So you might know - Introduction to 1 John. Rev Anne Hibbard

Today we are going to begin a sermon series for 5 weeks on the book of 1 John.

Early in Christian history this book was thought to have been written by the apostle John. When you look at the similarities of style, language and thought you can see why people came to this thinking. It is most probably so and though there are other viewpoints, and although we aren’t 100 per cent sure we will take John as the writer.

Why did John write this letter? It’s not a long book, but many times John says this – “I write to you so that ….” And the reasons seem to all quite different. There is much going on in this letter as we will soon see. Perhaps it will help our understanding today to look at the last time John uses this phrase. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

The apostle John wrote the gospel of John that his readers that they might “believe that Jesus is the Son of God”. (John 20:31) And he then wrote the epistle of 1 John that those who believe, might “know” that they have eternal life. The gospel of John was written to call people to faith in Jesus. The epistle of 1 John was written to Christians, that they might deepen their faith and move from belief to knowing they have eternal life.

How can we “know” that we are a Christian. How can we “know” that we have eternal life. David Pawson in the introduction of his excellent sermon series on 1 John, identifies four tests that 1 John sets out during the short epistle. We will explain a little more of what these are and give examples in our passage today from 1 John 1, but firstly I will name them. The four tests of knowing you are a Christian are: 1) historic 2) theological. 3) moral. 4) social.

In 1 John, these four tests are presented not only in a positive light, as to what a Christian is, but also in a negative sense of contrast to what is not a Christian. Concerningly the lectionary leaves out these negative statements. How does a child learn what an apple is. Not only is it good to show them apples, but also to show them other fruit that looks like an apple, like an orange, but isn’t. They then learn to start to discern and distinguish between the finer features of apples and oranges and other fruit too. We lose much of the essence of 1 John, if we only read the set lectionary readings. We learn as much of what a Christian is by learning not just what they are, but also what they aren’t. Interestingly, our ACC theological declaration has this style. Over and over, at each point it says, “we believe” and then follows up with “therefore we reject”. In our age of tolerance however, sadly many people reject any rejection.

So let’s look at these four tests so that we might “know” what it means to be a Christian.

Firstly historical. What is your faith in Jesus based on? History or sentiment?

John was the only apostle to die of old age. The rest of the apostles died a martyr’s death. Perhaps he alone was left of the disciples when he wrote this epistle. He begins by reminding them of what they had heard and seen and touched. ( 1 John 1:1) John was there. He knew. Jesus wasn’t just a spiritual force in the atmosphere. He was part of history. The one who came from the beginning from eternity appeared to them and lived with them. (1 John 1:2).

Secondly, theology. Theology is what we believe about God, what we believe about Jesus. Theology does matter says John if you want to know what a Christian really is all about. ­­­­­ Many people know that 1 John holds the key verse “God is love”. In fact, it is in the only book to have this phrase. This phrase is a favourite with all people everywhere, and yes it is true and wonderful. However, before John writes that “God is love” in chapter 4, he explains right at the beginning of the epistle that “God is light” in whom “there is no darkness at all.” v 5. Why does this matter? He says that if claim to have fellowship with God, and yet walk in darkness and sin we’re lying. (v 6) And even more than that, if we claim to have no sin, we’re deceiving ourselves (v 8). In other words, if we want to live with God, have fellowship with him and have eternal life we can’t do that if we’re sinning. But if we’re honest we all sin. If we don’t understand this basic dilemma and move too quickly to “God is love” and he’ll just accept me how I am warts and all, then we will never understand who Jesus is. In 1 John, Jesus is the Righteous one, who is “the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (v 2:2) It is through “the blood of Jesus” that we are purified “from all sin”. Theology matters in 1 John. Those who deny Jesus is the Christ is “the antichrist” denying both the “Father and the Son.” 1 John 2:22

Thirdly, moral. This book is written to Christians who already believe. The Christian life is more than believing something in our head. It impacts our whole life. How do we know we are in God? asks John in v 2: 5. He says that whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. However, lets go back to what we just read from 1 John. If we claim to be without sin, we’re deceiving ourselves. John is writing here to those who believe, so they might know they have eternal life. He’s writing this book, so they we may not sin. But if we do sin we have an advocate with the Father through Jesus, the righteous one. How do we as Christians grow to become like Christ. 1 John 1:9 has the key. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Our part is confession, and then trusting the forgiveness and purifying work of God through Christ’s sacrifice and blood shed on the cross. A true Christian is one where the “true light is already shining”. Our lives change to become more and more like Christ. It is important to remember John is addressing not individuals here, but a community of faith. The confession is corporate here, not just individual. And that leads to our final test.

