1 John – Eyewitness Testimony: Proclaiming the Truth • 04.14.24
Nick Lees   -   April 14, 2024

Eyewitness Testimony: Proclaiming the Truth
1 John 1:1-2:6

Know the truth and walk in it

  1. Hear and believe the truth God reveals about himself
  2. Humbly accept the truth God reveals about us
  3. Walk in the light as God’s path to fellowship with Him and the church

Good morning church family! Welcome guests + introduce self. Thank them for praying for the pastor team retreat.

Dismiss 4th + 5th graders

Ushers + Bibles (1 John; Page 1210)

Last Sunday we began an 8-week series called Walking in the Truth, which is a study of the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. If you missed last week, I would highly recommend you go back and listen to the overview sermon. It provided a lot of big picture details that will help you make sense of the whole series.

Today we’re diving into chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2. Let’s turn our attention there now.

1 John 1:1–2:6 (ESV)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

As we heard last week, the Apostle John kicks off his letter by jumping immediately into the reasons he is writing! It is as if he has no time for introductory comments or exchanging pleasantries when there are such important matters to discuss! And I hope you would agree, knowing the truth about God so that you can have fellowship with him is of the utmost importance. It is crucial for you to be in a right relationship with your Creator. John is laying out the path to this outcome for us.

John is giving his readers an eyewitness testimony of the truth about Jesus. He is not ashamed of the reality that we are all sinners in need of a Savior; he proclaims it so that all who hear will know the truth and walk in it! And that is also our aim today… that we would…

Know the truth and walk in it

It is imperative for modern day readers to know who we are, in light of who God is, so that we might respond appropriately to Him. Everything that is wrong in our world stems from these matters. Failure to grasp the seriousness of sin and our need to walk in the light is at the root of every societal ill and godless ideology that is plaguing our world. At the same time, the path to true fellowship and peace with God as well as complete joy in Him is made available to us as we understand and respond to these matters appropriately.

As we dig into this text, let’s begin by highlighting the truth that God has made known through John. This coincides with our first takeaway this morning to…

  1. Hear and believe the truth God reveals about himself

As John proclaims at the beginning of his letter, he has been an eyewitness of incredible revelation! He had heard and seen and touched the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He states in verse 2, “The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.”

The word for made manifest also means to reveal. God has revealed incredible things about himself through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. If you were here last week for the overview sermon, you heard that one of the key reasons John writes this letter is to defend the reality of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. If you’re new to church and not sure what that word means, the incarnation means that God the Son took on human form in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. John testifies to this in his gospel account:

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

One of the key purposes of the incarnation is to make the invisible God ‘visible’ by showing who he is and what he is like. The incarnation is an incredibly important belief in Christianity because it is essential to the grand redemption plan of God; it is the basis for our hope of forgiveness and eternal life. We’ll share more on that in a bit…

For now, what you’re hearing is that John was an eyewitness of this miracle of God coming down and taking on human form. He had heard Jesus talking and teaching the Word of God. He had seen and touched Jesus, both before and after his resurrection. And he was not alone, notice how he speaks – “we” have heard, “we” have seen, “we” looked upon and touched with our hands. John is speaking on behalf of the original disciples who were with him as eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ. There were many eyewitnesses to these incredible realities about the Son of God. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, testifies that even for Jesus’ resurrection there were over 500 eyewitnesses.

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 (ESV)

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

How many more witnessed firsthand the miracles and teachings and authority he demonstrated throughout his life and ministry!? We know of thousands in attendance for some of the miracles. The collective eyewitness evidence for Jesus’ incarnation and authority is overwhelming! And these people were still alive in the days when Paul was writing, so the Corinthians could investigate it for themselves if they wanted to do so.

If you are a skeptic, I would commend picking up a book like:

  • The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas
  • The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

Each of these books takes an in-depth dive into the veracity of these matters. Both men share their own journey and the overwhelming evidence that led them to their conclusions. They are worth your time!

There is overwhelming evidence for the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But this is not the only truth that God reveals about himself in these verses. Let me take you on a survey of what else we have heard about God:

  • 1:1-2 – Reveal that Jesus Christ is both the word of life and the eternal life

Jesus, the Son of God, has eternally existed with God the Father. He not only has eternal life, but he is also the source of eternal life for all who believe in Him. In these first few verses of his letter, John is reminding his readers of where eternal life is found. Do you want to have a hope that lasts beyond this life? Faith in Jesus is the answer.

