Letters of John 1 John 1:3-4 Reality of the Incarnation part 2

that is decided that we cover is part two of the reality of the incarnation in 1 John chapter one verses three and four. Now there's five chapters in this book by John, but here's a simple outline that has four points. The preface verses one through four of chapter one. God is light, so his children ought to walk in that light, beginning at verse 5 through 2.29. God is love, so his children ought to walk in that love, and that begins in chapter 3, verse 1 through 5.12. And then finally, the conclusion in chapter 5, verse 13 through 21.

That's from Chester McCulley and his audio messages. I was real specific in the link if you wanted to take a look at that. Actually, you don't look at it, you hear it because it's an audio message, okay? Anyway, that's where I got that outline. There are many sub points. I won't go into that right now. I do have them. If you want them, I can make a file and post it. Let's read together the text from the King James Version, and I'm going to start with verse 1. I hope you have your Bibles handy, and that you'll open with me as we read this.

That which was from the beginning, that 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. And this is a parenthesis in verse two, where the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show it unto you, that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. And the verses for the day now, that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us. And truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

One of the things that I have learned in my Christian walk, and in coming to know God personally, is when I read God's Word, I try to read it more than once, and in more than one version. And for that reason, I'd like to read it now in another version. Let's see if I can bring it up. This is the New American Standard of 1995.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled concerning the word of life. And notice there's a dash there. that introduces this parenthesis in verse two. And the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us. That which we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. These things we write so that our joy may be made complete. We've got a lot to cover today, but I'll try real hard to get through it. If you have questions, I'll try to remember them. And at the end, I'm going to give you time to ask them, OK? First, let's take a look at the words used here. What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you all so is beginning with a relative pronoun in the neuter form.

What is the actual literal translation? It refers to the things of Christ. We have seen, it is a sense of perception in this word, is in the indicative mood perfect tense we have seen with abiding results today. And is that little conjunction that takes us to we have heard again indicative perfect. It is a sense of perception of hearing. We have heard and I think the technical way to look at that perfect tense here is, it's still echoing in our ears what we heard. Then we get a present indicative, not perfect, but present.

We are proclaiming or declaring, it's a wonderful word that has a deep meaning, and it has a beginning preposition of pa. which defines the movement of information from one source to another. It's like a sergeant relating to the troops information. In this case, it is God who is proclaiming or declaring or announcing continuously.

And then it is true youth. This is the direction of the message. What is he doing here? That's the goal, and we hope we'll get there. My literal translation is not perfect, but it's as close as I can make it to the original. What we have seen and we have heard, we are proclaiming to you. First part of verse three. Second part of verse three is that you also make a fellowship with us. Begins with this little conjunction, hinnah. It introduces a purpose or a goal, in order that, so that, and then the conjunction and the personal pronoun, there is also you. In other words, so that, and he's including you, and he goes on and tells you what he's going to include you and I with.

It is fellowship, kunduniya, what a precious word this is. I've got a lot to say about it, so I've got a real short summary definition here. Denker sort of gives us that in close association or in shared interest or a shared community life. I like that. We are, because of this message being declared, being shared a common interest, a community life.

Maybe having, it is a present subjunctive word. It is potential here. And this little preposition is with the genitive, the meaning that is very powerful. It's in association with, it's in parallel with fellowship here. Notice how it amplifies and magnifies the fellowship. It is something that we have an interest with.

And John emphasizes that Jesus is God, or God is Jesus, and that he is with his disciples. I took the trouble to give you some references both in the Gospel of John and also a little reference here where meta, the same preposition, is used three times by John.

In a verse in the third section of writing that God used John to write, Revelation, three times in the end there, Revelation 21.3, the future of fellowship with God is mentioned.

Wow, isn't that something? It adds to help when we look at how God uses these words, I think. And then we end with the little personal pronoun, first person plural, us. Oh man, that's you and me. My literal translation, so that also you, fellowship may be having with us, you and me, and John, and all believers. Isn't that something? What an inclusive thing.