Fourthly, social. Many times, in this book John emphasises that if you claim to be in the light, but you hate a brother or sister you are “still in the darkness” (1 John 2: 9). A sign of living in the light, is loving your brother and sister. This book specifically talks about the love we should have for fellow Christians. It doesn’t really address the love and service we should have for the world, although it does say we are to live as Christ lived. In this book the focus is on loving our fellows believers. John challenges the concept that we can be a Christian alone. Many difficult things happen in Christian fellowship, and through the years I’ve been on the receiving end of much hurt. Yet if want to have a genuine faith, John challenges us that we can’t disconnect from Christian fellowship, and we can’t harbour grudges. However, the social is complex in 1 John. In 1 John 5:16 encourages us to pray for brother or sister who are sinning in a way that does not lead to death. Who belongs in the fellowship? Who are our brothers and sisters? There was a group in this church probably gnostics, who had seemed to be part of them, but now had left. John says that showed they were never part of them. We face similar difficult dilemmas in the ACC as we relate to those that seemed to have moved away from the faith in a similar way to the gnostics John is referring to here.

To help us understand how these four tests of 1 John, historical, theological, moral and social I want to tell you a story. It’s a true story, an historical story. Not only did the early church bear witness to the risen Lord Jesus, but many people in history have born witness to the reality that Jesus is still alive, and continues to transform those who believe in him.

In the late 1800s a baby was born into a dysfunctional family in Sydney called Arthur. The family was beset with poverty, alcoholism and violence. By the age of 7 years, his father had deserted the family and his mother handed most of her children over to be fostered. All the children were separated, and Arthur grew up far away in the country disconnected from all he knew. When he returned to Sydney Arthur too turned to heavy drinking and became involved in petty crime. Along with all his siblings his life was on a downward spiral.

He ended up volunteering in World War I and went to Europe. Like many young men, he returned broken in body and mind and the drinking and hopelessness worsened. At that time Rev Hammond at St Barnabas Church in Sydney began reaching out with those who were in the grip of alcoholism and homelessness. He not only worked for temperance laws, but evangelised and cared for the physical needs of those most affected. Arthur began going along to some meetings. He even signed a commitment card, but his behaviour didn’t change much. He still ended up in jail. If you only hold to the moral test everyone fails. And Arthur did a bit more than others.

One day he went along because he enjoyed the food. They had rockcakes. He tells the story of how he went looking for rockcakes but came back with the rock of ages. His life began to turn around. From that day he didn’t drink again. He began to be committed to Christian fellowship. A while later he attended a gathering in a Baptist Hall when John Ridley was preaching. He was preaching on eternity in a similar vein to Spurgeon. Arthur was enraptured by what he heard. He not only believed, but also knew he would have eternal life. He wanted to share this with others. After the service he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to write down on the pavement the word “Eternity”. To his amazement it came out in perfect copperscript. He could write, but not that well. Over the years he wrote this word on the pavements of Sydney 100,000s of times. He believed what Jesus had done for him on the cross would affect not only his eternity but for all who would believe.

But don’t think of Arthur Stace as a loner. He became a missioner, strongly connected in fellowship with the Anglican and then Baptist church in Sydney. Let’s give Arthur the 1 John 4 test rule. He was a man in time that Jesus the rock of ages met. He had that theology that spoke of Jesus as the Christ and eternity. His life was transformed radically from what it was once. He was committed to his brothers and sisters in Christ. By God’s grace, a piece of charcoal transformed to become a true Christian. Arthur surely knew he had eternal life and shared it with thousands. His legacy is still in Sydney today.