20241006 - Salvation is Joy in Christ (1 John 1:1-10)
Transcript Search
Notes
Transcript
GREETINGS
Good morning again Church! As we continue in our worship through the preaching of God’s Word, please grab your Bibles...
…we are going to be in 1 John 1 today. If you have your Bibles, go ahead and make your way there. And as you make your way there, I’d like to say welcome. I’m glad you’re here this morning...
We’ll be covering verses 1-10, but to start us off I’ll read verses 1-4...
CHANGE SLIDE EACH SLIDE
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
The title of our sermon this morning is “The Joy of Salvation” …
PRAY
Introduction
Introduction
Most if not all conservative scholars agree that the Apostle John wrote this letter. The early church also recognized that John was the author. The same thing can be said about the book of Revelation. So if you look at the complete set of John’s writings that would be (1) The Gospel of John, (2) The Epistles 1,2,3 John and (3) the Book of Revelation.
Bruce Hurt nicely points this out that The Gospel of John talks about Salvation, the Epistles of John talks about Sanctification and the Revelation of John talks about Glorification. In the set of writings from the Apostle John we get a complete picture of the Christian experience. We see our past history from his gospel, our present experience from his Epistles and then our future hope from his writings in Revelation. Christ died for us, Christ lives in us and one-day Christ will come for us. In the redemptive flow of history, there is a redemptive flow of my own personal history. We understand all that from the writings of John.
1 John, in particular, was written to believers so that according to 1 John 5:13 you may be assured of your salvation through faith in Christ. “These things I have written to you...” it says...
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
This letter was written to produce in you a knowledge that will always be with you. A knowledge that from now on cannot be taken from you, and it’s this: if you believe in Jesus, then eternal life is yours NOW. Charles Spurgeon says,
1 John Exposition
The spiritual life that is in the believer at this moment is the same life that shall be in him in heaven.
Now he does clarify by saying,
1 John Exposition
The grace-life is the glory-life in the bud: the same life, only less developed.
Which is to say that eternal life will be enjoyed in a more mature way in the future, but it is none-the-less the same life now that can be enjoyed now. And according to our text, 1 John 1:1-10, salvation in Christ is a joy, and that joy is there to help you seize and realize the assurance of salvation. The joy that John is describing here, is supposed to produce in you a foundation, a conviction, that if indeed your faith is in Christ, then indeed you shall be saved. That joy of salvation he enjoys, and that experience of assurance he experiences is what he wants for you. Again, not later, but now.
In the first four verses, John explains to us how he experiences complete joy. Again, let me read verse 4.
The Expression of John’s Joy In Christ
The Expression of John’s Joy In Christ
4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
What we want to see in the beginning here is how does John have joy? Perhaps if we can see how John has joy, we can understand his conviction better, we can understand the case he’s building a little bit better, and maybe just maybe we can have assurance. Starting with John...
It is a Real Joy Rooted in a Real Christ
It is a Real Joy Rooted in a Real Christ
1 John 1:1a (NASB95)
1 What was from the beginning...
Verses 1 starts off by saying, “What was from the beginning...” speaking of Christ which has of course similar language as that found in John 1:1...
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
…which he continues in verse 14 saying that “…the Word became flesh...”
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
…and that of course is none other than Jesus Christ Himself—God in the flesh! To demonstrate the deity of Christ or to convey that Jesus Christ Himself is God, He uses that same language in 1 John 1:1 as that used in John 1:1 to simply state that He, Jesus, is eternal. He has no beginning because He’s eternal; He precedes even the existence of this universe.
As glorious as that is, here’s what’s even more jaw dropping. Take a look at the next several words of the text.
1 John 1:1 (NASB95)
…what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—
This pre-existent One, the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, is real and John is saying I interacted with Him in this very real world of time, space and matter. When it says in John 1:14 that the Word became flesh, it also says that He “dwelt among us.”
Consider from how John has personally experienced this eternal, pre-existent one.
In Matthew 4:21 Jesus called John to follow Him. In verse 22, it says that he immediately followed him. So okay, yeah, he saw Him. He was with Him. During His earthly ministry, John followed Him around.
