Fellowship with God, and fullness of Joy.

Fellowship with God, and fullness of joy.

Please see 1st John 1....


The title of this devotional, includes two of the reasons that John wrote this letter.
I'd like to today, just take a running start at this first chapter, by looking at the first number of verses, and then to also understand some of the background that prompted John to write what he did in this letter. So, here we go........


Jesus existed before the beginning. That is, the beginning of all that was created. That's how the Bible opens in Gen 1, with in the "beginning".....So, before that time, before creation, there was nothing that existed. There was only the eternal God, Father, Son, and Spirit. God has no beginning. So, we learn right off the bat here, that Jesus was from the beginning, that makes Him God. Only God has this eternal nature. ( There are many other parts of the Bible that state more explicitly, that Jesus was not created )

Then John goes on to explain his and the other apostles personal experience with Jesus. 

We have heard Him, ( with our own ears ) 

We have seen Him with our own eyes. 

We have looked upon Him. ( Gazed upon Him ) 

We have handled Him with our own hands. 

We have seen, heard, touched, and looked upon the Word of life he says. 

That's another name for Jesus Christ. He is the Word of Life.

John uses this name, and title for Jesus in his gospel......See John 1:1. 

Further explanation about Jesus is given here. The life ( Jesus ) was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness to you that eternal life which was with the Father was manifested to us. So, Jesus is the Word of life, and He was manifested to the apostles when He came to the earth. 

And, here's the first purpose, desire, hope through the teaching here. That is, that the readers might share in this. That is, that they might fellowship with ( the apostles ) and, then John adds, that truly our fellowship, our sharing is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. The word fellowship means, to share in, to have communion with, participation, contribution, intimacy.


And, he says, these things we are writing to you, that your joy may be full. 

So, fullness of joy, is the second reason this letter was written. this is a second purpose if you will in this letter being written. 

What is fullness of Joy? Joy, means to have peace, and to be glad. To have fullness of joy, is to be as joyful and as happy as you can be. And, that is one of the purposes of this letter. To help the readers have fullness of joy. 

So, let's move on, and see what else John says......

He says, "this is the message we have heard from Him".....

How interesting. Here's what Jesus told us, and we are going to tell you about it now.

God is light......and in Him is no darkness at all.............

That is, God is pure, and there is nothing evil, or sinful in Him. 

I think it's helpful to know what John was trying to ward off through His teaching..

It's called Gnosticism..........

It's a heresy.

It had begun to make inroads into the church at that time...


Gnosticism taught.....


1. Knowledge is superior to virtue. 


2. The nonliteral sense of Scripture is correct and can be    understood only by a select few. 


3. Evil in the world precludes God's being the only Creator.


4. The incarnation is incredible because deity cannot unite itself with anything material such as a human body.


5. There is no resurrection of the flesh. 


The ethical standards of the Gnostic's were so low, so John emphasized the reality of the incarnation and the high ethical standard of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, says Charles Ryrie. 


Well, that's enough for now. 
This will be a great time of growing in and through 1st John 
May our fellowship with the Lord grow, and may our joy come to that place of fullness 


Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.