4) The Subject of 1 John: What themes does John use to accomplish his purpose?
a)
Jesus Christ is first and foremost in John and in his
writing. Concerning our Lord John
reminds us:
i)
He was the Word of life, 1:1.
ii)
He was really human, 1:1-2.
iii)
Our fellowship is with Him, and with the Father, 1:3.
iv) He
is our once for all and continuing atonement for sin, 1:7.
v)
He is our Advocate, 2:1.
vi) He
is our propitiation (the One who appeases God’s wrath), 2:2.
vii)
He is our example, 2:6.
viii)
He destroyed the works of the devil, 3:8.
ix) He
set the standard for love, 3:16.
x)
He is the object of our faith, 3:23.
xi) He
is the Savior of the world, 4:14.
xii)
He lives in us, 4:15.
xiii)
He is the Christ, 5:1.
xiv)
He has eternal life in Him, 5:11.
xv)
He is the True God, 5:20.
b)
While telling us about Christ and His person, John returns
several times to three themes or commands.
These are what characterize a Christian.
i)
Faith in Christ.
ii)
Love for the brethren.
iii)
Walking in righteousness.
c)
I believe we can sum up all of this by saying that this
epistle is all about confidence. John’s
is concerned with the fact that we will all stand before God someday. He desires that we have confidence, that we
do not fear that day, and that our hearts be assured before Him.
d)
Finally, on the matter of John’s subject, there are
some words that appear repeatedly, as you will see.
i)
Know. Biblical
Greek has two terms, one referring to theoretical knowledge and the other of
experiential knowledge. In 1 John, it’s
the latter, almost 30 times.
ii)
Truth. Appears
15 times.
iii)
Love. As
expected from John, almost 50 times.
iv) Abide
or continue. Used almost 25 times.
1 John is only 5 chapters, 105 verses. But it is packed with God’s simple and deep
truth. Yes, I said “simple and deep.” Good for children, good for young men, and
good for the older Christians. We hope
to start through in a couple of days. Why
not read the whole book today or tomorrow.
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