The Cultural Christianity Series
In his first paragraph, John makes known one of his writing goals. "What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us ...These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete." (1 John 1:3, 4) His goal was joy made complete through fellowship.
The fellowship he speaks about begins with something that existed at the start. He made this clear by saying, "What was from the beginning," that is, at the beginning of all created things, it already was. The Apostles heard, saw, and touched what is eternal.
John was looking for a joint fellowship. Fellowship is to partner with someone in an endeavor. Furthermore, John wanted others to be made complete in their delight of Him, who was eternal. John personally experienced the Word or expression of Life. He tells us that eternal life revealed itself to them. The Apostles took great delight in eternal life; he refers to it as joy.
Furthermore, John specifies eternal life as being a Father and a Son. The Holy Spirit, in humility, focused the attention upon the Father and the Son. The eternal fellowship was in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The following key element that John raises our awareness to is the crucial element of God's character. "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." (1 John 1:5)
There is nothing hidden in God, neither is there anything that is not true. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, they immediately hid in an attempt to hide their sin from God. God is under no external restraint to tell us everything. God is God, and all His decisions are right and with perfect authority. So we are told, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, so that we may follow all the words of this Law." (Deuteronomy 29:29)
Therefore, God never lies. According to His divine will, he tells us what we need to know, what is for our good, and His glory. To walk with God is to walk in the light and shun the evil of lying. Godly people take delight in the truth. The fellowship of the saints is always in the truth. "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 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." (1 John 1:6, 7)
Make no mistake! Regarding the saints, the Apostle Paul says, "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son..." (Colossians 1:13) The false convert says he is a Christian and hides his sin from others. The true convert confesses his sin, finds forgiveness, and fellowships with the saints because Christ's blood cleanses him from the guilt of sin. This cleansing is a matter of the believer's conscience.
Are you rejoicing in the freedom and cleansing that the blood of Christ provides?
If you want to hear more about the purpose and benefits of Christian fellowship, touch the link below.
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