I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13 ESV)
Do you know that you have eternal life? The apostle John says that this is something you can know. You can know if you have eternal life. Our walk with God does not need to be a mystery. We do not have to wonder about our spiritual condition before God. John writes a message to give us the hope, encouragement, and confidence we need to walk with God. What John is going to do is teach us the things that we need to know. Open your copies of God’s word to 1 John 1:1-4.
The Revealed Life (1 John 1:1-2)
It seems to be a strange way to start a book or sermon in the first two verses of 1 John 1. I would like for us to first pay attention to the proclamation that the apostle John is making because it is a four point proclamation. What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, and what we have touched with our hands. What is he talking about? What was from the beginning? What did they hear? What did they see? What did they touch? At the end of verse 1 he says that he is talking about the Word of Life.
I want us to think about the testimony that John, the apostles, and the witnesses are offering. First, the Word of Life (the Son of God, the Christ) was from the beginning. There was never a time when he was not. This idea is so hard for our minds to grasp because everything we know has a beginning and has an end. Every person has a birthday and every person has a day of death. But the Word of Life has been even from the beginning. The apostle Paul will teach this point to the Colossian Christians like this:
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17 ESV)
Now I want you to think about what John is saying. The Word of Life, by whom all things were created, through whom all things were created, whom all things were created for, who was before all things, and through all things hold together and continue to exist…we heard with our ears, we saw with our eyes, and we touched with our hands. The Word of Life was revealed. We have seen it. We testify to it. We declare it to you. He is the Eternal Life who was with the Father and was revealed to us.
John wants you to know the eyewitness testimony. Eyewitness testimony is powerful. If a bunch of people say that they saw something and give the same details about what they saw, then we believe what they are saying. This is what the apostles and writers of the scriptures are doing. They are recording what they saw. They are recording what they heard. They are recording the evidence for us. The reason you believe that there was a person named Socrates or Aristotle is because there are so many people who say that they heard him, saw him, and touched him. We have the same clear, strong evidence for Jesus. There is no reasonable argument against the historical, physical Jesus.
But let us not bury the lead regarding the point that John is making. The Word of Life, the Eternal Life, the Son of God came down and was human flesh. Christianity is not a story. Jesus is not a myth. These events are not a fable. We are not being asked to have blind faith. They heard him, saw him, and touched him.
The Necessary Fellowship (1 John 1:3)
Now John tells us why we need this information in verse 3. John says in verse 3 that they are proclaiming to you what they have heard, seen, and touched so that you can have fellowship with them. We are telling you these things so that you can have a joint participation with them. Please note that fellowship does not mean eating meals in the scriptures. John did not tell us this so we can eat with them. John told us these things so that we can be connected to them. He wants us to be in relationship with the apostles. Why is this important? Why must we have fellowship with the apostles? John explains at the end of verse 3 that their fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Notice that there is a chain that is being made by the apostle John. They have fellowship with the Father and with the Son. They heard him, saw him and touched him. They are in relationship with God. For us to be in relationship with God, then you must be in relationship (fellowship) with the apostles. The apostle Paul taught this very truth also.
So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21 CSB)
Notice that the apostle Paul says that we are part of God’s house being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone. In short, you cannot be part of God’s house and not be in relationship with the apostles and prophets. You cannot have relationship with God and not be aligned with the teachings of the apostles and prophets. To state this another way, you know you have fellowship with God if you have fellowship with the apostles. If you are aligned to the apostles and prophets, then you are aligned with and in relationship with God. The apostles and prophets are part of the foundation. We cannot reject or ignore what they say and be part of God’s family.
Complete Joy (1 John 1:4)
One of the purposes of the apostles’ proclamation is so that everyone can know where they stand with their Father in heaven. John says in verse 4 that we write these things so that our joy may be complete. Do not pass by this statement too quickly. The goal is complete joy together. Fellowship with God through the apostles and prophets is how we can have complete joy. Is anyone looking for complete joy? Is anyone looking for true satisfaction and joy in this life? The world tells us to look everywhere but to God. But our Creator tells us that knowing the Word of Life, the Eternal Life through the apostles is how to have complete joy because Christ is the Life. We need to hear this. Christ is life. The apostles make their proclamation to you so that you can have life and so you can have complete joy with them. David understood that true joy and complete satisfaction are in God alone. Listen to how he ended Psalm 16.
You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures. (Psalm 16:11 CSB)
Where is abundant joy? Abundant, full joy is in the presence of God. Where are eternal pleasures? Pleasures forevermore are at God’s right hand. What you want in life is not out there somewhere. What you are seeking for true joy is not inside of you somewhere. Complete joy is not you being you or expressing yourself or in any other pursuit or expression. Eternal pleasures and complete joy are in God’s presence. Friends, there is no offer you can make and no offer you can receive that is better than what God is offering. All offers in this world are temporary. Nothing in this world is complete joy and eternal pleasures. So trading what God has for you for what is in this world is to trade eternal pleasures for temporary pleasures. Exchanging what God has for what the world has is to exchange complete joy for temporary joy. The reason we listen to the apostles and keep their teachings is because fellowship with them is to have fellowship with God and that is the only place where pleasures are eternal and our joy is made complete. To ignore the apostles’ teaching is to cheat yourself from having complete joy and pleasures forevermore. The apostle Peter quotes this part of Psalm 16 in Acts 2 and says that David was talking about Christ. In Christ are pleasures forevermore. In Christ is complete joy. Why wouldn’t this be true? He is the Word of Life. He is the Eternal Life. All things were made by him, through him, and for him. All things exist and hold together because of him. Life must be in him. The apostles heard him, saw him, and touched him. They proclaim to you the way to complete joy in him. The Life has been revealed and proclaimed to you. Come to Jesus to enjoy that life and to enjoy pleasures forevermore.