Sermon preached at First Baptist Church of Alton, IN July 27, 2008
“The stories in the New Testament are legends. Jesus was not the first character to be born of a virgin, to be adored by wise men, to heal the sick, to suffer and die on a tree or a cross, to be buried in a tomb and to rise again on the third day only to ascend into the sky, this had happened before…Jesus’ life conforms to the ‘hero pattern’…and Christianities way of dealing with this is to ignore it.” This was spoken in the movie The God Who Wasn’t There.
Many people in our day and age believe what I just read. In fact, we live in an age filled with the people described in Romans 1. They refuse to acknowledge God, they worship and serve creatures, and they give approval to those who join in with them. Which brings us to an important question, “How can we know God is real and Jesus existed?”
For our answers we turn, this morning, to the first letter of John and we see that John is writing, this letter, to counter similar arguments. According to R.C. Sproul, “First John was written to warn and instruct the readers about a kind of false teaching that denied Jesus Christ had come it the flesh (4:2,3). The teaching was that Christ only appeared to be human, so that there was no real incarnation and no divine Savior who was able to die for sinners. Christ only seemed to die.”
In response, John—under divine revelation—wrote this letter to his fellow believers. He told them (and tells us) in chapter 1 verse 26 that he wrote these things because of those trying to deceive them and so counteract that message with the truth. Also, in the fifth chapter and 13th verse he says he writes these things so that you may know that you have eternal life. The first letter of John is truly a book of confirmation as well as a book of examination. Confirmation that you are truly a believer after an examination of your life and faith.
This morning we will discuss the first chapter of this great letter, which we will divide into three sections: First, the introduction and testimony about the reliability of the truth (vs. 1-2); Second, the purpose for writing and the presentation of the truth (vs. 3-5); Third, the impact of this truth upon our lives (vs. 6-10)
* * *Read 1 John 1-10* * *
First, John’s introduction and testimony concerning the Life (1-2)
- We heard him (call Lazarus from the grave – John 11:43)
- We saw him with our eyes (walking on the sea – John 6:19)
- We looked upon and touched him (Last supper he rested his head on Jesus (John 13:23)
Repetition for emphasis in verse 2:
- The life was here (manifest – brought forth)
- We have seen it (heal the blind man – John 9)
- We testify that we have seen it (raised on the third day – John 20:19)
- We proclaim it to you (the life, the word has come – John 1:14)
- He was with the Father and He was manifested to us.
- Peter is also an eyewitness, listen to his words in 2 Peter 1:16, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Second, John’s purpose for writing and the presentation of the truth (3-5)
Verse 3-4, John tells us why he is writing this epistle:
- So that you may enter into fellowship (sharing)
- With one another (Christian love)
- With God the Father and with Jesus Christ His Son. (Divine Love)
- And that our joy may reach its completion (filled to the top).
Verse 5, the message he proclaims
- God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. (Light of the world- John 8:12)
This means that God is holy, pure, without sin and also that He has spoken and He has made Himself known to men.
Third, knowing that this truth has been reveals, John presents us with 5 responses (6-10)
Response 1: “I am a follower of Christ” but living in darkness.
Response 2: “I am a follower of Christ” and living in the light.
Response 3: “I have no sin”.
Response 4: “I confess my sin” thus admitting you have sin.
Response 5: “I have not sinned”.
We learn from these five (5) responses the need for God’s forgiveness because God has pronounced His judgment upon all mankind. He has said in Romans 3:1-11, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”
- If we say that we are without sin:
- We are contradicting God’s judgment.
- We call Him a liar (1:10),
- We are deceived (1:8),
- We are liars (1:6).
That statement proves that God’s truth and His word are not in us and we do not have any fellowship with God the Father or His Son Jesus Christ (1:3).
- If we say that we know Christ (have spiritual light), yet we live our lives as if we have never met Him, like an unbeliever (in spiritual darkness) (2:16), we are liars and do not do the truth. This statement, like the previous one proves that God’s truth and His word are not in us and we do not have any fellowship with God the Father or His Son Jesus Christ (1:3).
- But hear this promise, if our actions are shaped by the reality of knowing Christ, we can be assured that we have a relationship with Him and all our sins are forgiven.
- If we confess our sins, we understand their hideousness before God and this is a reflection of our relationship with Him. We can be assured that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin and know He is faithful and just to forgive us from all unrighteousness.
In closing, let the director of The God Who Wasn’t There know that Christianity has not remained silent and will not remain silent. God exists, He sent His Son Jesus to save the world, He has made Himself known, and He is not silent.
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