Notice in verse three at the end, we have, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. A little connective there, and, or could be also, or it could even be even. I think it's and here. The fellowship, indeed. He is compounding this. It is not just and, it is not just that he's using that as a connector, but he's emphasizing it is the fellowship, the relationship with, and it is something that is even magnified more here, with a third conjunction that is acting in parallel to this article and noun fellowship. Indeed. Death. Little word. Strong emphasis.

Now he uses again the article, this time with a possessive pronoun, that agrees with fellowship. It's a feminine singular, just like fellowship. That fellowship is ours. It's our fellowship. That of us. With the father, again, there's that meta. parallels that fellowship word, and he is very specific, the Father, our Father. And, or could be even, with the Son of Him, Jesus Christ. My literal translation is, and the fellowship indeed, that of us with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And now we get to go to verse four.

These things we write so that our joy may be made complete. Again, the conjunction and. Again, we have a neuter pronoun. This time it's demonstrative. It has the meaning of these things because it's plural. These things First person plural, we are writing, and it's present tense, it's durative action here, to you, directed to each one of us, with a purpose, within a year. So that is the translation. And then we have the word, the joy, kara. Oh man, this is something we're gonna spend a lot of time on this morning.

This is God's joy. I'm giving a little introduction here because it's good to get a foundation from the study of the words. It is God's joy shared with us and through us by his spirit, who now dwells or tabernacles in us. And he is, he's just radiating God's love, joy. Look at this list. Peace, long suffering. That's, Patience, okay? Gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. That's like self-control. Meekness is like using what is right correctly.

And then finally, from Romans, we learn the totality of God's righteousness is shared through and in us. He's just radiating all these things. God Himself is doing that. Where is He doing it? Through these bodies of ours. Isn't that something? It's of us.

And the oldest texts have us here, not you. And it's very likely the reason that it's in a few texts of you, is that in the Gospel of John, it's you. And so the copyists, probably remembering that text, thought he meant you. But he uses in the majority of the oldest texts of us, all believers, including John, including you and me. And then we have this perfect, passive, participle man. What a word.

Clay Rao. May be made complete is a literal rendering of it, but it is If you really want to get technical, having been made complete in the past, will remain complete now and on forever. Isn't that something? The intensity of that, it is very intense. Banker says, cause to abound in content to a maximum. Literally, and these things we are writing to you so that the joy of us may be made complete. I like that.

And now I'd like to do a little bit of an overview, looking at first the New American Standard, my literal rendering, and the Wiest expanded translation. I'm going to read you the literal first that we have just experienced, just to give an overview of the literal text. What we have seen and we have heard we are proclaiming to you, so that you also fellowship may be having with us. And the fellowship indeed, that of us, I didn't put in a verb here because there is no verb in the text. With the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, and these things we are writing to you so that the joy of us may be made complete. Lise expands this, and boy, does he ever expand it. It's good. He sticks with the meanings. Let me read it.

That which we have seen with discernment and at present is in our mind's eye, and that which we have heard and at present is ringing in our ears, we are reporting also to you in order that as for you also, you may participate jointly in common with us." He wants to include us with him. John was very intense, wasn't he? I think the Holy Spirit directed him to think that way. And to fellowship in the deed which is ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

These things, as for us, we're writing in order that our joy, having been filled completely full in times past, may persist in that state of fullness through the present time. Okay, here's a bit of review, just to stir up our minds by way of remembrance. You remember Peter? He liked to use that phrase. John wrote five of the books of the New Testament Scriptures.

The Gospel of John, the first three letters here of John, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. In John's Gospel, it's about our past. our salvation. In his letters, which we're looking at the first one of today, he deals with our present sanctification, set apart from sin unto God. And in John's revelation of Jesus Christ, it's about our future, sharing his glory with God in eternity. John takes us as God's children into his family and his fellowship.

