WE WRITE TO YOU. Compare John 20:30-31. THE WORD OF LIFE. Jesus the Christ, who is the Eternal Logos. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. Since the Logos is Eternal and existed before time began (John 1:1), we say with _MacKnight_ that John has in mind the Word _becoming_ a human being (John 1:14). John speaks... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAME VISIBLE. The Eternal Logos was not visible until he became a human being. WE SAW IT. The apostles were eyewitnesses who were given a special mission. Compare Acts 1:21-22. SO WE SPEAK. The mission of the apostles was to give proof of this Word of life. Compare Acts 10:39-42.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT WE. Compare Matthew 13:16. John repeats himself to _guarantee_ to us the reality of the Eternal Logos becoming a human being!!! FELLOWSHIP. Some belonged to secret fellowships and claimed special knowledge. John points out that he and the others have fellowship with the Father and the Son (see... [ Continue Reading ]
IN ORDER. "These things, about our fellowship with the Father and the Son, we write to you who have joined with us in this fellowship, that you will make our joy complete by living in the truth of the Word of life!... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THIS IS THE MESSAGE. "I want to show you the advantage of joining with us in this fellowship." FROM HIS SON. _The Christ_ is the source of this message. Compare Hebrews 1:1-2 and notes. GOD IS LIGHT. The ancients thought of light as the purest and most perfect of all material substance. The mess... [ Continue Reading ]
IF, THEN. Here is A _test_ of fellowship. Since light symbolizes purity and holiness, darkness symbolizes sin, evil, error, etc. WE ARE LYING. "If we claim fellowship with God and Christ, yet live lives dark with sin, we show ourselves to be liars!... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF WE. This is the other side of the test of fellowship. "If our lives are filled with the light of purity and holiness, this shows the truthfulness of our claims to fellowship with the Father and the Son." FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER. John is not speaking about the fellowship of Christians with... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WE HAVE NO SIN. Some were making the claim that they had no sins at all because they had reached perfection in this life! What they actually were doing was to say that the gospel allowed them to do everything without it being counted as sin. WE DECEIVE OURSELVES. "If you say that you have progr... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF WE. The forgiveness which the blood of Jesus offers to Christians, requires a human response to_ reach out to seize it!_ CONFESS. God will forgive the Christian every sin which is confessed to Him. Confession is the first step toward repentance and forgiveness. See notes _on_ Acts 8:20-24.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF WE SAY. If we refuse to confess our sin to God, we are by our _refusal_ saying that we have not sinned. Since God says we have sinned (Romans 3:23; James 1:13-15), we call Him a liar when we deny it, as some were doing. As a result, his word is not in us, when we deny that we have sinned. NOTES:... [ Continue Reading ]