1 John 1 reminds me of phony people. That usually means someone whose words do not line up with their actions. That is, their behavior is inconsistent with what they say they believe. Today’s lesson is about genuine love. This book was written by the apostle John late in life. John wrote to believers to correct some of the false teaching about Jesus. He begins by addressing the Gnostic fallacy that Jesus was only a spirit: “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.” In a short phrase, John describes the eternal deity of Christ who also walked among the people, teaching by example. John calls Him “the Word of life.” The term used is “Logos”; a complex word that combines Hebrew and Greek concepts of God as the creator and the center of all reason and wisdom. John continues by explaining that Christ, the Messiah, came to us in the flesh: “we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life.” John says he proclaims the good news of salvation “so that you also may have fellowship with us… with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” This word “fellowship” means gathering together to commune in an uplifting manner. He notes: “We write this to make our joy complete.” John was overjoyed every time he saw a life restored by the hope of God’s amazing grace. I have seen so many lonely and broken people completely renewed through fellowship with other survivors.
Next, John uses opposites to contrast differences that we often miss in the dusk of our own sadness. He says: “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you.” There is no ambivalence: “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” When we are in a dark place, we tend to cast doubt on God’s perfection. We accuse, we hurl blame and push people away. We “walk in the darkness” of sorrow or anger or fear. In this darkness, we “do not live out the truth.” Friend, if that is you, John calls out to you with a message of hope: “if we walk in the light… we have fellowship with one another.” Our weakness is exposed in the light, so we can begin to heal. John declares: “the blood of Jesus… purifies us from all sin”, allowing us to draw near God. There we find other wounded people willing to help.
John is writing to believers that had heard a false gospel; which said we can be made righteous through special spiritual knowledge. He corrects the error of the “spiritual”: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves.” Romans 3:23 tells us: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” None are righteous; therefore, we all need a Savior. John includes the solution to a dying and desperate world: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Contrary to the false teaching of the day, Jesus is fully God and fully man. He was the only perfect, sinless sacrifice. John echoes the words in his Gospel message (John 14), when Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know My Father” (John 14:6-7). In John’s gospel, Jesus explained the amazing oneness that is produced in this kind of love. The promise is not just the oneness between the Father and the Son, but unity for all who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. John taught that knowledge alone cannot save us; we cannot overlook our actions. John concludes: “If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us. “We are corruptible, and temptable and selfish beings. Sin separates us from God. The rest of the letter will focus on how the love of God changes our attitude, our behavior and our compassion toward each other. Friend, are you tired of being phony? Please read on.