1 John: The Priority of Knowing Jesus

I’ve always been fascinated by Naval history. How a massive, 1,000 foot long metal structure, aircraft carrier, can stay on top of the ocean baffles me.

Or how does a long metal tube called a submarine, containing air, dive hundreds of feet below the surface of the ocean without broaching?

The engineering is beyond my ability to explain or even understand.

There is one primary principle, though, I do understand about these two types of vessels.

A key to keeping these vessels operational is to make sure that there is always a clear separation between the water and the interior of the vessel.

There is a scientific term for this: buoyancy.

Enough.

Here is the point: in order for either of those vessels to operate at peak efficiency the water must be kept outside the sub or below the waterline of the carrier.

1 John 2:15 HCSB

Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.

In a very similar way you and I as believers are in a similar position.

We are surrounded by a hostile environment - ‘the world.’

One writer suggest:

Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments (3.2. The World in Johannine Literature)

The world is considered apostate from God, and the whole point of John’s rhetoric is to urge full loyalty to God: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one” (1 Jn 5:19); “they are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world and the world listens to them” (1 Jn 4:5). The believer is not to “love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him” (1 Jn 2:15). Because the things of God and the people of God are in sharp opposition with the world, believers are not to be perplexed that the world “hates” them (1 Jn 3:13). Sinfulness originates from and belongs to this world and is to be avoided (1 Jn 2:16–17; cf. 1 Jn 4:3–5, 9).

Do we have the resources we need to avoid loving the world and the things ‘in’ the world?

John suggests we do -

1 John 2:12–14 HCSB

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven because of Jesus’ name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know the One who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have had victory over the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you have come to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the One who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, God’s word remains in you, and you have had victory over the evil one.

John is not writing to three different types of believers. He is simply addressing all the believers reading his letter, reminding them that no matter their stage of life or maturity, they share in common the ability via the indwelling Holy Spirit to choose to avoid falling in love with the world and the things ‘in’ the world.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE COME TO KNOW

Three times in this section John reminds his readers that they have come to know truth - the One who is from the beginning; the Father.

AW Tozer, an influential writer in the mid 20th century penned these words:

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

Classic Reprint, A. W. Tozer . The Attributes of God: Knowledge of the HOLY (Original Edition) . Kindle Edition.

In God’s Word we find many different descriptions of God and His nature.

Perhaps one we reflect on least is the one Jesus teaches us:

Father

The OT does address God as ‘Father’ in many different places.

However, as one writer explains,

It is the idea of God as Father which is most characteristic of NT teaching in general and especially of the teaching of Jesus. Whereas the contemporary pagan world held its gods in fear or uncertainty … the Christian view of God’s parenthood brings an unparalleled element of intimacy into human relationship with God.

Donald Guthrie and Ralph P. Martin, “God,” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 357.

Because we have come to know God - the One from before the beginning - as Father - we have a perspective on life that those who do not know Him don’t.

As ‘Father’ He is deeply invested in our lives as His children.

As Father He is deeply concerned about our growth and development.

Quoting from the same article I mentioned a moment ago the writers go on to say,

As far as believers are concerned it means that God is the source of their spiritual life and pours his love upon them. God is concerned with their welfare (Rom 8:28) and also with their growth in likeness to his holy, loving character (Eph 5:1; Col 1:12; 1 Thess 2:12; 4:7, 9). For Paul, then, this characterization of God is the criterion and norm of all that we are to understand by the name God. Supremely God is the Father of Jesus, the Son who is loved (Col 1:13; ... It is the divine purpose to replicate in the lives of Christ’s people the image of his Son so that by the Spirit’s ministry (2 Cor 3:18) the likeness of his Son is being made increasingly more apparent until at length, at the consummation of their salvation, they become “conformed to the image” of Christ (Rom 8:29).

Donald Guthrie and Ralph P. Martin, “God,” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 357–358.

You have conquered the evil one…God’s Word remains in you…you are strong

In both the Gospel of John and his letter,

Satan is shown to be at the root of all sin, hatred, and murder, and is the true spiritual father of those who reject Jesus as the Messiah (John 8:31–47; 1 John 3:8–15), deny their sinfulness (1 John 1:8, 10), and have no room for his atoning sacrifice (2:2; 4:10).

Andreas J. Köstenberger, A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters: The Word, the Christ, the Son of God, Biblical Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 281.

Those who have come to know the Father have the strength of their Father, all the resources of the Father to overcome the powerful temptation to ‘love’ the world and the things ‘in’ the world.

Your sins have been forgiven because of His name

The opponents of John were more interested in some ‘secret’ knowledge that freed them from the moral and ethical boundaries of the world.

The more important reality is getting set free from sin and the guilt and bondage it creates.

One of the most impactful writers in my early years as a pastor was Chuck Colson, who served time in federal prison for illegal activities conducted on behalf of the Committee to Re-Elect Richard Nixon.

One of the most powerful sentences he wrote reads like this:

the Gospel is not a benign, abstract philosophy but a life-giving relationship with the living Christ who has the power not only to change human hearts but to bring real hope to situations the world may deem hopeless … .

https://www.prisonfellowship.org/why-help-prisoners/

Hearts are only changed by the cross of Jesus Christ! The forgiveness He provides through His substitutionary death in our/my place, sets me free from the penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin.

Everything in the world…is passing away…

1 John 2:16–17 HCSB

For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.

John clearly identifies the things that are ‘in’ the world:

lust of the flesh

lust of the eyes

pride in one’s possessions

We could further define each of these three categories in detail, but let’s be honest. We all know the power of these challenges from deeply personal experiences.

Dr Danny Akin, has written in his commentary of 1,2,3 John

all of these temptations of the world focus on enjoyment in the present without an analysis or understanding of the future ramifications

Daniel L. Akin, 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 38, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001), 110.

RESPOND AND REFLECT:

We live in a hostile environment. Although God declared His creation ‘good, very good’ humans with their sinful choices have created a toxic environment.

I quote Dr Akin:

Again it must be emphasized that this condemnation of everything that is in the world is not a declaration that the world created by God is evil. John fully embraced the doctrine of the goodness of creation as taught in Genesis 1–2 (see John 1:1–18). Rather, it is a proclamation that humanity in its sinfulness has followed evil rather than good and has worshiped the created things rather than the Creator (Rom 1:20). The problem is not that God created the material things of the world. The problem is that people have made these things into idols.

Daniel L. Akin, 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 38, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001), 109.

Can we thrive in such an environment? My dad served over 20 years in the Navy Reserves. Most of those years he spent two weeks on serving on destroyers - and occasionally these vessels were taken to sea.

Not one of them sank (at least he hasn’t told me if that happened!)

Though the ships are heavier than water, the design and engineering kept them afloat - safely.

We do not have to succumb to the powerful temptations of the world in which we live.

We know the truth...because God has made Himself known

We overcome the evil one…because Jesus defeated the adversary at the cross and through the resurrection

We are set free from the penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin through what God has given to the world:

John 3:16 HCSB

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.