Date: 9 February 2025, 9.30 am
Speaker: Ps Daniel Tan Sermon Text: 1 John 1:1-10
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TRANSCRIPT
Introduction
Blessed Sunday to everyone. Greetings also to those who are tuning in online.
I pray that in the weeks ahead, those who are online today, would be able to be present with us here in Henderson.
It is always a joy to meet fellow Hermonites each Sunday and to worship our Triune God together. Let us edify one another through our ministry of presence.
Today, we are beginning our journey over 7 sermons on the letters of John. 1,2 and 3 John.
There has been hardly any dispute that the author of these letters is a person named John and most are convinced that it is John, the son of Zebedee, the author of the Fourth Gospel.
This is because the style and the vocabulary of both the Gospel and the Letters of John are very similar.
As we go through 1,2,3 John, we will also discover that what he says is usually a shorthand for what has been elaborated in the Gospel of John.
The letters of John were written likely to the church in Ephesus and the surrounding areas.
In the 1st and 2nd century, Ephesus was a prominent Roman province in Asia. It was wealthy and highly influential.
If we Singaporeans were transported in time to be in Ephesus during the time of John’s letters, I think we would feel quite at home in that cosmopolitan city.
It has been observed that the general structure of 1 John is as follows:
1 John 1:1-4 is the introduction and 1 John 5:18-21 is the conclusion.
In-between there are 2 main sections. From 1:5 – 3:10 the emphasis is on God is Light.
The 2nd main section is from 3:11 – 5:17, here the emphasis is on God is Love.
Both these sections begin with the same heading:
a. 1 Jn 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to
you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
b. 1 Jn 3:11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning,
that we should love one another.
As we go through 1 John, we will heard John exhorting us about three basics of Christian life – true doctrine, obedient living and fervent devotion.
Persevere in the orthodox faith and it will be seen in the way we align our lives with God’s truth and display our devotion towards the community of faith.
Today, as we grapple with the idea that truth is relative, that God is to be our genie and that the individualism is preferred, I submit that the letters of John are a timely pause for us to re-think.
This is not how God has intended for us to live.
How many of us were at service last Sunday?
Our speaker shared from Romans 5:1-11 on how faith in Jesus gives reasons for joy. An inward disposition that is not affected by present circumstances nor the earthy realities even of the future.
From today’s passage, may I submit that this same Jesus is the reason why we can have joyous fellowship. Joyous fellowship both in our horizontal and vertical relationship.
Think of the typical joyous occasions we have in Singapore.
Since we are still in the CNY period, we can think of reunion dinners. Other occasions could be graduation, birth of a child, weddings.
What makes these occasions joyous?
It’s not just because a milestone is reached, it is also because for many of us we acknowledge that these milestones were achieved not just by our own contributions and thus the celebration is communal.
I submit, our earthly joyous occasions are a glimpse of the heavenly joys we can and will experience.
Our heavenly joys are so much more significant for they impact us not just emotionally but our souls as well. They penetrate deep down into our core.
They are also timeless. Our heavenly joys can be experienced now and into eternity.
And they can be experienced with a much wider circle than what we know today.
This joyous fellowship links us to everyone who has received Jesus as saviour and Lord, believers across multiple generations.
And into this circle, 1 John tells us, we significantly hold hands with our Triune God.
I submit that it is with this cosmic eternal joyous fellowship, in mind, that the letters of John were written.
And the author’s focus on joy can be seen through the bookends of this letter -
1 Jn 1:4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. … 3 Jn 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
I pray that as we understand the letters of John, it will transforms our faith community here in Hermon.
And cause us to experience the fullness of the joy that God has intended for us.
Affirming Jesus, the Light of the World
1 Jn 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.
Let’s begin to look at the first 4 verses of 1 John. If we want to have joyous fellowship, these verses tell us that we should have the right doctrine of who Jesus is.
That means, to be in fellowship with one another and with God, it means we have to affirm that Jesus is the Light of the World.
And this right doctrine of Jesus, comes through the authority of John and the apostles. Those who have received it personally because they were with Jesus.
I’ve used Light of the World as Jesus’ title in this sub-heading since today’s passage will speak about the contrast of living in the light against walking in the dark.
And it was Jesus who said in John’s Gospel:
Jn 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
This tight link to John’s Gospel can be seen further in the words used - ‘from the beginning’, ‘word of Life’, and the use of ‘light’. They link us back to John 1
Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
And we know that John 1 links us all the way back to Genesis 1.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
Jesus as the Word of Life according to John 1, means He is creator. He is at the beginning with God, Jesus existed before creation.
And John says, the Word was with God and the World was God. Jesus is thus divine, He is God.
