IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT

1 John 1:1-2:17

Key Verse 1:7

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.

Introduction:

1. Key verse of 1 John: John 1:3

   1. Key point: fellowship in the love of God

      1. Learn God’s love in the context of fellowship with God and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Lord

2. Key point(verse) of the conference: 1 John 4:12

   1. To love our brothers and sisters in the Lord more

3. Gnostic worldview based on worldly philosophy

   1. Knowledge is transcendent

      1. Placed knowledge above love

         1. The Bible teaches that love to place love above knowledge

            1. 1 Corinthians 8:1 “... knowledge puffs up, while love builds up.”

      2. Taught spirit is good, matter(flesh) is evil

         1. Used to justify bodily sins of the flesh

            1. One can sin as much as they want with their body, because their body is inherently evil.

            2. One can sin as much as they want with their body, because the spirit is that matters.

Foundation of Christian Fellowship (1:1-1:4)

1. Read 1:1-4. On what basis does John make his proclamation? Why did he make his proclamation? What kind of fellowship is John speaking about? How does it differ from secular fellowship?

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. 2 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. 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. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

1. John made his proclamation based on what he had heard and seen, and even touched (1, 3)

   1. John witnessed Jesus as the Incarnate God. Jesus appeared and John was an eyewitness of Jesus’ appearing (2).

      1. Three things he witnessed about Jesus:

         1. Jesus is the Word of life (1)

            1. John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

         2. Jesus is the life (or source of life) (2)

            1. John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me.”

         3. Jesus is the eternal life (2).

            1. John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

2. John made his proclamation to invite the believers to have God centered fellowship together with him and other believes. “so that you also may have fellowship with us.” Many will come join us when we have godly fellowship.

3. This fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ, together with other believers.

   1. Fellowship in the Holy Spirit

   2. Fellowship in the truth of God

   3. Fellowship in the love of God

   4. Joyful fellowship In God

      1. (we need to have personal fellowship time with God. But, to make our joy complete, we also need God centered fellowship with other believers.

4. Secular fellowship excludes God.

   1. Not in the Holy Spirit

   2. Not in the truth of God

   3. Not in the love of God

   4. Not making our joy compete

Importance of Repentance (1:5-2:2)

2. Read 5-10. In what respect is walking in the darkness harmful to our fellowship with God and others? (5-6) What will happen if we walk in the light? (7) How can we deal with our issues of darkness and sin? (8-9) How is our fellowship with God damaged if we claim that we have not sinned? (10)

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 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. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.

1. God is light (in him there is no darkness at all) (5)

   1. If we walk in the darkness, we exclude God and we cannot have true fellowship with God and with others in the Holy Spirit.

      1. We become liars before God

         1. We live a lie, and our very existence as a believer becomes a lie.

2. If we walk in the light as God is in the light two things happen:

   1. We have true fellowship with God and others in the Holy Spirit

   2. The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin

      1. John 3:19-20 “This is the verdict, Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

3. We need to be honest about our sin (8. “If we claim to be without sin”

   1. First, we need to be honest with ourselves

      1. Stop lying. Stop deceiving ourselves

   2. Second, we need to confess our sins

      1. Start telling the truth to others

      2. Confess our sins to others

4. If we continue to lie about our sin and darkness, but continue to claim to have fellowship with God, we make God out to be a liar. Then God’s word is not in us, because God’s word is the truth!

3. Read 2:1-3. What was John’s goal in helping them to repent? (1) How could they overcome if they did sin?

2:1 But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1. John’s goal in helping them to repent was to help them to come to Jesus and be forgiven. It was to help them to believe the gospel and to be gospel centered.

   1. John hoped that they would not sin. But if they did sin, John wanted them to believe the gospel; know that they have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One

2. Ultimately, they could overcome their sin by coming to Jesus by faith in his atonement and his righteousness.

Knowing Jesus and Obeying God’s Command

4. Read 2:3-11. How can we know that we know Jesus? (3-4) What happens to us when we obey his word (command)? (5-6) How was an old command becoming a new command (7-8; Jn 13:34-35)? Why is it so important to love our brothers and sisters? (9-11)

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b] is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

1. We can know that we know Jesus if we keep his commands (3-4)

   1. We need confirmation that we know Jesus. We have this confirmation when we keep his commands.

      1. Keeping his commands clearly shows our commitment to the truth of God.

2. When we obey his word (commands) two things happen

   1. God’s love is made complete in us

   2. We can live as Jesus did

      1. That we proclaim (such as knowing God) becomes consistent with what we do.

3. The old command became a new command because John renewed it.

   1. This was this command they already heard, and now John was repeating it.

      1. John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another 35 by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

   2. Bottom line: The old command and new command here are the same command.

4. To love is the greatest commandment (and the fundamental will of God)

   1. Matthew 22:37-40 “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

   2. We are called to love those outside the church. How much more should we love those inside the church fellowship?

5. By loving our brothers and sisters is the practical way to walk in the light of God!

   1. The true light of Jesus is already shining, so we need to make is shine all the brighter by obeying to love our brothers and sisters.

   2. If we love our brothers and sisters we walk in the light. There is nothing to make us stumble. But if we hate a brother or sister we are in darkness and walk in darkness.

Overcoming The World

5. Read verses 12-17. What are the different applications for children, young men and fathers? (12-14) Why does the author tell his people not to love the world? (15) What comes from the world? (16) What passes away and who lives forever? (17)

12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

1. Children, young men and fathers

   1. Children (New believers)

      1. Children need to remember that their sins are forgiven in Jesus, and that God is their true Father

         1. They need pure spiritual milk and are not ready for solid food

   2. Young men (Growing disciples)

      1. Young men need to know that they have overcome the evil one and that they are strong in the Word of God that lives in them.

         1. They need to experience victory over their sin problem

   3. Fathers (The mature or disciple makers)

      1. Fathers need to remember that they know the eternal God (who is from the beginning from the beginning)

         1. Eternal perspective

2. We cannot love the world and love God

   1. If we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us

      1. Then, if the love of the Father is not in us, how can we begin to love our brothers and sisters!

3. “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

   1. The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes

      1. Pleasure seeking lifestyle

   2. The pride of life

      1. Putting ourselves above or before God

4. “The world and its desires pass away forever.

   1. Not only the world, but also the desires of the world pass away.

5. “ ...but whoever does the will of God lives forever”

   1. Whoever does the will of God lives forever

      1. Walk in the light of God

      2. Obey to love your brothers and sisters in the Lord

Conclusion:

The author, Apostle John, mentioned “fellowship” more than 4 times in chapter 1 only. Then he said, “God is light”. Light and darkness can’t exist together. That is why we need to walk in the light, that is to live a life of repentance daily by the atoning power of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact Ephesian church members who were probably the first reader of this epistle of John had overcome gnostic teaching. But they were asked to love each other more by remembering their first love for Jesus(Rev 2). Chapter 1:4 says, “so that you also may have fellowship with us.” If we have love fellowship among our brothers and sisters in the church, many people will like our fellowship and desire to come join us to serve God together. May the Lord help us to promote love fellowship through studying the book of 1 John. Amen.

One word: God is light

---