Let us turn again to God's words
before we turn to Him once again in prayer and just for a short
while to consider part of the chapter that we've just read
here in the first chapter of the first general epistle by
John and considering what he says in the third verse 1 John
1 and verse 3 For that which we have seen and
heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with
us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with
His Son, Jesus Christ. That which we have seen and heard,
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with
us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with
His Son, Jesus Christ. I'm sure we're familiar with
the context here. John, of course, is seeking to
bear testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ, the last surviving apostle,
and living in days when there had begun to arise various false
teachers who denied the reality of the person of Jesus Christ. There were all sorts of strange
teachings beginning to arise amongst those early Christian
believers, and John addresses them in no uncertain terms with
regards to Jesus of Nazareth, that he is indeed the Christ
and the Son of the living God. And so we find John time and
again making reference to the person of the Lord Jesus, speaking
of his deity, the fact that he is God, and we have that here,
of course, in this very epistle. He says that the beginning, that
which was from the beginning, and when he uses that expression,
he's using it in an absolute sense. The beginning, that is
before ever time was. and he's speaking of the person
of the Lord Jesus, and in the second verse, he speaks of that
eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested
unto us. A strange expression, but of
course, he is referring to the person of God the Son, and refers
to him there in that second verse as eternal life. which was with
the Father and was manifested unto us. He is the Son of the
Father in truth and in love. And he refers to Him, of course,
here at the end of verse 1, by that name, the Word of Life. 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 of the words
of life. And it reminds us of the language
that he uses at the beginning of the Gospel of John. In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God, and the same was in the beginning with God. and all
things were made by him, and without him was not anything
made that was made." And so, John declares very plainly and
clearly the truth of the deity of Jesus of Nazareth, that he
is, always was, always will be, God the Son. But he also speaks
of his human nature, not just his divine nature, but also the
reality of his humanity. Twice, in the second verse, he
speaks of that eternal life that was manifested. He speaks of the life manifested
at the beginning of the second verse, and then again at the
end, that eternal life was manifested unto us. And it reminds us, of
course, of what Paul says in that great statement in 1 Timothy
3.16. Without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. God was manifested. And how was God manifested? In
the flesh. He's speaking then here of the
reality of that human nature that Jesus of Nazareth is God,
but he was also very much a real man. John heard him speak words,
John saw him with his own eyes, John handled him. Isn't that what he's saying?
This is something so tangible. The reality of the human nature
of the Lord Jesus is declared so plainly, here in the opening
verses. And we see how, later, John speaks
very directly with regards to those who were peddling strange
doctrines, false teachings, in chapter 4. And verse 3, it says,
Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist
whereof we have heard that he should come and even now already
is it in the world. So John in the context is very
much speaking of the person of the Lord Jesus and the fact that
in that one person there are those two distinct natures that
he is God and he is man, he is always God-man. No mingling of
the natures, they are quite distinct natures, and yet that is the
mystery, the great mystery, that this is God manifested in the
flesh. And John has a very real knowledge
of the Lord Jesus. how he uses these terms in this
opening verse. We know something of John's intimacy
with the Lord Jesus. He knew him personally. He knew
him experimentally, we might say. He was that beloved disciple. He was there when the Lord instituted
the Holy Supper. He was leaning upon the Lord's
breast. We're told in John's Gospel It's
not some mere theory that John has dreamt up, that he's writing
about, but he's writing here about a very real individual,
someone that he knew personally. He had experience of this man
and knew much of his teachings. His knowledge then is not just
something intellectual, it's an experimental knowledge. True
religion is more than notion. something must be known and felt. How John was moved at the teachings
and the preachings of the Lord Jesus. And so he goes on in the
words that I've announced for a text to speak of fellowship. And that's the theme I really
want to take up for a while tonight here in verse 3 of this opening
chapter in this first epistle of John. That which we have seen
and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship
with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his
Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Here we learn what God's design
is in the declaration, the preaching of the Gospel. John goes on at
verse 5, This then is the message, which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness
at all. If we say that we have fellowship
with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ,
His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. He is speaking very much
about fellowship, but He's speaking about it in terms of this message,
this message that He is charged to preach. The message which
we have heard of Him, and we're declaring unto you. And so again,
here at the beginning of our text, that which we have seen
and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship
with us. And that word that introduces
the second clause, that word that, is a very significant word
in this verse. It has the force of in order
that. what we have seen, what we've
heard, what we're declaring, what we're preaching is in order
that you may have fellowship with us. And so I want to deal with these
two simple headings tonight. First of all to say something
with regards to what this fellowship is, and then secondly to say
something with regards to that fullness of joy that will be
the consequence. First of all then, to consider
the fellowship. And what is the source of this
fellowship? Well, the source is to be found
in the one that John is proclaiming. the source of true fellowship
centers in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ that
which we have seen and heard declare we unto you in order
that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship
is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ But what of
this word fellowship? It's an interesting word. It's
actually derived from the verb that literally means to have
in common or to make common. To have something in common with
other people. And we see how that at the very
beginning of the Christian church there was a very real fellowship.
