Is your fellowship grounded in God’s Word?
February 14, 2022
Commentary
In contrast to this story we find John had a message he wanted all to hear. He would not be guilty of withholding vital information from the child of God (vv. 1-2). There are three key words found in this message of I John. They are life, light and love. There are those who tell us that Jesus was a man but was not God. John makes no mistake in his identification of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of the Father, the son of God (v. 3). If a man is wrong about Jesus Christ, he is wrong about God, because Jesus Christ is the complete and final revelation of God to men.
In the very beginning of this chapter John writes down his objective in writing to these people. The first thing he wants to do is produce fellowship with men and fellowship with God (v. 3). John had been an eyewitness to Jesus ministry while the readers of this letter had not seen or heard Jesus themselves but they could trust that what John wrote was accurate. Though we have not personally seen, heard or touched Jesus, we have the new Testament record of His eyewitnesses.
The second thing he wants to do is to bring joy to his people (v. 4). The simple fact is that if men are ever to have true joy as they seek fellowship with God and man, they must find it in Jesus Christ. It is not possible for us in our natural life to have fellowship with God. We cannot fellowship with God unless we have God’s life. The major thrust of this epistle is that Christ really exists and that believers can really have fellowship with Him. Some Christians appear to live as if Christ doesn’t exist.
Application
John writes about having fellowship with other believers. If I am to have true Christian fellowship it must be grounded in God’s Word and through a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:1– 4 (NET)
1 This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life— 2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us). 3 What we have seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have fellowship with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). 4 Thus we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.