Notes on 1 John chapter 1
Had the churches in the Middle Ages and the Protestant reformers and many
other denominations, sects and cults read diligently the writings of the apostle
John and took those writings to heart, they would have never burned one person
at the stake, held any inquisitions, had any anti-Semitism, or had anything to
do with the holocaust.
In the letter to the church at Ephesus, the Lord commended that church for its
stand against the false doctrine of nicolaitism which some believe to mean the
separation of the clergy and laity and lording over believers by those
appointing themselves over the flock of God. The Lord warned this church though
of the danger of losing their first love. Although this primarily meant their
love for Jesus and the main emphasis should be on Jesus, I believe the first
love is also the love they should have toward one another. As John writes in his
epistle, how can one love God who he has not seen if he does not love his
brethren who he has seen.
This love also would include spreading the gospel. Not Christianity, but
spreading the gospel. If we are perfect in love we would desire to see the lost
saved.
Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples when ye love
one another." He also said, "Love your enemies and do good to them that hate
you."
The church in the middle ages, some protestant reformers and any others who are
equally guilty of hating their brothers forgot what Jesus said.
1Jo 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of
the Word of life;
John is speaking here of Jesus who is the Son of God and is the word of God made
flesh. He became flesh and blood like we are and was born into this world like
we are. He was originally in heaven and perfect but left that state to dwell
among us to live perfectly and by fulfilling the commandments of the law. He
willingly died so that He would die without having any sin to be laid against
Him. The innocent died so that we who are guilty of breaking the law can be made
free from the condemnation of the law and have eternal life. The just died for
the unjust to justify as many as would believe in Him, (Jesus).
1Jo 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and
show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested
unto us;)
The word manifested means to make clear, disclose and make it obvious. Jesus was
sent from heaven and was revealed to us as the Son of God, the only way of
salvation and the answer to the way to be reconciled back to God from which
Adam's sin separated us.
1Jo 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also
may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ.
Through faith in Jesus and faith that He is the Son of God sent from God to save
us, we now can have fellowship with God Himself.
1Jo 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Knowing this brings us joy.
1Jo 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto
you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we
lie, and do not the truth:
Walking in darkness is returning to sin after Jesus saves us, ignoring the known
word of God, and hating our fellow believers. It is okay to disagree. It
is okay to have discussions about God's word. Satan, however likes to use
innocent things to cause a little root of bitterness to begin in our hearts so
that we become defiled. We still may talk of Christ and claim to believe
but our outward testimony is ruined by our hatred that we have toward those that
disagree with us. I'm not talking here of compromising important doctrines
to have a false unity. I'm talking of disagreeing but with love and
respect for those who are in opposition to our own faith. Never will I
encourage any compromising on what we consider to be the truth of God's word.
True biblical love will not compromise the truth in any case. That isn't
love if we lay aside God's word to have unity. That is a false anti-Christ
type of unity. We want love but with truth along side of it.
Darkness is hate but darkness is also lying, covering up, deceiving and
hypocrisy.
1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin.
Sin is cleansed by the blood of Jesus. There is no other way to be saved from
sin. When we become believers in Jesus and walk in His fellowship we will walk
in light. If we return to sin and walk in darkness, we lie when we claim
to be believers in Christ. To believe in Christ means to abide in Christ.
If we return to the things God saved us from knowingly, then we are not abiding
in Christ but deceiving ourselves.
1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.
If we say that we do not need Jesus and that we have not sinned, we are liars
for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
John Wesley stated it this way:
If we say - Any child of man, before his blood has cleansed us. We have no sin -
To be cleansed from, instead of confessing our sins, 1Jo_1:9, the truth is not
in us - Neither in our mouth nor in our heart.
This could not mean that we are sinners after being cleansed by the blood for
John later warns against sin and says that if we sin we have not known the
Father nor the Son. I am assuming that John meant that if we say that we
have no sin when we do have sin, the truth is not in us. If we have been
cleansed from sin by our faith in Jesus and have not returned to sin, then of
course we are not lying if we say we have no sin.
1Jo 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen
him, neither known him.
The bible itself is the best interpretation of verses that are controversial.
Whoever abides in Christ, sins not. That explains what John meant in verse
8. See how we can get false doctrine if we take read verse 8 and do not
read verse 9 that explains further what John is trying to say.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we sin before knowing Christ or after, we must confess it (to God, not a
priest) and make things right. We can't go on in open unconfessed sin and expect
to be saved. How can one be saved from sin and still live in sin knowingly? John
makes it clear that if we sin on purpose knowing it is wrong, we do not know
God. To abide is Christ is to stop sinning willingly and with full knowledge
that we are living in sin. To not repent is to deceive ourselves and ruin our
testimony before God and man.
Paul writes Rom 6:1,2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin,
that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
1Jo 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word
is not in us.
If we say that we have not sinned and have no need to repent of sin and believe
the gospel, we are making God a liar and His word is not in us.
If we teach a gospel that does not require repenting or turning from sin, then
we are not preaching the same gospel Jesus preached, Peter preached or even
Paul. All have sinned before coming to Christ, so all must repent to be saved.
It is part of the gospel.
Yet here is a key to keep from sin after one is saved. Be made perfect in love.
If we love God with all our hearts we would not sin. If we loved our neighbors
as ourselves, we would not sin against them.
1. idolatry - If we loved God, we would never have idols, whether man made
statues or men themselves.
2. adultery - If we loved our neighbor as ourselves we would not lust after
another man's wife or husband if we are a woman.
3. Stealing - If we loved our neighbor, we would never dream of stealing from
them.
4. False witness - As previously stated, love would avoid telling lies to make
someone else look bad.
The other commandments are also summed up in these two Jesus gave. If we loved
God and one another, we would automatically keep all the commandments. The
apostle John found the answer to overcome sin and His epistles are strong in
this thing called love. Naturally this love is not what the world thinks as
love. The world's love is not real love for it is selfish and is dependent on
circumstances. God's love is different and can't be duplicated.
1 Corinthians 13 is a good study on real love.
1 John 2
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