Dec 1 2020 - 1 John 1:1-10 – Eternal life … has appeared

John begins his first letter with remarkable words. He speaks of life having appeared; "eternal life, which was with the Father ... has appeared to us" (1 John 1:2). He says that they have seen and heard and touched this life for it has appeared not as a force or influence but in the living person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one "which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched" (1:1).

It gives John joy to write to others about what he has seen and heard. He wants them to share with him in the glorious privilege of having fellowship with God through Jesus Christ. To know him is to share in the eternal life that has appeared in him. He calls us to follow him and to walk together in the light of his presence: "if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1:7).

But we know ourselves. We do not always follow Jesus as we ought – we do not always walk in the light. There are times when we wander from the path he has set out for us. There are even times when we turn away from him. How wonderful to be assured that he is always ready to receive us back again; “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1:8-9). He is ready not only to forgive but to cleanse and restore, to welcome us back into fellowship.

John encourages us to face up to who we are – children of the living God through the Lord Jesus Christ, yet also those who are prone to wander and continually in need of his forgiveness. Praise God he does not grow tired of us nor does he ever turn us away.

Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise His Name I'm fixed upon it
Name of God's redeeming love...

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Let's walk closely with Jesus today and take delight in telling others of what we have found in him in the longing that they may share with us the treasure and joy of fellowship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, we recognise our weakness and our sin. Help us so to delight in you this day that we may walk closely with you. May something of the light of your presence fill our lives and shine from us. May we shine like lights in the darkness and illumine the way to you.

Peter Misselbrook