NOTW – Not of this World
1 John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life– 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us– 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
As I read the epistle of 1 John this morning, you can’t help but feel the spine of his writing in love as you do in the gospel of John also. In the gospel of John he speaks much of Christ’s deity; of how Christ is God. Here in this epistle he is re-intreating that fact to refute all of the false teachings that had arisen. John is one whom spent three and a half years of his life with Christ; he is an eyewitness to all of these accounts. He can attest to all the miracles, death, resurrection and ascension of Him. He was simply putting his foot down and saying “No, that is not true. I was there!” There were many “isms” that had began to divide the church; many false teachings that divided God, and even divided Christ; Gnosticism was a leading heresy.
This epistle points to the love that must abide in us as a believer. This love that covers a multitude of our own sins, must also overlook the sins of others against us. It speaks of how we cannot hold something against one another and truly worship our King. 1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. This world preaches self; Christ preaches sacrifice. We cannot have a heart for God and have hate in our heart. This world will give us many opportunities to hold grudges or hatred for those who have wronged us. We either fall into Satan’s trap in them, or we rise above them in showing compassion and the forgiveness as we have been forgiven. John points out the sacrifice of Christ, and with it the level of love that God has shown us. 1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
John points out that as Christians we will be different; we will be hated by those that love the world. 1 John 3:13 Do not marvel, my brethren if the world hates you. Those that love the world, and live their lives in pursuit of the rewards of it, will not understand what you possess eternally that goes against their selfish pursuits. The evidences are all around us today of a world captured int the damnation of selfishness; of no absolute truth, and the moral decline as a result of that belief. If you present yourself as one who loves all as Christ loved us first, and hold to the moral standards and truths He has given us, you will be hated by the world that lives by the adaptable truths that fit their self seeking motives. 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
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