In Matthew 14:13-21, John served Jesus even though it did not make complete sense. Jesus was before a large crowd of 5,000 men, in addition were women and children, and so if you include them in the count, maybe 8 to 10 thousand people were possibly in attendance and all of them were hungry. And then what did John witness. Through a miracle of Jesus, the multitude ate with just five loaves and two fish.
John witnessed this. He saw it with his own eyes. In fact, he was one of the people who served the bread and fish. Can you imagine that? You’re in a desolate place, 5 loaves, 2 fish, 5 thousand starving people, and every time you reached into the basket there were more loaves and more fish to pass out. In fact, there was more than enough, verse 20 goes on to say they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over; there was more than enough. And John saw this.
He was also one of the three that Jesus kept close during critical moments in His ministry.
When Jesus raised a little girl from the dead, Mark 5:37 says, “…he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John…”
When Jesus was transfigured at the mountain and appeared before Elijah and Moses, Mark 9:2 says, “…Jesus took with him Peter and James and John…”
And then on the night in which Jesus was betrayed, He was found praying in a place called Gethsemane. He had his disciples sit at a certain point. As he went further in, he took Peter, James and John.
John personally knew Jesus. He was a follower of Jesus; He was literally with Jesus 24/7 during Jesus’ earthly ministry. He was part of what’s called the inner circle and was closer than most of the other Apostles. When it says that he testifies and proclaims Jesus, he kneeeew what he was talking about didn’t he? And he most certainly knew that He was real.
----------
And from this experience, this knowledge, and this conviction, He was a witness of the reality of Christ.
2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
You see fairly quickly here that John is describing a person; not a concept. The “life” was made known it says.
Jesus says in John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
And because we understand Him to be that kind of life, He is proclaimed as the “eternal life”.
Same thing is mentioned in 1 John 5:20.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
In other words, Jesus shall be known by His grace! For those of us who believe, He’s the one who took our sin and took our death so that we can have His righteousness and have life. The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23). He is known as the gift He provides. What was with the Father…what was from the beginning…what has condescended to us…is a real and verifiable and authentic Savior and it’s through Him that we experience true salvation; He is the eternal life made manifest to us. And John finds joy in proclaiming Him to you.
John’s joy is a real joy rooted in Christ because Christ is real. But it’s more than just a real joy. It’s also...
It is an Overflowing Joy Rooted in Fellowship
It is an Overflowing Joy Rooted in Fellowship
1 John 1:3a (NASB95)
3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us...
What believers gain with each other through Christ is a bond; they have Christ in common. Galatians 3:26...
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
Notice the word “all”. ALL the sons of God have ALL been baptized (washed, cleansed of their sins) and are ALL one in Christ Jesus which mean they all are heirs. They will inherit the kingdom of God. They ALL have the same hope. John says we proclaim Christ to you so that you may have fellowship with us. He says that even as I enjoy these great blessing in Christ, I want to enjoy it with you. The ALL includes us who believe.
There’s a restaurant in Wahiawa that my family have come to really enjoy. It’s this hole in the wall place called Guieb … When my brother and sisters visited from California, It was the one place I couldn’t wait to take them to. Why? Because I wanted to enjoy it with them. … When I saw them bite into that thick slab of bacon and they responded with an “mmmmmm...” it filled me with such joy and delight that they could relate to the goodness I’ve been enjoying all this time.
That’s what John is saying. But he goes deeper.
Imagine if the owner of Guieb sat with us and said “mmmmm” too.
That’s where John takes this. He goes deeper than just our fellowship with each other and exposes the depth of what this kind of fellowship entails.
1 John 1:3b (NASB95)
...and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
In Christ, we fellowship with God. Our relationship is not just with each other amongst believers, but it goes deeper and is with God Himself.
The fellowship we enjoy as Christians is both horizontal (w/each other) and vertical (w/God). And for some reason in verse 4, the two must exist in order for John’s joy to be complete which you see there in verse 4...
4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
There is something about the glory of God when others come to Christ. It aligns with God’s heart from Isaiah 49:6, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” John’s heart to want fellowship with other people reflects the heart of God in wanting to spread His salvation throughout the world. It’s through this kind of heart that we begin to understand our purpose in this world.
John’s joy is made complete when many more besides him believes in Jesus Christ and enter into fellowship with God. John’s joy in Christ includes your joy in Christ. And your joy in Christ ought to be that others would know Christ and have Him as their joy. This is what happens when God brings you in—it’s so good that you want it so bad for others. The assurance of his salvation is joyfully met with the assurance of yours.
