Fellowship With Us

View daily reading plan: 1 John 1.1-4

John’s desire was to share his knowledge of the Lord Jesus; he wanted others to have “fellowship” in the enjoyment of these fundamental facts about the Saviour. There is the suggestion that true fellowship has a doctrinal foundation. John did not want his readers’ fellowship with him to be impaired by any of the doctrinal irregularities to which they had been exposed, and so he shared with them his first-hand knowledge of Christ.

But fellowship is more extensive than that which exists between believer and believer. “Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ”. “Fellowship...with the Father”, and the believer is in the enjoyment of a relationship with deity that ensures a constant stream of tender affection, care and understanding from One who is a Father (Ps 103.13-14).

“His Son Jesus Christ”, and with deliberate precision John describes the Saviour. God’s Son is Jesus, a real man, for it was at His birth that He became known as Jesus (Mt 1.21). He is also Christ, and the usage of the Messianic title is an assault on another assertion of the Gnostics that somehow Jesus and Christ were not one and the same. John insists here, God’s Son is Jesus Christ and we have a living relationship with Him.

A clear understanding of the true identity of their Saviour would fill out the joy of salvation (v.4). There is nothing like hearing about the Lord Jesus to promote joy in the Christian’s heart. Versions are divided about whether v.4 should read, “your joy” or “our joy”. If you adopt the alternative reading the practical point is that ministering Christ brings great cheer to the heart of the preacher too!

Friday, 26 April, 2024