Fellowship with Christ
1 John 2:3-14
In much of the structure of this work we can
see Hebrew poetry - that which rhymes in thought. We may see it
today as repetition; John would have seen this repetition as
lyric rhapsody.
Fellowship with Christ
(1 John 2:3-6 NIV) We know that we have come
to know him if we obey his commands. {4} The man who says, "I
know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the
truth is not in him. {5} But if anyone obeys his word, God's
love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are
in him: {6} Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus
did.
To know Him
In French there are two verbs which can be
translated "to know." The first, connaitre, from which we
get our word reconnaissance, means to be acquainted with. The
second, savoir, from which we get savoir-faire
(literally, to know how to do) and its diminutive "savvy," means
to know deeply. The Greek preserves this distinction as well.
The word used here means "to know by experience." So this is a
deep knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Note the logic here. This tells us how it is
that we are certain that we know Christ - because we obey his
commands. That's not the same thing as saying that a legalistic
obedience to his commands will cause us to know Christ. We must
not confuse the cause with the effect.
If not
It is obvious, then, that if the effect of
truly knowing Christ is obedience, the lack of that effect is
that you don't know Christ. If you claim you do, and yet don't
obey Him, then you're lying. First to yourself, then to the
others around you, and finally go God. It's easy to deceive
ourselves; more difficult to deceive others and impossible to
deceive God. This, it seems, is not going to work.
What may not be so obvious is the echo of the
word "liar." "The truth is not in Him." There is something quite
deep in that - for if you do not do what He commands, the Truth
is not in you - for Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
God's love
What does John mean by "God's love?" Here are
three thoughts:
It could mean "God's kind of love" - the
kind of love (agape) that God shows to us.
It could mean "God's love for us" - for
how can God's love be truly completed if there is some
barrier between Him and us? And what barrier is there, but
sin?
It could mean "Our love for God" - which
is perfected in our obedience.
More than that, it could mean all three of
these things. Indeed, at their root, we might ask if they are
really three, or one? Those who experience the love of God might
see these three things as a distinction without a difference.
Truly made complete
The word for complete that is used here can
also be translated "finished." It carries with it the sense of
something which has been made complete and ready for a
particular task. "Ready to rock and roll." For God's love is not
given without a purpose - that we might know him better.
Walk as Jesus did
The principle of Christian living is always
the imitation of Christ, or, as our children would put it today,
"What would Jesus do?" But how did Jesus "walk?" Look back at
our last lesson and you will see the principle: complete
dependence upon God the Father.
Would you like the test of such a walk? "By
their fruits you shall know them." Look at your life. If you are
"abiding in the vine" - walking in Christ - your life will
produce the same kind of fruit that his life produced. You don't
see rocks growing on grape vines.
Old and New
There is a feeling among younger Christians
that the Old Testament is of no particular value - and very
difficult to understand. It is not so; as our Lord put it,
(Mat 13:52 NIV) He said to them, "Therefore
every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the
kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of
his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
We shall see the treasures old and new here.
(1 John 2:7-10 NIV) Dear friends, I am not
writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had
since the beginning. This old command is the message you have
heard. {8} Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen
in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true
light is already shining. {9} Anyone who claims to be in the
light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. {10}
Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is
nothing in him to make him stumble.
The commandment - old and new
Christians are sometimes surprised to find
how often our Lord quoted directly from the Old Testament. The
Apostle most closely associated with love may have had one of
those quotations in mind:
(Lev 19:18 NIV) "'Do not seek revenge or bear
a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as
yourself. I am the LORD.
It is fascinating how often such bold
pronouncements end with "I am the LORD." It is as if God was
saying, this commandment is so tied up with me as to be a part
of my character - so imitate it.
We can see the "old" in such; how then can
such an old thing be seen as new?
First, it is ever new in every new
Christian. These Ephesians to whom John was probably writing
were new in the eyes of the world, and the world would have
seen them as a new thing. Each new Christian becomes a
witness of the new thing - the love of Christ.
It is new because the world was seeing
the darkness passing - the darkness of idolatry and pagan
worship fading before the light of the Cross.