  • 1:3, 1:7, 2:1 – Reveal God as the Father and the Son

Though John is not focused on making an argument for the triune God in this particular passage, we do see he speaks plainly about the Trinity in this letter – that God is one God in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here he speaks of God the Father and God the Son being together in eternity and the Son being made manifest on earth.

Why does he write about this? One of his primary desires for writing is to help them experience the glorious fellowship that is possible with their fellow believers and with God. He knows this fellowship himself and he desires it for all who hear! It is possible for sinful men and women to be reconciled and at peace with God and to have the hope of life forever with Him! And from that vertical fellowship with God flows our horizontal fellowship with other Christians. Our relationship with God is the source of our relationships with one another. It is what unites us! It is a beautiful thing to be a part of God’s people, the church.

In 1:7, the Son is revealed as the one who shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. His blood is what cleanses us from all sin! This, of course, implies that we are in need of cleansing.

Perhaps most importantly of all, is what is revealed in verse 5:

  • 1:5 – Reveal God is light and in him is no darkness at all

John says that this is the message they had heard from Jesus and now proclaim to the readers, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Meaning God is perfectly pure. As we heard in Isaiah 6 earlier this year, God is the Most Holy One. He is perfect in holiness. There is no flaw to be found in him. This truth becomes the basis for the moral appeals that John makes in his letter. Because God is light, those who claim to know him and follow him must also walk in the light.

  • 1:9 – Reveal that God is faithful and just

John specifically reveals this in conjunction with the promise that if we confess our sins, this is who God is and how he will respond to us. Because he is faithful and just, when we confess our sins, he delights to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness! What great news! This is only possible through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Without his perfect sacrifice in our place, then it would not be just for God to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But if we have one who has already paid our debt in full (Jesus, the sinless Son of God), then it is just for the Father to forgive us! Which is why what is revealed in 2:1-2 is so important:

  • 2:1-2 – Reveal that Jesus Christ is our righteous advocate and propitiation

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our righteous advocate or helper. When we are struggling with temptation and sin, he is ready and able to help us in our time of need. One of my favorite passages about this is found in Hebrews:

Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV)

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The Son’s righteous character is such that he has overcome temptation perfectly and now welcomes us to come to him in our time of need. Rather than condemning us in our sin, he helps us with mercy and grace to overcome it! Not only that, but he is our propitiation – meaning he was the perfect sacrifice who not only died to pay for our sins, but he completely satisfied the wrath of God meant for us. There is no wrath left for his people! Only the perfectly righteous Son of God could accomplish such a miracle for us!

But what is meant by “and not only for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” in 2:2? Based on what John teaches in 5:11-13, it cannot mean that everyone’s sins are forgiven regardless of whether they believe in the Son. Listen to what John says there:

1 John 5:11–13 (ESV)

11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

Whoever has the Son, meaning has faith in the Son of God, has the certainty of eternal life. Whoever does not have the Son, meaning does not have faith, does not have eternal life. So, how are we to understand “for the sins of the whole world”? When speaking about the whole world, John did not have in mind those who were outside of faith in Christ, but rather was speaking about all who would believe and are scattered throughout the earth. The Scriptures do not teach that everyone everywhere will be saved, but rather that God is working out his grand redemption plan to make a people for himself. Consider John’s recording of Jesus’ teaching in his gospel:

John 6:37–44 (ESV)

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

It is those who look on the Son and believe in him who have eternal life. And the Father is the one who draws or gives people to the Son. God’s will rules all things, even our salvation. Consider how Paul spoke about this in Ephesians 1 as he praised God the Father:

Ephesians 1:4–5 (ESV)

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Jesus came and died to save his people from their sins. And that was always God’s plan from eternity past and we should rejoice in it! *pause*

The point here is that God reveals quite a lot about himself in this text. How will you respond to these revealed truths? Will you hear and believe in the God of the Scriptures? Will you seek to know the truth about Him so well that you can detect when someone is seeking to lead you astray? Even if that means you spend more time studying the Word? *pause*

Do you know how the people combatting counterfeit money learn to do their job? They don’t study all the possible ways it could be wrong… they simply focus their time and attention on knowing the exact details of what is true/right/authentic. We can learn a lot from that practice. Prioritize knowing the truth so you are not led astray by lies.

Remember, John wants his readers to have fellowship with God and with other believers. He knows first-hand the dangers of believing lies about Jesus Christ and is seeking to protect his audience. In fact, one of the ways he seeks to protect them is by confronting the false teachings of their day. We see this occurring throughout our passage.

It begins in a series of scenarios that John presents, which seem aimed at the false teachings being promoted in their area. For example, in verse 6, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” The first half is the lie that was being taught – Professing to be good with God and yet living in sin – the second half is the truth – If you say this, you are lying and do not practice the truth!