John further emphasizes Jesus’ deity describing Jesus as – ‘his Son, Jesus Christ’.
Jesus is the Son of God who is also the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus is the long-awaited saviour who has come to rescue His people from slavery to sin.
Another title given to Jesus here is ‘eternal life’.
In John 6, Jesus was teaching that he is the Bread of Life, yet many of his disciples could not accept His teaching and when Jesus turned to Peter and his disciples, John records for us Peter’s reply:
Jn 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
The words of Apostle Peter are echoed in our opening hymn – Show Us Christ.
1 John says in these 4 verses, this sovereign creator God who existed before time, this Jesus, the divine son of God, the giver of eternal life, we have now heard him, seen him and touched him.
In John’s Gospel, he writes:
Jn 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us in the flesh.
1 John is thus emphasizing - to have fellowship with both believers and with our Triune God, we need to affirm that Jesus is truly God and truly man.
Our confession puts it this way:
WCF 8.2. The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being truly and eternally God, of one substance and equal with the Father, when the fullness of time came, took upon himself mankind’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities of it, yet without sin, being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary, and of her substance. Thus two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. This person is truly God and truly man, and yet is one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.
In history, it is noted that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on the cross at Calvary, but with biblical lenses, we say more.
We can confess that Jesus the Christ, the son of God, came to sacrifice himself and to redeem us from the curse of sin.
When we affirm Jesus, the Light of the World, we are brought into a relationship with God and with His people.
So the implication for us this morning, do we know Jesus truly?
I submit, if we truly believed that Jesus fully God and fully man, we will experience tremendous joy.
Because we will feel truly loved. God came in the flesh to die for you, for me.
Society may say we are insignificant, we are forgotten. God says, you are precious in my sight. I died for you and I have left my Spirit to sustain you till we meet again.
Not only should we feel loved, we should feel fully understood too. That is the principle from Hebrews 4:
Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus knows everything we are going through. He has felt it, he has experienced it. He knows about it.
Indeed - Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, Take it to the Lord in prayer
John, I submit, models what we should do as believers – what we have seen and heard, we proclaim.
For those of us who are mature believers, since you have understood deeply who Jesus is, this year, can you be open to share with fellow Hermonites, how knowing Jesus, has shaped your lives.
I’m certain that your testimony will encourage the younger ones.
For the younger believers, may I encourage you from Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Do not be shy about sharing the orthodox faith. Continue to share Jesus as He is shown to us in the Gospels. We do not need to be afraid to be seen as backward or unsophisticated.
Today, if you have yet to put your faith in Jesus, the Light of the World, I pray that His grace will touch you so that you too can experience this joyous fellowship.
Embracing Christian fellowship
John says, when we affirm who Jesus says He is, this enables us to enter into fellowship with fellow believers and more significantly with our Triune God.
With fellowship, it means, we have a relationship with God and with His people.
In terms of salvation, it means that it is personal but not private.
There is no such thing as a solo Christian. God saves us to be part of His family. It means when you are a believer, God will naturally put it you the desire to seek an ongoing relationship with Him and His family.
The word translated fellowship is Koinonia. It’s a tight association founded on common grounds. It’s like having the same passions and values and life directions.
To emphasize the importance of Koinonia, the word Fellowship is mentioned 4 times in this chapter.
1 Jn 1:3 … so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ …. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, …. we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Thus a disciple of Jesus has 2 ongoing relationships – one vertical with God and another horizontal with His church.
And for many of us, the relationship began with our friend first before it began with God right? For it is our friend who introduced us to God.
In v3, we have seen that the criteria to establishing this fellowship, is to have the right understanding Jesus.
In v6 & 7, we see the criteria to maintaining this fellowship. It means to walk in the light.
1 Jn 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
To walk is to live. It means our actions, thoughts and desires should be aligned with Jesus who is the Light of the World.
It means are we living lives that are Gospel-shaped.
Today, are we clinging on to Jesus the Vine and bearing the fruit of the Spirit?
When I do marriage counselling, I present the triangle that is the core of the marriage relationship.
God at the apex with the husband and the wife at the base.
In order for the husband and the wife to grow closer, the secret is to grow closer to God. As God transforms you to be more and more like Christ, you will become a better husband or wife.
And this will result in the marriage relationship becoming closer and stronger.
I would like to replace that with believers. I submit the principle from 1 John tells the same story.
And in the middle of the triangle is JOY.
Church, are we intentionally working on this relationship triangle? Are we seeking to grow in our relationship with one another around the Living Word of God?
Could I offer 2 things for our consideration by way of implication.
