Between Two Worlds
Last Sunday we finished our studies
in John’s gospel. And now we are on the First
Letter of John. Perhaps some of you may wonder why “1 John” now? So let me
explain why our studies in 1 John would be very timely and beneficial. Many
biblical scholars believe that this letter is written toward the end of the
first century, around 85 A.D. At that time Christians were horribly persecuted
by the emperor Nero. Some Christians were torn apart by dogs, others burnt
alive as human torches. People recalled those times as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace). But as for Christians, it was a time of
great uncertainty and insecurity. Many church members were
filled with anxiety, confusion, and fear, asking, “Why?” and “How long?” They
didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. Keeping all this in mind, the Apostle
John wrote this letter to encourage his
fellow Christians and to give them assurance.
The first letter of John is often
called ‘a kind of sequel to the gospel.’ But there is a clear distinction
between the two. The gospel aims to proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (“Who Jesus is”); the epistle
focuses more on what it means to be a Christian (“Who we are in Christ”). The
gospel proclaims that Jesus is life;
the epistle declares that Jesus gives
life to us. John’s letter is more
practical, personal, pastoral. However, John’s first letter is not easy
reading. It’s sophisticated, spiral, repetitive. For example, today’s passage
(1:1-4) consists of one long sentence in Greek. It’s hard to understand what he
really wants to say. But, it’s not the ramblings of an old man. There is a
clear purpose and divine order. If we slow down and read this passage very
carefully, we find the three key words in order: the message, the fellowship, and the joy. And today’s passage can be summarized in this way: “I
declare this message about Jesus, so
that you may have fellowship with God
that brings you full and lasting joy.”
The Message
First, the message. John
starts his letter abruptly. Without greeting, he gets to the point, saying, “We
declare…” The message he is delivering is a declaration, a proclamation,
a manifestation, an announcement. It’s not a speculation, nor a human thought
or idea or suggestion. As a messenger, John is now delivering and declaring the
message of a glorious victory of the King.
So what is the message? The essence
of its message is Jesus Christ. In verse 1 John says, “The message we
have proclaimed to you is this in its essence: that on the face of this very
earth on which you are still living, with its problems and trials and
tribulations, on this very earth the Son of God Himself has come. We have had the
amazing privilege of seeing Him, of hearing Him, of examining
Him and touching Him and listening to Him – the Son of God, the
Word of Life, was among us and it has changed everything.” In this verse John
declares the great truth – the central doctrine of the Christian faith – the
Incarnation, God became flesh, Jesus was truly God and truly man. “Apart
from this great truth,” John says, “you will never know God and have fellowship
with Him.” That’s verse 3: “We declare to you this message so that you may have
fellowship with God.”
The Fellowship
Secondly, the fellowship.
When we hear, see, believe the message, the gospel of Jesus Christ, our
fellowship with God begins. Then, what does fellowship mean? In the Bible
fellowship means sharing in common. Having fellowship with God means
becoming sharers in God’s thought and in God’s interest in this world. It means
that we have come to know God. We see things as God Himself sees them. God now
is someone whom we know. God is someone whom we can see, hear, touch, talk to.
God is now a reality. We know him personally, experientially.
In this letter John warns us that
there are four things that rob us of our fellowship with God. First of all,
there is sin. Especially when we refuse to acknowledge or confess our
sin, our fellowship with God is sabotaged. The second hindrance is the lack
of love to Christian brothers and sisters. If there is anything wrong in my
relationship to my Christian brothers and sisters, I lose the fellowship. The third
hindrance is a love of the world. “For everything in the world--the
cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has
and does--comes not from the Father but from the world” (2:16). If we love the world, we lose fellowship with God. The
last hindrance is false teaching about the person of Jesus Christ. “Who
is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the
antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.” (2:22). If I am wrong
about my doctrine concerning Jesus, then I sever the fellowship.
Those hindrances – sin, the lack of
love to others, a love of the world, and false teaching – are powerful. We so
easily stumble over those obstacles. But John again declares the truth, “Little
children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in
you is greater than the one who is in the world” (4:4). John tells us that
there is a great source of strengthening: the unction of the Holy Spirit! He is
the One who gives you the assurance that you are a child of God. He is the One
who makes you holy. He is the One who dwells in you and enables you to have
fellowship with God. So welcome the Holy Spirit! Be sensitive to His prompting!
The Joy
Now we move on to the climax of the message: the joy. When we
humbly believe the message that Jesus Christ came in a real body, really
died in my place, really rose again, and now living in me – “I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me,” our fellowship with God is established. And
that fellowship produces true joy.
So what is joy? In the New Testament sense joy is much more than a
pleasant emotional feeling. Joy is not something that we can manufacture. It is
always produced by something else. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells us three elements
of joy. Firstly, a state of complete satisfaction. My intellect, my
mind, my heart, my emotions and my desires – they are all fully satisfied. The
second element in joy is a spirit of exultation. It’s a spirit of
rejoicing. It’s something very deep and profound and consistent. It flows from
within. The third element is a feeling of power and strength. Joy is one
of the strongest powers in the world. Someone who is in a state of joy is
afraid of nothing. When you are truly joyful, you are ready to meet every
challenge from every direction. The joy of the Lord is your strength![i] John
tells us this true joy only comes from our fellowship with God through Jesus
Christ. And the fellowship is from hearing the message about Jesus Christ. The
message, the fellowship, and the joy.
In God’s Underground
As I close, I would like to share the story of Richard Wurmbrand, founder
of the Voice of the Martyrs. Under Rumanian communist regime he was in
prison for 14 years because of his faith in Christ. Out of 14 years, he spent
three years in solitary confinement. This confinement was in a cell twelve feet
underground, with no lights or windows. There was no sound because even the
guards wore felt on the soles of their shoes. Richard maintained his
sanity by sleeping during the day, staying awake at night, and exercising his
mind and soul by composing and then delivering a sermon each night. He recalled
and recited the word, and then preached the message to his soul. He called his
solitary confinement “God’s underground.” There he enjoyed fellowship with God.
He said that he danced every night. The following is from his own words:[ii]
The communists believe that
happiness comes from material satisfaction; but alone in my cell, cold, hungry,
and in rags, I danced for joy every night… I rarely allowed a night to
pass without dancing… I made up songs and sang them softly to myself and danced
to my own music. The guards became used to it. I did not break the silence, and
they had seen many strange things in these subterranean cells. Friends to whom
I spoke later of dancing in prison asked, "What for? What use was
it?" It was not something useful. It was a manifestation of joy
like the dance of David, a holy sacrifice offered before the altar of the Lord.
I did not mind if my captors thought I was mad, for I had discovered a
beauty in Christ that I had not known before.
This is Christian experience. This is Christian joy – unbreakable,
unstoppable, unquenchable joy! Christian people were meant to have this
joy. Have you got this joy? Believe in the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Have fellowship with Him. And your joy will be full in
any circumstance. Amen.
[ii]
Richard Wurmbrand, In God’s Underground, 56-57.
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