Revisiting an Old Friend
Welcome back, my dear friends. It is a blessing to have you with us as we revisit our old friend, John. Today, we will read 1 John chapters 1 and 2.
This book is not a letter in the traditional sense. It reads more like a pastoral sermon—personal, urgent, and relational. The author is John, the apostle we saw resting on Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper (John 13:23), standing with Mary at the foot of the cross (John 19:26–27), and later walking behind Peter and Jesus on the beach after the resurrection (John 21:20–22). Now, he is the last living apostle, writing from Ephesus around AD 85–90.(1)
Based on the ancient church’s account, we’re certain this is John, Zebedee’s son. John discipled Polycarp, and Polycarp later taught Irenaeus, giving us a direct historical line connecting this letter to respected church historians and eyewitness tradition. (2)
Why Write This—And Why Now?
This short book is something like the Cliff Notes of John’s Gospel. John clarifies that none of this teaching is new (1 John 2:7). It is the same message he had proclaimed for decades. Which raises an important question for believers then—and now:
You’ve been saved by grace through faith… but now what? (Ephesians 2:8-9)
In my experience, once we learn something, we face a fork in the road. Either we apply it—like training for a job—or we start forgetting it, like learning a foreign language we never use.
John is old now, and his heart is breaking. He is hearing reports of teachers who are stirring confusion among the churches. Jesus, they admit, had great knowledge, possibly divine guidance, but wasn’t God in the flesh (1 John 2:22). Everything they “know” about Him is secondhand. Ironically, many modern world religions still make the same claim today.
What John Means by “Antichrist”
When John speaks of antichrists, our minds often jump to apocalyptic images from Revelation—Satan, beasts, and end-times destruction. But that is not what John means here.
John defines an antichrist as: anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:18–23). To say Jesus is anything less than God in the flesh is to stand against—or anti—Christ.
So John calls his friends back to the basics. This is not philosophy or theory. John and the other apostles walked with Jesus. They touched Him, ate with Him, and lived alongside Him. They witnessed His death, His resurrection, and His ascension (1 John 1:1–3). Their testimony is not rumor—it is firsthand truth.
Walking in the Light
John offers a simple but searching test: Are you in Christ?
That is not a simple question. How do we know if we are merely aware of Christ—or truly in Christ?
We are in Christ when we walk as He walked (1 John 2:3–6). From the very beginning, God has revealed Himself as Light. When creation began, God did not work in darkness—He spoke light into existence (Genesis 1:3). Jesus is that Light, present from the beginning (1 John 1:5; John 1:1–5).
Jesus summed up the Law this way: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind… and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37–40; cf. 1 John 2:7–11).
Something is wrong when anger, revenge, resentment, or contempt dominate our thoughts. Hatred is the opposite of love. If we cannot follow the most basic command, we should not ignore that warning.
This is not about losing salvation—that is a gift of God’s grace (1 John 2:1–2). It is about testing ourselves to see whether we are living out the truth we claim to believe.
Salvation vs. Fellowship
Here is where many believers struggle.
We may have our “ticket to heaven” purchased by the blood of Christ (1 John 2:12). But we may not have fellowship with Christ (1 John 1:6–7). When fellowship breaks, joy fades.
John tells us why he writes: “We write this to make our joy complete” (1 John 1:4, NIV).
God does not want His children to live joyless, miserable lives. The Christian life is not about deprivation—it is about abundance, about living in the fullness of Christ.
A Spiritual Inventory
So, I challenge myself—and you—to take an honest inventory.
List the ten most important things in your life. Most Christians will list God, family, friends, maybe church. But as the list grows, honesty becomes harder. We must include our jobs, hobbies, entertainment, pets, and ambitions.
Now ask: How much time do I devote to each?
When I do this, I realize how easily my life drifts out of balance. I may spend only a few focused hours a day with the Lord—but I can invite Him into my work, my entertainment choices, my family life. Even leadership in the home is an opportunity to reflect Christ’s love (1 John 2:15–17).
The goal is not condemnation. It is awareness. John writes so that we may know we are in the Light—and live like it (1 John 1:7).
Living as Children of Light
John reminds us of what we already possess: eternal life (1 John 2:25). Eternal life does not begin after death—it begins now. We are children of Light, called to stop living as though we are waiting to die, and instead to die to sin so that we may truly live.
Tomorrow, we will read 1 John 3-5.
Footnotes
- The Bible Project, Introduction to 1–3 John, https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/1-3-john/.
- Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book III; see also Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book V