Firstly, Integrity – might we reflect on whether our lives on Sundays are consistent with the rest of our week. Is our relationship with Jesus only a Sunday thing or is it an everyday thing? Let’s not be Sunday Christians?
Secondly, Integration – how do we prioritize the gathering of His people. How much are we willing to set aside so that we can build relationships with God’s family?
We all have relatives who only show up once a year and sometimes at weddings and funerals. To them, their appearance is an obligation, not a desire.
May we not be like such relatives within the family of God here in Hermon.
Joyous Fellowship is the hallmark of walking in the light. May God help Hermonites to reflect this identity.
Seeking lives of sanctification
1 Jn 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 Jn 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Joyous fellowship means affirming who Jesus is and that fellowship is a natural outcome of that affirmation.
John now elaborates on how to maintain this fellowship, what it means to walk in the light.
With the repetition of the word ‘sin’, we get the idea then that holiness is key to maintaining fellowship with God and His people. That means we need constant sanctification.
May I highlight a few things from these verses:
Firstly, we see that there is a warning about the escalating intensity towards blasphemy if we reject holiness.
3 questions are asked, and we see that with the phase ‘If we say’ and it’s implications given.
v6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, (then) we lie and do not practice the truth.
v8 If we say we have no sin, (then) we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
v10 If we say we have not sinned, (then) we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
If we keep walk in darkness, if we keep sinning, then we are lying, we are deceiving ourselves and we will eventually be calling God a liar.
Church, let us heed the warning. If we say we are believers, we must walk in the light not in darkness.
Secondly, John gives us the contrasting action which we must do if we are to walk in the light. This is seen in the word ‘but if’.
v6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
v8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 (but) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
v10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us … 2:1 … But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
From v6 & 7, to walk in the light means to seek fellowship with God and His family. And that means we embrace who Jesus is. He is our sovereign creator and sustainer.
From v8 & 9, to walk in the light means we do not deny that we have sin, instead we confess our sins. We know that we are sinners who needs the grace of God which He will never withhold.
From v10 & v1 of chapter 2, to walk in the light means we acknowledge that on this side of eternity, we will still sin in the flesh.
But we know that we have Jesus Christ our advocate who constantly intercedes for us. Thus, we have confidence to approach God’s throne of grace.
By the blood of Jesus, we have been justified, we have been declared righteous when we put our faith in Jesus.
All of us thus have the same standing before God. None is more righteous. None is a greater sinner. May our equality before God, strengthen our inclusiveness.
But that is not the end, we need to continue to seek sanctification. We need to repent of our sins of commission and omission. We will fail God and His people, thus the comfort that Jesus Christ is our advocate.
This means none of us is too far gone to be forgiven. It means none of us need fear that fellowship is permanently cut off. Turning to Jesus in confession is the doorway of return.
Finally, in each, we see that the central focus is on the person of Jesus Christ.
To be able to walk in the light, the blood of Jesus must cleanse us. When we confess our sin, the blood of Jesus cleanses us.
Finally though we sin, we have an advocate Jesus the righteous.
Thus to enjoy joyous fellowship, is to cling on to Jesus. It is to allow Jesus to fill more and more of our lives, to allow Him to be Saviour and Lord of all.
This continued filling of Jesus is the process of sanctification. And in Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, he gives the hint of how we can be sanctified.
Jn 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
The Psalmist reminds us that His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths. This means God’s word is our torchlight for the vigilance against sin in our lives.
May God’s word enable us to live transparently before Him and His people.
May we be willing to confess our failures in the light of Scripture and embrace God’s instructions as to how we should walk daily.
For those of us who have many decades behind us, as we look back, there will always be regrets - how we have failed our Lord and His people.
May I offer the 3 fold reminder of the forgiving grace of Jesus for the closure of such regrets. Place these burdens of regrets at Jesus’ feet and embrace the freedom of His forgiveness.
For the younger generation, with the pressure to succeed so high in our society, such pressures might lead us to compromise.
May the 3 fold reminder of the forgiving grace of Jesus grant us the confidence to confess our imperfections to God and one another.
As we embrace this grace of Jesus, I’m confident that we will be enabled to resist the pressure to cover up our imperfections and failures.
Instead of seeking to project a false image, we will by God’s grace, confess our shortcomings.
I submit that when we live as such, seeking lives of sanctification, it will generate healthy relationships that will result in joyous fellowship.
Conclusion
Joyous fellowship is what our Heavenly Father has in store for all of us. It’s a wonderful gift that we can experience.
John tells us, this morning, this can be realized when we affirm that Jesus is the light of the world and when we embrace the vertical and horizontal relationships He has provided.
And this joyous fellowship will be maintained when we seek to walk in sanctification.
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