The Light of the World

1 John 1

 

1 John is the Apostle John’s letter to the Church scattered throughout the world. At the time he wrote this letter, he was the last living Apostle. All the rest had died as Martyrs, giving their lives as testimonies to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. John lived a martyr’s life, suffering much for his faithful testimony to the truth about our Lord Jesus Christ. As the 90-year-old Apostle writes, he begins his letter with:

1 John 1:1 (NKJV) 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, concerning the Word of life--

 

He is giving testimony to what he and his friends saw, touched, and experienced. He began his record of Jesus’s life, the Gospel of John, at the same place.

John 1:1-3 (NKJV) 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 nothing was made that was made.

 

The Bible begins its narrative at the same place. The first verse of the Bible being:

Genesis 1:1 (NKJV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

 

This is the testimony of Scripture. God created the heavens and the earth. John begins his testimony with this foundational truth. This is where all of our testimonies must begin. It is as the Scriptures say:

Acts 17:28 (NKJV) “for in Him we live and move and have our being.

 

At some point, all creatures in heaven and on earth will acknowledge this truth. The earth and all it contains were created by and belong to the Lord, which includes us. John’s testimony is that this One who created us is what he calls “the Word of life.” 

1 John 1:1 (NKJV) 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, concerning the Word of life--

 

He continues by saying that this Word of life was made visible, and that life is eternal life, and that eternal life was with the Father.

1 John 1:2 (NKJV) the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--

 

The Word of life was present with God in the beginning, and this life is eternal life, and it has been made known to us.

 

In verse 3 of 1 John, once again John declares:

1 John 1:3 (NKJV) that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, …

 

We should all take note of this. John once again says that they are telling us what they saw, touched, and experienced

 

Our lives are dependent on God. He is the originator of life and the source of life. This truth is at the core of our faith, and God has made it clear to every person. Romans 1:19 says:

Romans 1:19 (NKJV) because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown [it] to them.

 

If God has made it clear (manifest) in them, why don’t all people believe? Romans also answers this question when it says:

Romans 1:18 (NKJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

 

In His Gospel, speaking of Jesus, John says:

John 1:9-10 (NKJV) 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

 

This is incredible. This is the power of darkness at work in the lives of men and women. Turning once more to the Scriptures to understand this. In 2 Corinthians, we read:

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NKJV) whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

 

You will have noticed that light and life are tied together in these Scriptures. And you will have noticed that men and women are in darkness for two reasons. First, they suppress the truth. Second, the god of this age blinds them.

 

We suppress the truth because, like Adam and Eve, we want to be like God, and the same serpent that tempted Adam and Eve by saying, “you will become like God,” is the same devil that deceives people today.

 

The enemy of our souls wants to keep the light of the gospel from illuminating people's lives. When Jesus came to earth and lived among us, the devil tried to stop Jesus, but He failed. John 1:5 says:

John 1:5 (NIV) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

 

The world is under the power of the evil one, but he has not overcome Jesus, who is the light. Now I want to look at our part in all this.

 

The first thing is that we must remain in Jesus if we are going to have life and walk in the light.

 

The second thing is that Jesus says we are the light of the world. Yes, us!

Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV) 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all [who are] in the house. 16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

In 1 John, John declares to us the message they heard, and in that message we come to know the light. When we walk in the light as he is in the light, we illuminate the world around us. What is more, God has given us His Holy Spirit who dwells within us, and thus we carry the light of God with us wherever we go.

1 Corinthians 2:12 (NKJV) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

 

1 John 4:13 (NKJV) By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

 

Because of the Spirit He has given us, John can say:

1 John 4:17 (NKJV) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

Abiding in God

1 John

 

 

 

What is eternal life?

 

Is it more of what we have here? Does eternal life mean living a long time?

 

Surely, none of us wants to live forever with the evil we see in this world. Disease, death, and suffering keep getting worse and worse.

 

The book of 1 John is about eternal life and, more to the point, it is about fellowshipping with God, or as I have chosen to say, “Abiding in God.”

 

John states his purpose in writing in 1 John 1:3-4.

