Thoughts on 1st John

This has nothing to do with travel, but I thought it was timely in light of some of the discussions between traditional Churches of Christ and those less traditional.

John wrote this first letter while obviously upset about something - he was upset that his readers were being swayed - or at least tempted - by those who claimed to have a special knowledge of God and so were causing strife among the brothers. When someone is upset, it is not unusual for them to repeat themselves to emphasize their key points. John does this throughout the letter.

It is easy to see this by copying the letter into a word processor and searching for key words or phrases, and seeing how often they reappear. These repetitions help us see what John is trying to tell his readers, and us.

Here are results of some of my searches:

Who is a liar (search for "liar" or "lie")?
1. Those who say they have fellowship with Jesus while they walk in darkness
2. Those who say they have not sinned.
3. Whoever says, "I know Jesus" but does not keep His commandments.
4. He who denies that Jesus is the Christ.
5. Whoever says, "I love God," and hates his brother.
6. He who has not believed in the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

Who knows the truth (search on "truth" or "true" or "truly")?
1. Whoever walks in the light, as Jesus is in the light.
2. Whoever confesses their sins.
3. Whoever keeps Jesus' word.
4. Whoever says he abides in Jesus and walks in the same way in which He walked.
5. Whoever confesses the Son.
6. Whoever abides in the Son and in the Father
7. Whoever loves in deed.
8. Whoever believes in the Son of God.

What we know (search on "know" or "knowledge" or "known")?
1. What John has proclaimed to us - the life of Jesus.
2. We have fellowship with the Father and with Jesus.
3. God is light.
4. If we walk in the light, as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
5. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
6. We have an advocate with the Father.
7. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
8. If we keep Jesus' commandments, we have come to know him.
9. If we keep Jesus' word, the love of God is perfected in us.
10. We ought to walk in the same way in which Jesus walked.
11. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
12. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light.
13. We know our sins are forgiven for Jesus name's sake
14. We know Him who is from the beginning.
15. We have overcome the evil one.
16. We know the Father.
17. We are strong.
18. The word of God abides in us.
19. If we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us.
20. Whoever does the will of God abides forever.
21. We have knowledge because we have been anointed by the Holy One.
22. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
23. We know the promise that Jesus made to us-eternal life.
24. Everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Jesus.
25. We are called children of God.
26. Jesus appeared to take away sins.
27. No one who abides in Jesus keeps on sinning.
28. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous.
29. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.
30. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning.
31. We should love one another.
32. We have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.
33. Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
34. We are of the truth.
35. God knows everything.
36. Whatever we ask we receive from God.
37. Whoever keeps Jesus' commandments abides in Him, and He in them.
38. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
39. He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.
40. Whoever knows God listens to the letter John has written.
41. The Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
42. Love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God.
43. God is love.
44. God sent his only Son into the world.
45. We ought to love one another.
46. No one has ever seen God.
47. God has given us of his Spirit.
48. The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
49. Everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning.
50. The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
51. The Son of God has come and has given us understanding.

What is right? What pleases God? (search on "right" or "command")

1. Believe in the name of the Son Jesus Christ.
2. Keep His commandments.
3. Love one another.

It is my guess that we do the first two very well. It is the latter than Christians have struggled with the most. It only takes a quick look at how Christians have misused the name of Christ through the Inquisitions, the Crusades, the opposition against the Reformation, multiple divisions of Christ's body through the centuries, and even modern day "Demas" lists to see how we do NOT love one another. We see too much "our side" and "their side."

I think much of 1 John is similar to Paul's thoughts to the Galatians in 3:26-29. To paraphrase, "We are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of us who have been baptized into Christ have clothed ourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, Democrat nor Republican, American or European, rich or poor, male nor female, educated or uneducated, 'our corner' or 'your corner', for we are all one in Christ Jesus. If we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

As I mentioned before, the main theme of John's first epistle seems to be who is of Christ and who is not (IOW, who we should fellowship with). What is right? What pleases God?

1. Believe in the name of the Son Jesus Christ.
2. Keep His commandments.
3. Love one another.

John seems to be explaining to his readers, "Who is a true Christian."

1. We should not sin, but still we do.
§ 1:8-10 – the liar claims he is without sin. We confess our sins
§ 2:1-6 – Jesus speaks to the Father on our behalf, and we walk as Jesus did.
§ 2:29 – we do what is right. We are born of Him.
§ 3:4-6, 9-10 – we live in Him and do not continue in a lifestyle of sin
§ A true Christian knows that sin separates us from the Father. We all sin, and Jesus speaks to the Father in our behalf when we sin. When sin becomes our lifestyle, however, we no longer live in Him. A true Christian does not continue in a lifestyle of sin.

