"AS HE..."
The 1st Epistle of John
Thoughts come from a wide variety of sources. Some from messages I have heard from individuals, some from assemblies Bible studies, some from home life and some from books I have read. The Holy Spirit is the Teacher who makes them real to me.
- "What the Bible Teaches, 1st John, A.M.S. Gooding. John Ritchie Ltd.
- "The Life Application Bible." Tyndale House and Zondervan
Life lived in fellowship with God is "life indeed." That gives meaning and direction so that our few years here have an eternal purpose, not just secular success. As people get older in years it is a good thing to pass on to those who are younger, some of the wisdom they have learned both by the "hits and misses" they have experienced. Things to avoid are important to be identified as well as those things that are right. A reliable model for living life as God intended is important for us to have. John the apostle knew this kind of life was important for the furtherance of the kingdom of God as well as for the benefit and practical outworking of faith in the lives of believers.
To be in fellowship with God and His people we need to "Walk in the light, AS HE is in the light [1:7]." To abide in Christ, we must "Walk even AS HE walked [2:6]" when He was here among people like us. To be in the likeness of Christ, when we see Him, we will be "AS HE is [3:2]." The motivation to purity of life now is to be pure "Even AS HE is pure [3:3]." When righteousness happens in our daily lives, our likeness for this is "Even AS HE is righteous [3:7]." Our righteousness in life makes love a reality when we "Love one another, AS HE gave us commandment [3:23}." That love is our greatest representation of Him as we live in this world and mature, "Because AS HE is, so are we in this world [4:17]."
The variety of "sevens" in 1st John is not without reason. God intends us to be full and complete in our life and testimony in this world. There are seven "Things of God" given in this letter. There is "The Word of God," which is the basis of all authority that we might "know," " be enlightened," and be "equipped" for everything that is ahead of us. "The Love of God" is the secret of all godliness that we might mature consistently, serve effectively and walk obediently to Him with gladness of heart. "The Will of God" for us is that we be able to fulfill our Lord's plans for us and abide eternally in Him. "The Son of God" is the center of all divine revelation. He was revealed openly when He was here. He is to be confessed openly by us and lived out openly in our daily life and conduct. He is revealed to us inwardly and is personal to us inwardly as well as being known by us personally. Being "Born of God" is the source of this life to us that we might live sinless, lovingly and victoriously. The "Spirit of God" is the power of all ability so that we might serve God watchfully and effectively.
The Gospel of John was written to give evidence of the deity of Christ and to illustrate that truth by the seven miracles recorded and the seven personal events in which He was revealed as the Messiah. The seven "I Ams" of His deity and the seven ways the Son is declared to be equal with the Father are some of the ways John testified to the deity of Christ in the Gospel of John. The first epistle of John declares the sinless humanity of Christ as an example to us as to how our lives and attitudes reflect on His Person. When we apply what we learn here, we understand this letter is for our learning so our "Joy might be full [1:4];" that "We sin not [2:1];" can "Know our sins are forgiven [2:12];" and know that we "Have eternal life [5:13]."
Key words like "fellowship," "know," "love," and "life" show us the need of being assured of the reality of God's interest in our life of faith. Sometimes believers need to be reassured of our faith in order to counter the false teaching that attacks the fundamental Christian doctrines we know from the word of God. There are some believers who need to be assured that they have eternal life because doubts come when they are challenged by articulate false teachers or failures in their lives. We all need to be encouraged to maintain fellowship with our God whose very existence is sometimes questioned by those who think they know what God should be like if He is real, how He should act and what He should do for them. If it is not according to their opinion, then He does not even exist as far as they are concerned.
The contrast of light and darkness is addressed in 1st John as well as the contrast between the old commandment and the new commandment. Loving the Father and loving the world; Christ and antichrist; truth and lies are contrasted. The children of God and the children of the devil are shown in contrast. Eternal life and eternal death; love and hatred; love and fear; having life and not having life; true teaching and false teaching --- these are all spoken of in 1st John by means of contrast. The lives of God's children are effective to others and meaningful to us when we live in fellowship with God. To be AS HE is and experience fellowship with divine Persons means we will appreciate the fact that God is Light, God is Love and God is Life.