Well in this letter John cuts the world into two groups in stark contrasts. This was kinda common[2] and it helps simplify things. He makes it black and white. In this letter, we learn that God is light and love and so we are to also live in this light and love. There are people in darkness or light, there are those who hate or those who love. There are those who are for Christ and there are those who are anti-Christ.
In this letter, John will explain what it means to know that you have eternal life - what you need to know to be saved.
In our passage tonight, we get a flavour for John’s circular writing style, as he comes back to different ideas. I just want to draw out three ideas for this passage:
- The message about Jesus is true, John was there (1:1-4)
- We have to deal rightly with our sin, not minimise or deny it (1:6-2:1)
- Jesus has purified us from sin by His sacrifice on the cross (1:7, 9, 2:2)
The guys who wrote the New Testament are not the inventors of Christianity. They didn’t make this up, all they are reporters. They are couriers[3]. They pass on what they have heard and seen to others. That is the role of anyone who speaks from the Bible. If you are a Christian you too have this role of passing on the message of Jesus. They aren’t to make up new things, they are simply to pass on the message. Novelty comes and goes, people come and go, but God’s word lasts forever (Isa 40:8, 1 Peter 1:25).
And John writes this message so that his joy might be complete in verse 4. I don’t know if you have realised this, but to increase in joy, you have to share something with someone. When something exciting happens to you, you have to tell someone. When you see a great movie, it is even better with someone next to you. When you go to the beach, it is better with friends. John is telling these people about eternal life, which is a pretty good thing, and he is eager to share it with others so that he and them can share in the joy of this message.
We have to deal rightly with our sin, not minimise or deny it (1:6-2:1)
If we say that we are Christians and still continue to walk in the direction of darkness we are lying. If our behavior is not consistent with our belief we are saying that sin is unimportant. We must not minimise sin. Jesus died for sin. God went to great lengths to solve the sin problem, we must also take it deadly seriously.
If we say that we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves. It simply is not true that you have no sin. This also goes against what Jesus said about our nature and his own mission to take away the sin of the world. If we say we have no sin we are also calling Jesus a liar and saying that Jesus didn’t need to even come to earth to save us.
In order to have eternal life we first must deal with the problem of sin. We can not deny sin, which is what most of the world does today. Some think that they are good and that it's others out there are bad. It is others who sin and harm people, but not me. Of if you do think you have done wrong you may say “no one is perfect” or they rationalise that they are the exception to the rule. That their particular circumstances should mean that they get a free ticket. But here John is saying that we can not claim to be without sin (1:8). If you don’t think you have sin, would you risk talking to God and ask him to reveal your sin to you? Or maybe ask your parents, siblings or friends if you have ever sinned.
So, this is a bit of a predicament. How does this share in John’s joy by telling everyone that they are sinful? This is bad news. You and me are sinners, we are in darkness. It is what comes next that is the good news, not just for John but for everyone in the whole world.
Jesus has purified us from sin by His sacrifice on the cross (1:7, 9, 2:2)
All those who confess their sin Jesus has cleaned from sin. I don’t know if you have ever felt dirty when you did something wrong or have been wronged. Some people feel like that, and sin is like dirt. It stains us, it makes our hearts turned inwards to ourselves, it causes broken friendships or fellowships. But Jesus’ death on the cross removes our sin, removes our stains, gives us a new heart and lets us be friends with God and with one another (1:3, 7). That’s right, Jesus’ death on the cross not only washes us clean from sin, but also restores relationships with each other. In Christ we learn to put others before ourselves, we learn how to share joy and learn how we were meant to live.
While some people may deny they have sin there are others who think they have sinned to much, that they are too bad to be saved. That they keep sinning and can’t stop. To those people, know that forgiveness from God isn’t based on your actions but on Jesus, which has already been accomplished. In verse 2:2 John lays out the extent on the power of Jesus’ death. It has the power to save not just you from your sins, regardless of how bad you think you are, but also for the sins of everyone in the world, past, present and future. All who come to the Father and confess their sins will be saved.
So, how can you be assured that you have eternal life? Know who is giving you eternal life. It is God who is. God is light and love. It is the Father who sent His Son to die for you. It is the Father who accepts Jesus’ sacrifice to cleans you from your sin. It is the Father who is constantly faithful, and constantly just, who will, not maybe, but will forgive our sin.
So, my plea with you tonight is to admit that you are a sinner, continue to rely and depend on the God who wants to save you and restore fellowship with you and with those around you. Look to Jesus, confess your sins and live in the light with confidence, knowing that you can have eternal life. You can know this, not based on who you are, but based on who God is and what He has done for you.
[1] I know the letter doesn’t say it was written by John. If we somehow find out that John didn’t write this letter I will by no means be phased or question the inerrancy of the Bible for the simple reason the text doesn’t say. Karen H Jobes in Letters to the Church is convinced that the same author who wrote the Gospel of John also wrote 1 John. C. Clifton Blank in 1, 2 and 3 John (New Interpreters Bible - Vol 12) is convinced the same person who wrote 1 John also wrote 2 and 3 John. I say let's just join that all together and give the standard orthodox tradition some weight, with the caveat I gave at the start of this footnote.
[2] Take the word “Gentiles” for example. There were Jews and then everyone else. I wonder if this simple breaking up the world into two groups works with modern intersectionality, my hunch is probably not.
[3] David C. Steinmetz cited in Blank, C. Clifton, 1, 2 and 3 John (New Interpreters Bible - Vol 12), p 384
[4] Jobs, Karen H., Letters to the Church, p 423
[5] I know there are debates about 1 John 2:2 if ἱλασμός means expiation or propitiation. I lean on the side of the ESV and Holman on this issue, but here I am also happy with the NIV’s vague “atoning sacrifice” as it could be an allusion to one or both of the sacrificial goats in Lev 16. One is killed, its blood is shed in place of Israel indicating God’s wrath for sin (propitiation), the other has the sins of the nation confessed to it and then sent out away from people indicating the taking away of sin (expiation). Nevertheless, I think verse 1 John 1:7 and 9 are clearly about expiation (purification of sin).
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