1 JOHN 1
6 Outlines
1 John 1:1-4
IT'S REAL!
Have you noticed how many
imitation products there are on the market today? There's imitation butter,
vanilla extract, chocolate chips, milk, sugar, artificial flavors, and a host
of other things.
Now products are
advertised as "real" butter, "real" chocolate chips,
"real" sugar, "real" milk etc.
Not only in food
products do people want what is real, but in interpersonal relationships as
well. Many people are artificial. They look nice on the outside, but on the
inside they can be angry or unhappy, or empty, or a bunch of "fluff".
We like it when people
are real! When they act like they really are. We like when they do not put on
"fronts", when they are sincere, honest, frank.
Even in religion there
are those that are imitations of the real thing. They pretend or claim to have
what is real, when in reality all they have is a cheap imitation.
Biblical Christianity is
real! It's genuine! It's alive! It's sincere!
In 1 John 1:1-4, John is
saying, "Christianity is real. There's nothing artificial about genuine
Christianity."
REALITY WAS SEEN - Vs. 1
John reminds us at the
end of this verse that reality is in a person. He calls this person "The
Word of Life."
In John 1:1-2 and John
Why is Jesus called
"the Word"? Our words reveal
to others just what we think and just how we feel. As "the Word"
Jesus reveals to us the heart and mind of God. He is God's living communication
to us, God's Word in the flesh.
He is called "The
Word of Life". He came to earth to communicate eternal life for you and I,
which is available through Him. He made this life possible through His death on
the cross for our sins, and his subsequent resurrection from the dead. When a
person believes on Christ, eternal life becomes a reality. 1 John 5:11-12
Also, when we believe on
Christ we have real life, real living, right now. John 10:10
In verse 1 John is
saying "We have heard, seen, and handled the Word of life!"
REALITY WAS SHOWN - Vs.
2
Reality was seen because
reality was shown. The life was manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:6
The word
"manifested" means "to make visible, clear, known." John is
saying that the life was made visible, and that he saw it. After John had seen
the life he communicated with his readers.
REALITY THAT IS SHARED -
Vs. 3
One way that we know
that what we have is real is because it can be shared.
The key word in this
verse is "fellowship". Fellowship means a partnership, a having in
common, sharing.
I have something in
common with every other person who knows Christ as Savior. I have the same
Savior, the same Heavenly Father, the same Bible, the same joys, sorrows, and
trials. It matters not the amount of time I've know someone, or what color a
man's skin is, or what denomination a person belongs to. When we both have
Christ, we have something real to share with each other.
Not only is our
fellowship to be with each other, but also with God the Father and God the
Son. We are to abide in intimate sharing
with them. In order to have real fellowship with other Christians, we must have
real fellowship with God!
REALITY THAT IS SURE -
Vs. 4
How am I sure when I
have reality?
When I have real
fellowship with the Lord and others, I will have joy!
A sure reality in Christ
is a joyful reality, in spite of difficulties.
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1 John 1:1-4
A MESSAGE FROM JOHN
JOHN’S PARTICIPATION – Vss. 1-2a
1 John 1:1-2 - That
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of
life; [2] (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it…
JOHN’S PROCLAMATION – Vss. 2b-3a
…and bear witness, and shew unto you
that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That
which we have seen and heard declare we unto you,
JOHN’S PURPOSE – Vss. 3b-4
…that ye also may have fellowship with
us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And
these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
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1 John 1:1-4
LIFE!
JOHN EXPERIENCED LIFE -
Vss. 1-2
He heard it.
He saw it (in Christ).
He looked upon it.
He handled it.
JOHN EXPRESSED LIFE -
Vss. 2-4
For salvation (eternal
life) - Vs. 2
For Fellowship - Vs. 3
For Joy - Vs. 4
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1 John 1:5-10
IN THE LIGHT!
COMMUNICATION - Vs. 5 -
God is light and in Him is no darkness.
CHOICES - Vss. 6-7 - We
will either walk in light or darkness.
CAUTION - Vss. 8,10 -
Never claim to be without sin.
CLEANSING - Vs. 9 - When
we confess our sins, "coming clean" before God, naming our sins, we
are forgiven and cleansed by Him.
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1 John 1:5-10
IT MATTERS
There are three
important matters for us to consider here:
A MATTER OF LIGHT - Vs.
5
God is light. In Him
there is no darkness! His purity and His
holiness are beyond our human comprehension.
A MATTER OF LIES - Vss.
6, 8, 10
1. If we claim to know
Christ and our life is characterized by habitual sin, we are lying and not
practicing truth. Vs. 6
2. If we claim not to
sin we are fooling ourselves and lack truth. Vs. 8
3. If we to claim not to
sin we are calling God a liar (Romans
A MATTER OF LIFE - Vss.
7, 9
As Christians, if we
walk in fellowship with God, His light will expose our sins and we will deal
with them through confession. His blood will continue to cleanse us. As we walk
in the light we will experience life at its finest!
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1 John 1:5-10
GOD'S BEST
Some people may think that Christianity is
negative. However to have God's best for
our lives we must deal with the negativity of sin.
God's best:
NO DARKNESS - Vss. 5-7 - walking in the light
NO DECEIT - Vss. 8, 10 - we should not try to fool God
or ourselves
NO DIRT - Vs. 9 - confession brings about cleansing
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