1 John 1:1-4 - Profoundly Mutual
- Chad Werkhoven
- Sep 29
- 4 min read
It's not just up to you to hang on for dear life. You're in a mutual relationship with One whose grace is far stronger than you are.
1 John 1–2:2 (NIV)
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.
5 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.
2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. 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.
Canons of Dordt
Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints
Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin
Those people whom God according to his purpose
calls into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord
and regenerates by the Holy Spirit,
God also sets free from
the dominion and slavery of sin,
though not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin as long as they are in this life.
Summary
John begins a very intimate letter written to encourage others in the basic truths of Christianity by sharing his experience, but he does so in a way that makes clear that the gospel he proclaims concerning the Word of life isn't just a subjective feeling. It was from the beginning; and it was far more than just something he felt. He writes we heard it (notice the plural - John was one of many), we have seen it and they even touched it with their hands.
It's very important for you to be able to communicate your personal testimony - the unique way in which you've experienced God's blessing - but always remember what John reminds us of here: that the gospel is first and foremost objective fact, rooted in history. More than that, it's rooted in a person: Jesus Christ.
If you can tell of your experience, but can't explain the elements that form its foundation, your testimony will be limited. And vice versa, a pure recitation of brute facts without any evidence of how these facts have changed you will be empty. Learn to share the gospel like John does, including both what Jesus did and how it makes you feel.
John next introduces a new descriptor for Jesus. He is the life which appeared. Not just ordinary, mortal life, but eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared). In other words, the path to eternal life isn't something that everyone can define as they see fit, but rather it's visible, clear, and manifest in Christ alone. This is what and who John testifies to.
Dig Deeper
John doesn't leave us wondering as to the purpose of his epistle. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, John writes, so that you may have fellowship with us. Lots of groups can offer you fellowship. You can find various groups of people who have the same interests as you, who are going through similar aspects of life together, or who just want to be surrounded by other people and have fun.
Many of us will associate the word fellowship with the large room or hall in our churches that people file into after the service to drink marginal coffee while talking to fellow church members. That's actually a key aspect of fellowship - just the consistent habit of sharing life on a consistent basis with other Christ followers.
But John's letter is more than just a bland appeal for you to join his club, and the fellowship he offers here is far deeper than just surface level affinities; it's fellowship - a profoundly mutual relationship - with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
Today we begin the fifth and final of these doctrines of grace we've studied all year which articulates the eternal and unbreakable nature of the salvation you've been given. Notice that the Canons root this security in your fellowship with the Father and His Son. It's not just up to you to hang on for dear life. You're in a mutual relationship with One whose grace is far stronger than you are.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose fellowship makes our joy complete;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you often of the fellowship you have with our Triune God and His people;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Titus 3
What comfort to know that "He will hold me fast".