Or verse 8, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Or verse 10, “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” When men and women act as if living in sin is no big deal or try to claim they are not sinful, they are lying, self-deceived, and even calling God a liar! This is not me trying to make a straw-man argument, this is literally what the Bible says. Which brings us to our second aspect of knowing the truth and walking in it.

  1. Humbly accept the truth God reveals about us

The point John is making is that God says we are sinful and need a Savior. If you have a problem with that truth, then you have a problem with your Creator, not the messenger. Unfortunately, we know that the world is full of people who have a problem with this truth. Millions, if not billions, of people hate the teaching that they are sinners in need of a Savior. And they spend a lot of time and money to ignore that truth, drowning it out with entertainment, addictions, and pleasures of every kind. The lies of the 1st century are still alive and well in the 21st century…

Yet, the reality is that it is so much harder to be stuck in sin. As sinners, even redeemed sinners, we all know this to be true. Sin brings shame into our lives, so we work hard to keep it hidden. If your conscience is still functioning properly, it also leads to wrestling with condemnation as we do the very things we know are wrong. Not to mention, that living in sin hinders our fellowship with the Lord and with others. Sin makes life harder, not better. Whatever benefit you believe you are gaining from your sin is a lie and it will be revealed eventually.

That is why it is so important that John is proclaiming the truth about Jesus! Because another truth that God reveals about humanity is that we are redeemable through Christ. We see this held out in verse 7 where it says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Though we are great sinners, we have a greater Savior! And God is actively creating a church of blood-washed sinners who walk in the light.

Thankfully, as we have read in our text today, it is also true that we can have fellowship with God and other believers through faith in Christ which leads to a completeness of joy (3, 4, 7). There is a better way to live than staying stuck in sin that leads to death. It is faith in Jesus Christ. Believe that his perfectly obedient life and subsequent death on the cross was sufficient for your salvation from sin. The beauty of verse 9 rings out as a mighty truth to confront the lies, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Some unrighteousness? NO! All unrighteousness! This is good news for those who would trust in Christ by confessing their sin and seeking his forgiveness. Holding onto your sin or self-righteousness is not worth it! There is a better way forward that leads to true fellowship, real joy, and eternal life.

Can I ask you this morning – what is your posture towards God? Are you joyfully and willingly bowing the knee in worship of and obedience to Him? Or are you stuck in self-righteousness and denial of your sinfulness? As you are hearing from God’s Word, it is no surprise that you are a sinner and so am I. The question is, what are you going to do with that knowledge? I am encouraging each one of us to humbly accept the truth God reveals about us and to respond as follows:

  1. Walk in the light as God’s path to fellowship with Him and the church

As you’ve heard from John, this is the answer to walking in darkness. Walk in the light. Rather than saying we have no sin we confess our sins freely and receive the forgiveness that he gladly offers.

As John points out in 2:1, the reality is that we will sin. None of us is perfect. But the difference for a Christian is that they should not continue in it. What makes a Christian different from the rest of the world is that when we sin, we confess and repent. We handle it God’s way. There is no shame in this, as this is what it looks like to walk in the light. We are stepping out of the darkness and asking God to help us be holy as he is holy. This is the path he has made for us to have fellowship with Him and the church (his people).

I love how Pastor Milton Vincent puts it in his book A Gospel Primer. What follows are extended quotes from two devotionals called “Exposed by the Cross”:

The deeper I go into the gospel, the more I comprehend and confess aloud the depth of my sinfulness. A gruesome death like the one that Christ endured for me would only be required for one who is exceedingly sinful and unable to appease a holy God. Consequently, whenever I consider the necessity and manner of His death, along with the love and selflessness behind it, I am laid bare and utterly exposed for the sinner I am.

 

Such an awareness of my sinfulness does not drag me down, but actually serves to lift me up by magnifying my appreciation of God’s forgiving grace in my life. And the more I appreciate the magnitude of God’s forgiveness of my sins, the more I love Him and delight to show Him love through heart-felt expressions of worship.

 

The Cross also exposes me before the eyes of other people, informing them of the depth of my depravity. If I wanted others to think highly of me, I would conceal the fact that a shameful slaughter of the perfect Son of God was required that I might be saved. But when I stand at the foot of the Cross and am seen by others under the light of that Cross, I am left uncomfortably exposed before their eyes. Indeed, the most humiliating gossip that could ever be whispered about me is blared from Golgotha’s hill; and my self-righteous reputation is left in ruins in the wake of its revelations. With the worst facts about me thus exposed to the view of others, I find myself feeling that I truly have nothing left to hide.