It is new because Christ is lifted up -
and if he is lifted up, he will draw all to him. He is the
true light, now shining in the world.
The test: your brother
John gives us again the practical test of
whether or not you are in the light: your attitude and actions
towards your brothers and sisters. He phrases this as "being in
the light."
This could be in the moral sense - as
light represents righteousness and darkness evil.
It could also be in the sense of wisdom -
one who is in the light knows what to do; one who is not is
puzzled.
Have you seen this before? Someone who is
fumbling around, sure that he is in the right - but not sure of
how to handle the situation? Relying on his own wisdom, he
appears inconsistent and even irrational. Such men are easy prey
to the moral judo of this world. If you can't see where you're
going, any guide will do.
Whoever loves his brother
The opposite case is clearly seen as well. If
you are in the light,
You have cleansing from sin - as light
represents righteousness.
You have fellowship with God - the only
true guide.
Is it not the case that the one who loves his
brother does not vary in his behavior, but consistently knows
what he is doing?
The process of maturity
So how do I get to that state of being in the
light? Slowly.
(1 John 2:12-14 NIV) I write to you, dear
children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his
name. {13} I write to you, fathers, because you have known him
who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because
you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children,
because you have known the Father. {14} I write to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to
you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God
lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Children
Nobody starts out full grown - not
physically, not spiritually. There are stages in growth. The
first stage is childhood. John uses two words for this:
In the first section, he uses a word for
"little children"-the NIV alone mistranslates this - which
means "infants." For Christians such as these, he reminds
them that their sins are forgiven. They are part of the
family of God just as much as a newborn grandson would be
part of mine.
In the next section, he uses a word which
we might use for grade school age children. These children
are then those old enough to be taught. And what are they
taught? To know the Father. These are the ones under
instruction.
Young Men
(A note to all the feminists out there: the
Greek does not have the politically correct words needed to
satisfy you. I consider that accuracy of translation should be
more important than political correctness. The implications are
not limited to males; please make the adjustment).
It is first to be noted that the young men
have "overcome" - they have been successful in their struggle
with sin. This carries with it three important implications:
First, we must recognize it as a struggle
- you do not "overcome" something which puts up no
resistance.
Your fellowship with God is a sign of
your success in this struggle.
But - this is not the end of growth. Not
yet.
The results of growing in this stage are
indeed wonderful:
You become strong. No longer tossed
about, you have been strengthened by the hand of God, shown
in your own struggles. Your hand in His, you have conquered.
The "word" is in you. This has two
meanings. First, that by study and listening, the word of
God - the Scriptures - have been planted in your heart.
You've heard - and heeded - what God has to say. Next, the
Living Word - Christ Himself - is in you. These two grow
together.
You have overcome the evil one. Is there
anything so sweet as victory, especially victory over a
formidable opponent? No longer will you be beset with a sin
you just can't seem to get over. It shows in your basic
attitude towards others: you've changed from hatred and
manipulation to love.
Fathers
This is the truly mature Christian. John uses
a curious phrasing here: "You have known him who is from the
beginning." We must remember that the name of God is "I AM" -
the self-existent and eternal one. It is by this name that he
introduces himself to Moses. To know him that well is to indeed
be on very intimate terms with him. This sometimes gives rise to
what appears to be a contradiction:
First, you enjoy the sweet company of
others who are so mature, for all of you have the same
fellowship in common.
But the fellowship you have with God is
so strong that you need no other; you can withdraw from the
fellowship of the world.
You are called a "father." That means not
that you are necessarily old in the physical sense, but that you
have spiritual offspring - those who listen to you and learn
from you. Whether a teacher in the formal sense, or just one who
knows the Lord deeply, others see, learn - and grow.
One last thought: John repeats this thought
twice. To the children and young men he gives more than one
thought, but to the fathers he gives only this one. Why?
Perhaps, like Pharaoh's dream that Joseph
interpreted, it is repeated so that you understand that God
has firmly decided it.
Perhaps it's all that you need. "Only
thyself, Lord, only thyself," as Aquinas put it.
Grow, then, Christian - grow until the time
when you know that you are a father of the church, firmly
grounded in fellowship with Christ - seeking only Him.
