesus after His resurrection from the dead when He showed them His hands and His side, when He permitted them to touch Him. Jesus knew of Thomas’s unbelief, and his claim he would not believe Jesus had been raised from the dead till he had seen and felt the wounds by which He died. Accordingly at the next meeting with the apostles Jesus called Thomas, in the presence of the rest, to satisfy the curiosity of his unbelief. And probably others of them did so too. Our Lord took care to satisfy all the senses of His apostles, that they might be the more authentic witnesses of Him to the world.

It became the apostles’ responsibility to reveal to the church the evidence by which they were led to proclaim and propagate the Christian doctrine in the world. Wisdom and integrity obliged them to demonstrate that it was not a cunningly, devised fable that they presented to the world. It was the truth that caused them to open their mouths and make a public profession.

It was necessary the apostles be well assured of the truth of the doctrine they embraced if they were to see the evidences of their convictions. Their doctrine was able to face the most judicious examination.

The reason John makes this summary of faith is that the believers of it may be moved to the same happiness with the apostles. That which they saw and heard they proclaimed to others so that they too may have fellowship with the apostles and fellowship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

John does not necessarily mean personal fellowship but that which is consistent with distance from each other. It is communion with heaven, and the blessings that come from the throne of the Father. There may be some personal distinctions in the common participation of fellowship that belongs to all saints, from the highest apostle to the lowest believer. Just as there is the same faith, there are the same promises dignifying that fellowship and the same blessings and glories enriching and filling those promises.

In verse four, John gives his reason for writing verses one through three. It is to move us above sin and earth and to carry us to a blessed communion with the Father and the Son. In this we see for what end the eternal life was made flesh. That He might move us to eternal life in communion with the Father and Himself that we might be enlarged and advanced in holy joy.

The church age is not an age of fear, sorrow, and dread, but of peace and joy. Terror and astonishment was present at Mount Sinai, but exultation and joy are present at mount Zion, where the eternal Word, the eternal life is manifested in the flesh. The mystery of the Christian religion is directly calculated for the joy of mortals. It should be joy to us that the eternal Son came to seek and save that which was lost. That He made a full atonement for our sins and has conquered sin and death and hell, that He lives as our Intercessor and Advocate with the Father, and that He will come again to perfect and glorify His persevering believers.

We should rejoice in our happy relationship to God, as His sons and heirs, His beloved and adopted, members of His beloved body, and coheirs with our Lord Jesus Christ. Himself, in the pardon of our sins, the sanctification of our natures, and the prospect of grace and glory that will be revealed at the return of our Lord.

John having declared the truth and dignity of the Author of the gospel brings a message from Him, from which a just conclusion is to be drawn for the consideration and conviction of the professors of this glorious gospel. John tells us the message has come from the Lord (v. 5). Since He is the Sender of the apostles, He is the principle person spoken of in the message.

The apostles and ministers are the messengers of the Lord Jesus. It is their honor to bring His message to the world and to the churches. This is the wisdom and method of the Lord Jesus. He sends His messages to us by persons like ourselves.

It was the goal of the apostles to be found faithful, and faithfully deliverers of the message they had received. What was communicated to them they were willing to deliver to those who needed to hear the good news of salvation. We should gladly receive a message from the Word of life, from the eternal Word because it asserts the Excellency of the nature of God. His beauty and perfection is represented to us by light.

The message relates to what is usually called the moral perfection of the divine nature, what we are to imitate, or what is more directly to influence us in our walk with the Lord. It speaks of the holiness of God, the absolute purity of His nature and will, His penetrating knowledge of the intent of the human heart, and His jealousy that burns like a bright flame. It is fitting that to this dark world God should be represented as a pure and perfect light. And it is the Lord Jesus that reveals to us the name and nature of the unsearchable God, the only begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father.

We must never forget it is the calling of the church to reveal to the world the most noble and impressive account of the blessed God that is most suitable to the light of reason and demonstrates the magnificence of His works round about us, and to the nature and office of Him that is the supreme administrator, governor, and judge of the world.

There is a just conclusion to be drawn from this message for the consideration and conviction of
true believers in Christ and professing believers. For the conviction of those who have no true fellowship with God, John says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;” To have fellowship with God our lives and actions will be those of the moral life. A life, so far as it is possible, subjected to the law of God. To walk in darkness is to live and act contrary to the fundamental dictates of God’s will.

There is no denying there are many who pretend to profess the enjoyments in communion with God and yet their lives are irreligious, immoral, and impure. To these John said, “They lie, and do not the truth.” They lie because God has no fellowship with unholy souls. They lie to themselves, or lie concerning themselves, for they have no communications with God nor accesses to him. There is no truth in their profession nor in their practice and demonstrates their folly and falsehood.

Those who walk in the light have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse them from all sin. Those that walk in the light show that they know God, that they have received of the Spirit of God, and that the divine image is stamped upon their souls.

This is one of those beatific communications to us, that God’s Son’s blood is applied or imputed to us. The eternal Son put on flesh and blood, and became Jesus of Nazareth. He shed His blood on a Roman cross for us. He washes us from our sins in His own blood. His blood applied to us discharges us from the guilt of all sin, both original and actual, inherent and committed, and we stand righteous in God’s sight; and His Son’s blood procures for us those sacred influences by which sin is to be subdued more and more, till it is quite abolished (Galatians 3:13-14).

John claims those who have this heavenly communion have yet their sin. To justify his claim he shows the dreadful consequences of denying it. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (v. 8). John warns us we must beware of deceiving ourselves in denying or excusing our sins. If we deny them, the truth is not in us. When we deny our sin we not only deceive ourselves, but reflect dishonor upon God. It challenges his veracity. He has abundantly testified of, and testified against, the sin of the world.

God has provided a sufficient effectual sacrifice for sin that is needed in all ages and to the continued sinfulness of believers themselves by requiring them continually to confess their sins, and apply themselves by faith to the blood of that sacrifice. And therefore, if we say either that we have not sinned or do not yet sin, the word of God is not in us, neither in our minds, as to the acquaintance we have with it, nor in our hearts, as to the practical influence it has upon us.

John tells us If we confess our sins (v.9) the Lord is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is faithful to His covenant and word, wherein He has promised forgiveness to the penitent believing confessor. He is just to Himself and His glory that has provided such a sacrifice, by which His righteousness is declared in the justification of sinners. He is just to His Son whom He promised all who come to Him through His Son will be forgiven.

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