If Trinity Church of Benicia is going to be a church that is God honoring and Christ exalting then it must have God’s heart … that is reflected in John’s heart … beating in our own hearts. To want Christ in your home, to want Christ for your neighbors, friends … O that the city of Benicia would enjoy Christ with us. If Trinity Church of Benicia is going to be a church that is God honoring and Christ exalting then it must have God’s heart … that is reflected in John’s heart … beating in our own hearts.
In expressing his joy, John goes to you...
The Experience of Our Joy in Christ
The Experience of Our Joy in Christ
So what about you? Do you share in this joy.
We Fellowship with a Holy God
We Fellowship with a Holy God
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
Now this is an interesting way of describing salvation as joy.
It’s like going on a field trip to Disneyland. This group of students get assigned to the fun dad. That group of students gets assigned to the fun mom. The other group of students gets assigned to everyone’s favorite teacher. And then you get assigned to the stern, strict and stoic principal. “Oh man!” you say.
How is this joy? You’re stuck with a holy God! To some, that doesn’t seem so exhilarating, but let’s take a look at this. “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” In the context John talks about the joy of having fellowship with God which means that this language is establishing or at least describing the nature of how I am to relate to Him…you must connect God is light with fellowship…and it shall be on the basis of what He is… Light!!
The reason why fellowshipping with God is joy is because He is with you. Look at John’s conviction that God is with Him in verse 3. “INDEED our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son.” AND if God is with you, then it must mean that something else is not with you. Your sin is not with you. It does not have a hold on you. It’s no longer a part of you.
If your fellowship is INDEED with God, in whom there is no darkness at all, you no longer have your sin! It means that you have truly been forgiven. It means we’re no longer walking in darkness. Indeed must mean INDEED. So then if your fellowship is with God, then INDEED it is joy because of what you have and what you don’t have. You have fellowship with Him and you don’t have your sin.
Furthermore,
Verse 7 we see that...
We Fellowship with a Holy God as a Holy People
We Fellowship with a Holy God as a Holy People
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Here our fellowship with God is described as a walk, that’s the vertical fellowship. John also includes our fellowship with each other, our horizontal fellowship, which goes hand-in-hand with our vertical fellowship.
Apparently, if you are there, you are not alone. You do not fellowship with God by yourself. You have been so placed (location) … so positioned to not only fellowship with God (vertically) but to fellowship with other believers (horizontally).
This is joy because the proclamation works. Go back to verse 3, “…we proclaim [Christ] to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us...” and then you get to verse 7 where it says, “we have fellowship with one another” which can only mean the proclamation worked. The “you” in verse 3 that John is hopeful about, is the “we” in verse 7 that sees that hope to be now a reality.
The work of proclaiming Christ, will result in people coming to Christ. The vertical fellowship that John so eagerly desires to also be a horizontal fellowship joyfully comes about in the proclamation of Christ.
Church, joyfully proclaim Christ, knowing that your fellowship with God will joyfully be met in your fellowship with others as you make Him known. And even now you enjoy that because you are corporately gathered as a church to worship God, which is to say that joy is actually yours even now. Amen!
What makes this work is what he says at the end of verse 7, “and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” This is what makes you a holy people able to fellowship with a holy God. When you believe in Jesus Christ, you have been cleansed of all your sins.
When we talk about joy and fellowship and forgiveness in Christ, the last thing I want us to see here is that...
Our Fellowship Cannot be Broken
Our Fellowship Cannot be Broken
You Need Forgiveness Daily
You Need Forgiveness Daily
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Even as people who have fellowship with God, we find that we still sin. Verse 8 is not talking about being in bondage to sin, but as people delivered from sin, the reality is that sin still comes out of us. We’re not perfect. We sin even as believers. What that means is that we need the gospel every day. We need to enjoy the benefits of the gospel daily.
Just to be abundantly clear, I’m not talking about saving grace everyday, as if God has to save you all over again. I believe in Romans 5:1, “…having been justified...”
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
You are saved at a point of time in the past. You don’t keep getting saved all over again, but there is a part of God’s grace that is on-going. There is such a thing as a sustaining, sanctifying grace that takes place throughout the life of the believer. You will always need His grace in this life. “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves...” You need daily grace! And guess what? He will always give you His grace!