2. We know the truth of Jesus.
§ 2:18-23 – We know Jesus has come in the flesh
§ 2:26-27 – Our anointing from Him teaches us all things.
§ 3:7-8 – we know he who does what is right is righteous
§ 4:1-6 – we know that not every spirit is of God, and we know Jesus came from God
§ A true Christian knows Jesus came in the flesh and that Jesus is the Son of God. We should not believe every spirit, because some spirits deny either of the previous truths. Any spirit that denies either of these is the anti-Christ.

3. His Spirit is in us.
§ 3:21-24 - We know Christ lives in us by the Spirit God gives us.
§ 4:13-16 – We know we live in God and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit.
§ A true Christian has the Spirit that God gave us.

4. Call to purity and eternal life
§ 2:15-17 – if we love the world – cravings of sin, lust of the eyes, boasting of what we have done - the love of the Father is not in us.
§ 2:24-25 – if we remain in the Son and the Father, we are promised eternal life.
§ 3:1-3 – because of this hope, we purify ourselves.
§ A true Christian lives a life that is called to purity

5. The new command
§ 2:7-8 – a new command, yet an old one we have had since the beginning. A new command seen in Jesus.
§ 2:28 – We continue in Jesus.
§ 3:11-15 – We should love one another. Failure to love leads to death.
§ 3:16-22 – Love is Jesus laying down His life for us, so we should lay down our lives for each other
§ 4:7-12 – Everyone who loves has been born of God
§ 4:16-21 – God is love, so we love
§ God loves us, so the true Christian loves each other. We see God when we see love in each other.

Look at the Good Samaritan. Who is my neighbor? How do I lay down my life for my brother?
§ A living sacrifice – Romans 12:1
§ An active faith – James 2:14-26

What is right? What pleases God?

John said that he has written these things in this letter, "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."

John says we have confidence before God of our salvation:

1. There is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ (4:15; 5:1, 5, 13)
2. We keep His word and commands (2:3-5; 3:24; 5:2)
3. We walk after the example of Jesus (2:6)
4. We love the Father and His will, rather than the world (2:15-17)
5. We habitually practice righteousness rather than sin (2:29; 3:8-10)
6. We love the brethren (2:9-11; 3:14, 15, 18, 19; 4:8, 11, 12, 16, 20; 5:1)
7. We are conscious of the dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (3:24; 4:13; 5:10)

These can be summed up in two points:
1. Live the fruits of the Spirit – love one another to the point of laying down our lives for one another; and do what pleases God – do what is right.
2. Profess in Jesus Christ as the Savior – anyone who does not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and also in God's one and only Son in whom we have faith of atonement of our sins does not have God, is the anti-Christ, and is not a Christian.

(sounds a lot like the two greatest commandments Jesus taught about – "Love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as your self – on this hang all the Law and the prophets.")

We measure all who call themselves Christians by these two standards – their lifestyle and the stance on the divinity of Christ.

But how doctrinally correct must we be to have confidence before God and know we are true Christians and thus saved? John lists nothing other than the two above points.

How do I apply the words of John to my life? I believe a few items that I consider the basic essentials:

I believe that Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 16:16).

I believe that Jesus poured out His blood for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28).

I believe that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:4-10).

I believe that our faith must include turning from trusting whatever we did in our old life to trusting in Jesus (Acts 2:38).

I believe that our faith must include being immersed in water in the name of Jesus as a representation of His death, burial, and resurrection to be raised to a new life so my sins will be forgiven (Acts 2:38; Romans 6).

I believe that there is one God the Father, maker of heaven and earth (Genesis 1 & John 1).

I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Word, who was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man (John 1, Matthew 1, Luke 1).

I believe He suffered crucifixion, was buried, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven, and will come again to judge the living and the dead (1 Corinthians 15: 1-8; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11; 2 Timothy 4:1).

I believe in the Holy Spirit whom God has promised to give to dwell in the hearts of all Christians (John 7:38-39; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 5:32; Romans 5:5; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 3:14-21).

I believe in the one Church, the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:23).

I believe in and look forward to the coming resurrection of the dead and eternal life (1 Corinthians 11:26; Hebrews 9:28).

My beliefs are founded upon what is written in the word of God and only on what is written in the word of God rather than on the traditions of man or human logic (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 15:1-6, Psalm 19:7-11).

I strive to handle any issue not found expressly in the scriptures in a manner that does not produce contention or division (Romans 14).

We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But we have confidence in our salvation when we believe Jesus came in the flesh, that Jesus brings eternal life, we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and we live a lifestyle consistent with what pleases God.