There's a little bit of a contrast and overlap here. Paul takes us as united with him positionally complete. and in a condition of growing into his likeness as members of his church. What I've done here is started to summarize these two authors that our Lord used to reveal himself in two different ways. But they overlap, don't they? There's a great deal of overlap. A bit more review to stir up our minds by remembrance.

Both the Gospel of John and 1 John have clear stated purposes. Now, John 20, 30 says that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you might have life through his name. The words and works of Jesus that prove his deity are presented that you might believe. In John 5, 13, we have one of the purposes of 1 John, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. Notice he's added assurance. The words and works that ought to follow those who have believed would result in assurance, wouldn't they? confidence, trust. And there's more.

In this text, in John 5, 13, we have only the seventh stated purpose, because in John 1, 3, one of the verses we have today, that you also may have fellowship with us. Indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. there is fellowship with believers and our Father and His Son being God's purpose here.

In the fourth verse, that our joy being made complete. Our joy being made complete is also God's purpose here. In chapter two, verse one, that you may not sin. Our not sinning is God's purpose here. in chapter 2, 13 through 17, to fathers, young men, and children, because he that does the will of God abides forever. Our victory overall, by resting in Him, is God's purpose here. In John 2, 21 through 24, it says, if you heard from the beginning, abides in you. If what you heard abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. Our personal being at home in the Son and in the Father is God's purpose here.

He focuses on that intensely. That's assurance in a big statement, isn't it? And also in chapter 226, concerning those who are trying to deceive you, are being warned of deceivers is God's purpose here. There are a lot of purposes in 1 John, aren't there? Seven of them at least. I don't know if we've covered them all, but that's my best attempt. There's some observations here, however. There are three more heptatic groups of seven structures in 1 John. There are seven traits of the born-again, and those are the references.

Chapter 129, chapter 39, chapter 47, and chapter 51, two times. Chapter 54 and chapter 518. There are seven tests of Christian genuineness. This is a bit repetitive, but it's in Chapter 1-6, 1-8, 1-10, 2-4, 2-6, 2-9, and 4-20. I'm mentioning the references for those who don't have the overheads here. There are seven tests of honesty and reality, John 1-6, 8, 10, 2-4, 2-6, 2-9, 4-20. Notice those are the same references as a group of seven tests of Christian genuineness. But it's a different perspective in each case. Now, in addition to that, there's six references about wires here.

In John 1.6, 1.10, 2.4, 2.22, 4.20, and 5.10.

The magnitude of this book, the structure of it, could be summed up one way, I think, that is, in all honesty, the best way I know to express it. God is the author of perfection, both in summary and in detail. The chances of this being written haphazardless are multiplied By all of these structures, almost to infinity, man could not do this. Only God could. This proves the authorship is of God behind every word, every detail.

John was used to reveal these things of God. salvation in the gospel, sanctification in his letters, and the sharing of his glory in the revelation of Jesus Christ. He creates us. He lives in us. His glory is seen through us. And his glory will forever be praised.

So, what are God's things revealed in these two verses? The text we're looking at today. The focus here is on fellowship and joy. We have seen and heard, we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Notice the way God communicates in both of these verses. in writing. He proclaims in writing.

Fellowship and joy. Fellowship in Greek is koinonia, and it means a fellowship, a close mutual relationship, a partnership, a communion. And in 1 John, this is a sharing relationship in God's family. Fellowship in God's family has two dimensions here that are mentioned. Horizontally, we have a fellowship, you and I, don't we? We have a horizontal relationship with one another.

That is, on the level of humanity, between the brethren, each of us of the same kind, God's creatures, God's family, God's creation, And then vertically, the dimension that extends way beyond us to our Father and to His Son, who provided that relationship, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There are two families in this world, and Jesus said this to the Pharisees, you are of your father, the devil, said that in John 8, 44. And you cannot join God's family. You must be born into it. We learn this in John 3, 3, where God says, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

We hear him through his word. He hears us through our prayer. I want to give one Old Testament reference that I think is very sensitive to this. Thy words were found and I did eat them. Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Jeremiah 15.6. Notice we go on. Fellowship and joy is here. And these things we write so that our joy may be made complete. Now joy is the Greek kara, and it means delight, pleasure, joy, satisfaction. A lot of synonyms there. I probably spent the most of my time studying joy.