He Will Forgive You Daily
He Will Forgive You Daily
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I think as beloved children we all understand that nothing can separate us from the love of God. But just remember, John is talking about a fellowship. As believers, we have a relationship with God. So when we sin as believers in our relationship with Him it’s like a slap in the face. Now, it doesn’t cut the tie or sever the bond, but it strains the relationship.
Illustration: I remember one time, it’s been so long it seems like another life, I was playing a game called Outburst with my siblings and my wife Vangie. We all decided that we would play guys versus gals. It had a casual start and it quickly turned into a very competitive game. At a pivotal moment of the game I had the card and my team guessed all the words. And this was being ran on the honor system. I insisted that we indeed got all the words and then Vangie yelled out across the room “you liar!” SHE IS WAY MORE SANCTIFIED THAN THAT NOW. Everyone laughed except for me. For the rest of that night, I didn’t talk to her. She eventually caught on to my silent treatment and asked me what’s wrong. I told her that I didn’t appreciate how she called me a liar. She apologized, I forgave her and then the relationship was fine again. That’s a real relationship. When things go wrong, there’s friction. And hopefully by God’s grace there will also be a path to restoration.
I want you to notice something in this text; something about our relationship with God that we all need to understand. Sin is one sided. God will never wrong us. God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If there is any sin, if there is any offense in the relationship, any wrong done, it is me. If there is friction in the relationship and maybe some distance between me and God, I must understand that it’s because of something I’m doing.
Forgiveness is also one sided. I don’t ever have to forgive God, he’s never going to wrong me. He’s the one who forgives. What allows me to continue fellowshipping with God and to continue to walk in His light is the gospel. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He will never betray the blood of His own Son applied to you through faith in Him.
So you need forgiveness daily—He will forgive you daily, and on that note, John ends here...
Devotion to Christ is Found in Forgiveness
Devotion to Christ is Found in Forgiveness
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
It says His word is not in us. To not know God’s grace in this saving way in verse 7 and this sanctifying way in verse 9, it to not have a devotion, which is another way of saying that you do not have worship, which is another way of saying that you do not have life. Do not confuse not reading your Bible in awhile with the absence of His word in us. One is being undisciplined whereas the other is still being dead in your sins.
The refusal to acknowledge our own sin according to His Word is a rejection not only of God’s Word, but also a rejection of God. You will find no joy in God if your true joy is still in your sin.
Conclusion
Conclusion
You cannot change the condition for fellowship because you cannot make God other than light. It would be a violation of His nature and God will not be something other than Himself. God is light who dwells in the light, and Jesus Christ is the only sufficient savior to save you in verse 7 and to restore you over and over again in verse 9 which will always allow us to fellowship with Him, with the Father and with each other.
It’s a joy because your life in Christ means that sin no longer has a hold on you, sin can no longer ruin you, and sin can’t ever destroy your fellowship with God. It’s that kind of joy that gives you assurance you see!
I preached this last week and a lady from church came to me with tears rolling down her eyes. She says, “I didn’t want to come to church today, which is why I came…I didn’t want sin to keep winning.” Well, that’s an interesting thing to tell a pastor. I said what’s going on. She says, “I haven’t been at church because I’ve been getting drunk and I’ve been doing a lot of drugs.” I felt a deep deep compassion. I asked her a simple question. Do you believe in Jesus? She says yes. Do you believe what I preached today? She says, “I’m trying to.”
I proceeded to tell her that because you believe in Jesus, you have been cleansed of all your sin. Sin no longer holds you and sin can no longer ruin you. Because you believe in Jesus, not only are you going to be with Him forever, you’re with Him now and He will have you not on the basis of your sin or what you’ve done, but on the basis of Christ and what He’s done.
There was this joy she began to express. If you go back to the drugs or the alcohol, it is a weaker, inferior, and dead joy compared to this joy that you are sensing and experiencing right now. Amen! It’s like John…it’s not just a joy to be a had, but uncontainable overflowing joy that must be shared.
Dear friend, if John’s joy is not your joy this morning, it can be--come to Jesus today. Believe in Him and you will be saved. You will be in the Light with the God who is Light.
Prayer