amongst those Christian believers. After the preaching of Peter
on the day of Pentecost, there in Acts chapter 2, remember we
see the result of his preaching with the outpouring of the Spirit
of God and the multitudes that were converted as a consequence
of that preaching. They that gladly received the
word were told were baptized. And the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls. And then we're told how
they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship
and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And fear came upon
every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles
and all that believed were together and had all things common. they
have fellowship, they have all these things in common and it's
not only there in that second chapter but later we see it mentioned
and emphasized again in chapter 4 and verse 32 the multitude
of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul neither
said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed
was his own but they had all things common Fellowship has
that basic idea then, of having things in common. And though
it was very evident in the life and the ministry of those first
Christian believers, when Paul is writing to the church at Philippi,
he also speaks of fellowship there in the opening chapter.
He makes mention of your fellowship in the gospel from the first
day until now. and he'll go on later in chapter
4 to speak of their readiness to minister to him, to support
him a very real expression of their fellowship their oneness
in the gospel we're going to sing as our closing hymn that
lovely hymn of hearts 816 when is it Christians all agree and
let distinctions fall when nothing in themselves they see the Christ
is all in all. This true fellowship very much
centers in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The one who came not to be ministered
on to but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. And this is the one that we look
to, this is the one that we profess to be followers of. Are we truly
those who are the disciples then of the Lord Jesus? That hymn
816 continues, we have no life, no power, no faith, but what
by Christ is given. We all deserve eternal death
and thus we all are even. Or if we know anything of fellowship,
we know that it's that common interest that we have in the
Lord Jesus Christ. We have nothing of our own. But
all of our salvation as true believers must center in His
person and His work and that alone. And we can know those
who are the Lord's people. And we love those who are the
Lord's people. What does John go on to say in chapter 3 and
verse 14? We know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the brethren. We love these that
we have something in common with. that common faith, the great
doctrines of the gospel of the grace of God. We can have no
fellowship with the world and the ways of the world. God's
people are a separated people. There are people who are called
out. The very meaning, of course, of the word that we have in the
New Testament for church, more literally congregation, as it
stands in William's Tindale's Bible, that word, it's a word
Ecclesia and it's derived from the verb that means to call out
God's people are called out of the world, they have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness remember the strength
of the language of the Apostle in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6
and there at verse 14 In the following verses he says,
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers? For what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light
with darkness? And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the
living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk
in them, and I will be their God. and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from among
them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
things, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you,
and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord." And then the
implication, having therefore these promises, Dearly beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God or where there
is in this fellowship there will be separation separation from
the world no fellowship with the world no fellowship with
empty professors no fellowship with false teachers but a fellowship
that is rooted and grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
the source. He is the source of the fellowship. And He is also very much the
grounds of that fellowship. What does He say here at the
end of the verse? That He also may have fellowship
with us and truly have fellowship is with the Father and with his
Son, Jesus Christ. The fellowship amongst believers
is therefore here said to be built upon their united fellowship
with God. But what is it that separates?