And from the scriptures, they're giving you a definition, I think, that is pretty much a summary of what God's Spirit has revealed to us about His joy. God's gift of His joy is that settled state. It's that state of being of our new heart, our new nature, the new creation that we are. being totally delighted and satisfied both in God and in his family. This is produced by God the Spirit as part of his fruit in everyone who believes in Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. We went through this didn't we? Galatians 5, 22 through 23.

Make my joy complete, says Paul in Philippians 2.2, by being of the same mind, being made to think the same way, maintaining the same love based on the love that Christ had unto death for one another, for him. United, harmonious in spirit, and intent on one purpose only, just to be his vessel of glory. For you are our glory and joy.

Paul makes it very personal in 1 Thessalonians 2.20 that the believers that God led him to give the message to became his personal Glory and joy. Same way joy is mentioned here in our verse by John. These things we write so that our joy be made complete, not only in the past, but in the present too.

Jesus promised his joy would come to us with the Holy Spirit. Let me quote, these things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, that your joy may be made full. John 15, 11. Jesus made this promise in the context of his command to love one another with his kind of love. This is my commandment. that you love one another just as I have loved you, John 15, 12.

Jesus had the knowledge of this great joy that he was going to give as he adored the cross with a dual purpose in mind. First, to satisfy the offense of our sin by paying the penalty of all sin. death, and also in that act to show us how much God loves us. Fixing your eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. I left off here because I was overwhelmed at this point. And it is that kind of joy and love that has been shared with us both individually and as a group by His Spirit who has made our bodies His radiant joy revealer. How much does our body reveal His joy? Isn't that intense? Isn't that personal?

I think that John, who was one of three who were very, very close in their association with the Lord among the Twelve Disciples, Peter wrote in a verse in 1 Peter 1.8 about the people he was writing to. having not seen the people that he wrote to had not seen Jesus, but Peter had, so had John.

Having not seen you love in whom though now you are, you don't see him now, yet believing you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory and the word unspeakable and full is in parallel with what we've been talking about. But it adds that word unspeakable. It is without measure. It is, as John says, has been made complete or full. And he has written these things so that it would keep on being and without definition.

There have been a lot of people that have tried to define God's joy. I don't know that we can enter into it other than expressing it by letting the Holy Spirit wither rather than quenching Him. Not letting Him express God's great joy. I don't know of any other thing that I can say at this point about this letter.

This opening preface gives us a foundation that says, number one, it's for believers, us. Number two, there are explicit, definite purposes throughout that we should look for. And how do those apply to us as individuals? I've got no time, but do you have questions? Anybody want to add something?

No, just that this has been excellent, Roy. It's just, it's really amazing. It's, yeah. It's overwhelming, isn't it? Yeah. And I'm taking it all in. It's quite a river of blessing, isn't it, from God. Yeah. I can't tell you how much it means to me to be a part of the fellowship at Harbor Hills that God has created. It is such a personal thing, isn't it?

Thank God for each one of us. Each one of us is precious in this sight. Heavenly Father, thank you for this time together. As we close this time together, we have thanksgiving to you for showing us through John, through Paul, through the death that even John's brother Andrew went through, because he was one of the first martyrs, unto death. And every one of the apostles, through death, they loved. What a change you have made in their lives and in ours. How we thank you, Lord, for letting us into your family so intimately. to know you and to know each other as members of your family with the love that you radiate, not just to us, but through us. Oh man, thank you for that. We ask your blessing again on the following service. May your word be magnified, but more than ever, may you be magnified. In Christ's name, amen.