 

Thankfully, the more exposed I see that I am by the Cross, the more I find myself opening up to others about ongoing issues of sin in my life. (Why would anyone be shocked to hear of my struggles with past and present sin when the Cross already told them I am a desperately sinful person?) And the more open I am in confessing my sins to fellow-Christians, the more I enjoy the healing of the Lord in response to their grace-filled counsel and prayers. Experiencing richer levels of Christ’s love in companionship with such saints, I give thanks for the gospel’s role in forcing my hand toward self-disclosure and the freedom that follows.

Why would anyone be shocked to hear of my struggles when you already know the worst thing about me? Why would you try to hide your struggles, when I already know that you’re so sinful that the sinless Son of God had to die for you? The beauty of the Gospel is that it frees us to confess our sins and receive grace and mercy from the Lord and support and love from the church.

Is this the heart attitude that you bring into your relationships with fellow believers? Are you coming to your small group each week with an openness to confess your struggles and ask for help? Are you vulnerable or are you hiding sin? Beware of saying, “I have no sin”! Instead, we ought to say, “I am struggling with _______. Would you please help me? Pray for me?”

As John reminded us in 2:1-2, although the desired result is that Christians would put off sin and choose to please God, God also has an answer for us if we sin. His name is Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is our advocate and propitiation. He goes before God on our behalf, pleading his blood shed for us. He also sits on a throne of mercy and grace, ready to help us in our time of need. Don’t forget that He also sent the Holy Spirit to convict and equip us to change and live for him.

God has gone to great lengths to rescue and redeem a people for himself. Will you walk in the light or continue to dance with darkness? *pause*

Thankfully, God gives some rather straightforward commands through John. In 2:3-6, John very clearly points the way forward. Rather than simply speaking empty words “I know him” without obedience to Him, authentic Christians obey His commands (being DOERS of the Word, not hearers only). The path forward this week must be paved with steps of obedience to the Lord.

  • Where is sin in your life? – Confess it to God and others
    • “Lord, the way I speak to my family is sinful. Please forgive me for my anger.”
    • “Lord, my laziness at work/school does not honor you. Please forgive me.”
    • “Lord, I am indulging in lust/gluttony/_________.” Be specific!
  • What has that sin looked like? – Identify God’s truth-filled answer and put it into practice (ask for help!)
    • Replace unwholesome speech with edifying words
    • Put off sinful anger and put on patience and kindness
    • Forsake lust/gluttony and cultivate contentment in the Lord

The call to walk together is biblical and necessary.

Hebrews 3:12–13 (ESV)

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

James 5:16 (ESV)

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Embrace the plan of God for your life. It is far better than anything your sinful nature and the world has to offer you. Trust in Christ and embrace the fellowship you can have with God and his people as you walk in the light.

John is quite clear that obedience to God is evidence of salvation. You cannot claim Christ and be comfortable living in sin. Assurance of salvation comes from living like Christ, in the light. As you continue to walk in obedience to God, your love for Him will grow and grow to the point that it is said to be “perfected” in you.

If you are consistently confessing sin and turning to the Lord for forgiveness and help in your time of need, you ought to have great confidence in the faith. By no means do I want to unnecessarily burden someone who is prone to self-condemnation today. If these practices are in your life, have great hope in the Lord for he is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you!

However, the Apostle John also speaks boldly to those whose lives do not match their profession of faith. A person’s verbal profession is not necessarily to be believed if their life contradicts the way of Christ. God is light and in him is no darkness at all. When we live in unrepentant sin, it destroys our fellowship with God and others. If you are living in such sin, then please do not continue down that path of rebellion. It will not end well for you. Please heed the call to come into the light through confession and repentance. Avail yourself of the Advocate and Propitiation for your sins – Jesus Christ the righteous.

I would love nothing more than to hear that there is another blood-washed sinner who is walking in the light as a result of John’s teachings. If you’d like to talk more about this, let’s do that after the service!

I’ll end with this. The material we’re covering today is only truly scratching the surface of all that is said in this section of 1 John. There are so many more riches to mine out of it, and I would encourage you to go digging for them. You have 168 hours in the week, how will you use them? Don’t waste them on TV or social media or video games. Even the secular government recognizes how bad these things are for you these days. Crack open your Bible and study it. Take time to consider where there is darkness in your life that needs to be confessed and addressed. Prepare to come to your small group this week ready to walk in the light in those areas. Can you imagine what God might do with an earnest group of Christians who know the truth and walk in it? He just might turn the world upside down.

Let’s pray.

Pray