1 John 1:3-4 (NKJV) 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

 

Let’s take this from the bottom and work our way up. The conclusion that these two verses reach is found in the words, “We write to you that your joy may be full.” Just before saying this, John tells us what will make our joy full. He says that they are declaring what they have seen and heard so that we can have fellowship with them. (Perhaps someone was with John when he was writing, so he writes in the plural “we.”) Pay attention because the following phrase is the key to the letter. He says, “And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

 

All that this letter is declaring and teaching is so that we can have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, and when we have fellowship with the Father and the Son, we have fellowship with the Body of Christ, the Church. We should each belong to a local branch of the Church, which exists in many localities around the Earth. Our fellowship with each other is based on the premise that we have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

 

1 John teaches us that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:5 (NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

 

We each should explore what is meant by “light,” and the implications that has for our lives. We should consider God’s commandments, our relationship to them, and whether they are important to us. We should talk about the dangers of deception in the world and how we should approach teachings that differ among us. We should contemplate what it means to be God’s children. And we should learn how we can have confidence to stand on the day of judgement.

 

Each of these: Light, commandments, deception, God’s children, and confidence, are fields of study by themselves, but John writes about each of them in this brief letter. Each subject is well worth our time, yet it seems we can only ever scratch the surface. However, no matter how deep we are able to go, these are crucial subjects for us to understand.

 

In 90 AD, when John was writing, deceptive teachings were a real threat to the Church. They still are. John was writing, in part, because of bad teaching regarding Jesus Christ. Some were saying that as a begotten Son of God, Jesus was not the same as God. Others were denying that Jesus was God in the flesh. They taught that the “Christ Spirit” descended on Him at His baptism. There were (and are) many such teachings. Some of the false teachings are very complex and appear and feel spiritual and intelligent, but the truth John declares is quite simple. John emphasizes repeatedly that any teaching that denies Jesus as the Son of God (God in human flesh) is not from God.

 

The Deity of Christ is attacked in many ways, and John makes it clear that we must hold fast to the truth that Jesus is God come in the flesh. The Gospel of John also clearly and boldly declares that Jesus is God. The idea of the Trinity is clearly seen in both the Old and New Testaments, starting with Genesis 1, where the God who made the heavens and the earth is written in the plural, i.e., "Gods." Then in Genesis 1:26, God says:

Genesis 1:26 (NKJV) Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

[Who is God speaking with?]

 

Our fellowship with God starts here at this truth. Romans 10:9 says:

Romans 10:9 (NIV) If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

 

I used the NIV translation because it is clearer in its representation of what is being said in the original. When Romans 10:9 says, “Jesus is Lord,” the literal meaning is “Jesus is God.” In English and in Greek, Lord can mean master or boss depending on context. And, taken in the context of what is being said in Romans 10:5-13 about faith and calling on the name of the Lord, it is clear that the confession spoken of is that Jesus is God.

 

This is what John begins with in his letter when he says:

1 John 1:1 (NKJV) 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, concerning the Word of life--

 

John saw, heard, and handled the One who is the Word of life. 

 

Now, I want to answer the question I asked at the beginning. What is eternal life? Look with me at what John says in His gospel.

John 17:3 (NKJV) “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

 

Eternal life is not a continuation of what we see in the world around us. Eternal life is fellowship with the Father and the Son. It is life, never-ending, but it is life in the presence of the Father and the Son. If you do not know or enjoy the Father or the Son now, you do not have eternal life. But if you: “If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is the promise of God.

Sudden Destruction

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

 

My desire is to encourage you. Paul, Silas, and Timothy also wanted to encourage the church in Thessalonica and throughout the ages.

 

In chapter 4, the encouragement is explicit. The dead in Christ will rise first, and we will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air with them. And thus, we will be with the Lord forever.

 

With this straightforward explanation, the missionaries turn to look at the times and seasons. The question is, “If we can be sure the resurrection hasn’t happened yet, how will we know when it will happen?”

