In the Light: A Study Through 1 John; Introduction

Wednesday Night Bible Study

The message of the gospel is unchanging. From the very beginning of the proclamation of the gospel it has not changed, it is always the same.

Those true preachers of the gospel have always preached repentance, faith and they declare the the Kingdom of God is at hand. They speak of grace, love and forgiveness and that it is available to those who accept it, and they urge sinners to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

When the apostle John wrote this epistle Gnosticism was ramped through Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) The Gnostics claimed to have secret knowledge of God and it was only available to the spiritually elite, not the ordinary believer.

These false teachers threatened the early church and they still do today. Jesus warned us of this in:

Matthew 24:24 ESV

24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

They sought to lure believers away from the church.

Jude 4 ESV

4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Any alteration of the word of God, taking away from it or adding to it constitutes as an attack on the true church, attack on the truth and our sovereign Father.

Today nothing has changed. The movement to change the truth is rapid. It is an never ending pursuit to make sinners feel comfortable in their sin.

The apostle Paul warned of this.

Galatians 1:6–9 ESV

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

With John’s opening statement he establishes that the word of life, the gospel message is permanent and unalterable.

1 John – “Walking in the Light” Week 1

Title: “The Jesus You Can Touch: Why Truth Matters” Text:

Opening Prayer

“Father, tonight we open Your Word not just to learn facts, but to meet You. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts that are ready to be shaped by Your truth. Thank You for giving us Jesus—not as an idea, but as a Savior we can truly know. In His name, Amen.”

Introduction

Tonight, we begin a journey through the book of 1 John.

This is not a fast book. It’s not a flashy book. It’s a foundational book.

John is writing to believers who have been shaken. Some people left their church. Some teachers introduced confusing ideas about Jesus. Some claimed to be “spiritual” while minimizing sin and love.

And John writes to bring them back to solid ground.

Not ground built on opinions. Not ground built on feelings. But ground built on Christ.

So before John talks about sin, love, obedience, or assurance… He starts with Jesus.

1 John 1:1–4 ESV

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

MAIN IDEA

Christianity is not built on imagination. It is built on incarnation. Jesus is not a concept — He is a Person who came in the flesh.

Point 1 – The Eternity of Christ

(“That which was from the beginning…”)

John doesn’t start with Bethlehem. He starts with eternity.

“That which was from the beginning…”

This phrase echoes the opening of John’s Gospel:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John is reminding the church: Jesus did not begin in a manger. Jesus did not become God over time. Jesus has always been.

Before creation. Before time. Before the stars were spoken into existence. Christ was already there.

This matters because:

If Jesus is eternal, He is God

If Jesus is God, His words carry absolute authority

If Jesus is God, salvation rests on something unshakable

John is saying, “The Jesus we believe in is not a spiritual trend. He is the eternal Son of God.”

Point 2 – The Humanity of Christ

(“Which we have heard… seen… touched…”)

Now John moves from eternity to experience.

He stacks up physical language:

Heard

Seen

Looked upon

Touched

John is not talking about a dream. He is not describing a vision. He is talking about a real man.

A man with:

a voice

a face

hands

scars

This is critical because false teachers were saying, “Jesus wasn’t really human. He just appeared to be.”

John responds: “I leaned against His chest. I watched Him eat. I heard Him breathe. I touched His resurrected body.”

Christianity stands or falls on this truth:

Jesus became flesh.

If Jesus did not become human:

He cannot represent us

He cannot suffer for us

He cannot die for us

He cannot save us

But He did.

God stepped into our world.

Not as a ghost. Not as an illusion. But as Emmanuel — God with us.

Point 3 – The Mission of the Church

(“We proclaim to you…”)

John doesn’t just say, “We saw Him.” He says, “We proclaim Him.”

Why?

Because truth is not meant to be stored. It is meant to be shared.

Christianity is not a private experience. It is a public testimony.

John says: “We didn’t meet Jesus so we could keep Him to ourselves. We met Jesus so we could introduce Him to others.”

The church doesn’t exist to entertain. The church exists to proclaim Christ.

And notice what John proclaims:

Not opinions. Not politics. Not personality.

He proclaims eternal life.

Point 4 – The Fellowship of Believers

(“So that you too may have fellowship with us…”)

Here is something many people miss:

The goal of the gospel is not just heaven. The goal is relationship.

John says the message of Christ produces:

Fellowship with believers

Fellowship with the Father

Fellowship with the Son

Christianity is not: “Me and Jesus, no church needed.”

It is: “Me, Jesus, and His people.”

You cannot separate Christ from His body.

Real faith produces:

Connection

Unity

Love

Shared life

And when Christ is at the center, fellowship becomes family.

Point 5 – The Joy of Assurance

(“That our joy may be complete”)

John’s goal is not fear. His goal is joy.

But not shallow joy. Not emotional hype.

Complete joy comes from knowing the truth.

When you know:

Who Jesus is

What He has done

That He is real

That He saves

Your joy becomes anchored.

Not in circumstances. Not in people. But in Christ.

Application – Why This Matters Today

We live in a world full of:

spiritual language

religious content

Christian branding

But John reminds us:

Jesus is not a brand. He is the Son of God who came in the flesh.

You can know facts about Jesus and still not know Him. You can attend church and still not abide in Christ.

The Christian life begins with encounter.

Not just belief. Not just tradition. But relationship.

Closing Challenge

Ask yourself:

Do I know about Jesus, or do I know Jesus?

Is my faith built on truth, or feelings?

Am I walking in real fellowship with God and His people?

John writes so we can be sure.

Sure of:

Christ

Salvation

Fellowship

Joy