 

1 Thessalonians 5:2 says that we know that the time will come like a thief in the night, which means suddenly and unexpectedly. But like the thief, only those who are sleeping will be surprised. So, we too will not be surprised because we are not sleeping.

 

However, those who do not believe the word of God will suffer a strong delusion. (2 Thess. 2:11-12) They will think that the world has finally reached a place of peace and safety. But it is at that point that sudden destruction will come upon them.

 

God wants us to understand all this, so He has told us quite a bit about it. First, no one needs to suffer this destruction, but many will.  Look with me at 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

God takes no pleasure in the death of the unrighteous. But we see here that some choose not to believe the truth but take pleasure in unrighteousness. Since they refuse the truth, they are increasingly deluded. We cannot expect anything different. If a person refuses to believe the truth, the lie is all that is left. God does not take away their intelligence or their thirst for truth, so, refusing to believe the truth, they participate in creating the strong delusion. God does not lie or deceive anyone, but if a person invites the devil in and, for all practical purposes, asks for the lie, God does not stop them, and He does not take away their power to choose. By their choice not to believe the truth, the path to sudden destruction is set.

 

As far as sudden destruction is concerned, Jesus taught about the destruction that is coming. Matthew 24 tells us some of what Jesus said about this. 

Matthew 24:6 (NKJV) “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

 

Wars, pestilence, disasters, and evil must come to pass, but they do not signal the end. However, an interesting phenomenon is about to take place. Daniel 9 tells us:

Daniel 9:27 (NKJV) Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week, He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

 

The “he” in this verse is speaking of the Antichrist. He will make a seven-year covenant (treaty) with Israel. That is one aspect of “peace and safety.” Next, let’s look at a verse from Revelation 6.

Revelation 6:2 (NKJV) And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

 

In this verse, the rider on the white horse is the Antichrist. He has a crown, and we know from the Scriptures that he will set up a government over the whole earth. He has a bow but no arrows. He will conquer without bloodshed. Probably an economic measure, which is now within the realm of possibility, given the world’s economic shift to the internet. 

 

Between the establishment of a globe-spanning government and a treaty with Israel, the whole world will say, “Finally, an age of peace!”

 

But let’s look at what Jesus says about what will happen at that time. In Matthew 24, He says:

Matthew 24:21-22 (NKJV) 21 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

 

Jesus says that there has never been, and never will be, a time of greater tribulation than what is going to happen at that time. So, when people think they finally have world peace, sudden destruction will come. To give us an idea of how bad those days will be, Jesus says, “Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved.” Jesus will end this time before everyone on earth is dead, but from the Scriptures, we know that somewhere between half and 3 out of 4 people on earth will die. So out of 8 billion people, only 2 billion will survive the 7 years.

 

That is the second element of the threat hanging over Earth's inhabitants.

 

We have seen that when people think that world peace is finally a reality, the worst wars and disasters the world has ever seen will happen. And there is still a third element to the threat that hangs over the earth. 

 

The third element is “They shall not escape.”

 

Simply put, there will be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

 

Now, you will recall that the Author is giving words of comfort to believers in Christ. Let’s look at a couple of things He says that are comforting.

 

First, He says:

1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NKJV) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

 

God told us what is going to happen. I have told you today what God says. None of us will be surprised by these things. But that is not the best comfort for us believers. Let me show you a couple of verses.

 

First, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 (NKJV) 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

 

God did not appoint us for this wrath. He does not mean for us to experience it. Look at the words this passage ends with. “Whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” These words take us back to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NKJV) 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

 

These verses echo each other. “We shall always be with the Lord.” 2 Thessalonians 2 teaches us that the Antichrist will not come into his world dominance until we, the Church, are taken out of the way. It says:

2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NKJV) Let no one deceive you by any means; for [that Day will not come] unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

 

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 (NKJV) 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains [will do so] until He is taken out of the way.

 

Verse 6 says we know what is restraining the man of sin from being revealed. How do we know? Remember, Jesus told us that we are the salt of the earth. We, the Church, are what needs to be taken out of the way, because we are a preservative. The “He” in this verse is the Holy Spirit who lives in each member of the Church. We will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air because we are in the way of God dealing with the evil in the world.

 

We can comfort each other with these words because we will be attending a feast in Heaven while these things are happening on the earth. 

 

Let’s share the message of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ with everyone we can so that they, too, may escape the wrath that is to come.

 

If you are not sure of your relationship with Jesus, let’s take care of that right now. There is nothing you need to do to get ready. But you do need to ask, because God does not force us. We have all broken God’s law and are destined for wrath, unless we ask Jesus to be our Savior.

 

Just ask. Following is a prayer you can pray. The words are not what is important. Your heart and intention to ask are what matter. But if you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can pray this prayer or something like it right now.

 

Jesus, I recognize that I need you as my Savior. I know that I have sinned and ask you to forgive my sin and make me your child. Please come into my life and be my Savior. Amen.

 

If you have just prayed that prayer, you ought to let someone know. Doing so will confirm your decision and add a confession of your faith to your request. 

Romans 10:9-10 (NLT) 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

Peace and Safety

Peace and Safety

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

 

 

As we continue with our study of 1 Thessalonians, we come to chapter 5, focusing on the same verses we looked at in the previous article, where we discussed the times and seasons mentioned by the authors of 1 Thessalonians in chapter 5, verse 1. 

 

We come now to look at part of verses 2 and 3. These verses say:

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 (NKJV) 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

 

These verses sound ominous, scary even. The words “sudden destruction” and “they shall not escape” tell us that bad things are coming.

 

This verse describes a threat looming over the world. Three components of this threat hang over Earth's inhabitants. They are as follows:

1. Men say, “Peace and Safety.”

2. Sudden destruction comes upon them.

3. They shall not escape.

 

We will go through them in order, but in this article, we will only discuss “Men say, ‘Peace and Safety.’”

 

Let’s look at 1 Thessalonians 5:3 again.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 (NKJV) For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

 

This reveals a problem in humanity. There are scoffers among us. God has made it clear in His word what He will do. But throughout history, most people have not paid much attention. Jesus spoke about this in Luke 17, when He was explaining His return to His disciples. He said:

Luke 17:26-30 (NKJV) 26 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 “They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 “but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed [them] all. 30 “Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

 

Consider Noah as an example. Noah preached to the people around him for a hundred years while building the Ark. Anyone who listened was welcome to join him on the Ark. If people had listened, they could have built multiple Arks, but, sadly, people mocked Noah and kept on with their usual ways. This worked for them for 100 years, until it didn’t.

 

2 Peter 3:3-6 tells us:

2 Peter 3:3-6 (NKJV) 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world [that] then existed perished, being flooded with water.

 

We should observe three things about these people and ensure we are not like them. First, they do not take God's word seriously—they scoff at it. Second, they walk according to their own lusts. In other words, they see life as about pursuing what they can get for themselves. Their desires rule their lives. And third, they intentionally forget. We have a world full of evidence of the flood, yet people have found a different way to explain the evidence and deny the truth.

 

So, the first threat looming over Earth's inhabitants is of their own making. They say “Peace and safety” because they refuse to see the obvious signs God has given.

 

The second element of the threat is “Sudden destruction comes upon them.”

 

“Sudden Destruction” will be the topic for a later time.

 

At this point, let’s wrap up this session with a question.

 

Do we scoff at the word of God? Is there something that God says that we ignore, explain away, or question, like “Did God really say?”

 

I want to challenge you. If you have a sin or a habit that you know displeases God, do what you have to do to get rid of it.  

 

Let’s read what Galatians 6:7-8 says.

Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV) 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

 

My challenge to you is to sow (plant) to the Spirit and reap everlasting life.

 

First, ask God to help you, to save you from the trap you find yourself in.

 

Next, confess your sin.

1 John 1:9 (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

Then plant the word of God in your heart. Don’t just read it, think on it. Mull it over in your thoughts. Memorize it. Think through how to implement it in your life.

 

In doing these things, you will find the joy of the Lord and avoid the sudden destruction that comes from ignoring truth and warnings.