It is their sins. It's your iniquities, they separate
between you and your God. And it's your sins, they hide
His face from you, says Isaiah. But these, you see, have such
a sense, such a realization of what their sin is. They see their
great needs of that salvation that is in Christ, who is the
Savior. Call His name Jesus, says the
angel. He shall save His people from
their sin. If we say that we have fellowship
with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth,
he says. And then again he says at verse
8, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us. And verse 10, if we say that
we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in
us. Now, these who know what this fellowship is, they're also
very conscious of what their sin is and what they are as sinners.
And how they, by nature, are in that state of alienation.
Enemies with God by wicked works. That's where they were. They
have that sense of sin. They see their great need of
that salvation. that is only in the Lord Jesus
Christ and so they desire to walk in that light as he says
in verse 7 as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another
and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all
sin all the very grounds end of their
fellowship is in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
Without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of
sins. What was it that Christ procured
by his death upon the cross? Peace with God. Reconciling the
sinner to a holy God. Here is the grounds then of the
fellowship. It is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And He is that One who is also the very means of that fellowship. Truly, our fellowship is with the Father
and with His Son, Jesus Christ. It's by and through Him that
we can know God and speak with God. It's only in Christ that
we can enjoy that blessing boldness and access with confidence is
by the faith of Jesus Christ there is one God and one mediator
between God and men the man Christ Jesus and remember what the Lord
himself says in the course of his own earthly ministry no man
knows the son but the father neither knoweth any man the father
save the son and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him Oh, we
can only know anything of God by the mediation of the Lord
Jesus. And again, remember how in that
short second epistle that follows this general epistle, there in
2 John 9, he says, Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not
in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the
doctrine of Christ He hath both the Father and the Son. Or we can only know the Father
by and through the Son. No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. All this
fellowship then, very much centers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The
source of it, the grounds of it, the means of it, no fellowship
except first of all with those who know fellowship with him
and see him as that only one who is the savior of sinners.
But what is the consequence? Where such fellowship is there
will be the enjoyment, says John, of the fullness of joy John goes on in verse 4, these
things write unto you that your joy may be full. Lord, there is the fullness of
joy in this fellowship that is very much centering in the person
and work of Christ. Of course, we know that all fullness
is only in the Lord Jesus. We have those words of another
apostle, the language of Paul there in Colossians. In Colossians
1 and verse 19, he says, It pleased the Father that in him should
all fullness dwell, and having made peace through the blood
of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him
I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven,
and you that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, Yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight." All that fullness in, all that fullness of salvation
dwells, says Paul here in verse 19, in Christ. It's the Father's
good pleasure. And he more or less repeats those
things in the second chapter. in verse 9 of that chapter, "...in
him that is in Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily, and ye are complete in him which is the head of all
principality and power." The fullness that is in Christ. And again, it's John, isn't it? John time and again in his writings,
be it in the Gospel, or in the Epistles, and also in the book
of the Revelation, how he continually exalts Christ, and speaks so
gloriously of the person and the work of the Saviour. There
in the opening chapter of the Gospel he says, "...of His fullness
of all we received, and grace for grace." All the fullness
of Christ. His person, His work. And how
is all this fullness that is in the Lord Jesus Christ ministered
unto us? How does it become ours? Well, it's by that blessed ministry
of God the Holy Spirit. He is the one who in the outworking
of the covenant of grace that blessed covenant, that contract
wherein God the Son so willingly becomes the servant of God and takes upon him the form of
a servant as he comes in the fullness of the time and comes
not to do his own will but the will of the one who has sent
him and to finish his work and having accomplished all that
great work he is the one who then sheds abroad the Holy Ghost
on the day of Pentecost. What do we see in the Acts? Acts
13.52 we read, the disciples were filled with joy and with
the Holy Ghost. How these things come together,
the Holy Ghost and joy, because it is the Holy Ghost who comes
to minister of the things of the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly our fellowship is with
the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, and these things
write we unto you, that your joy may be full. What is Christian joy? Well,
it's one of those fruits of the Holy Spirit, spoken of in Galatians
5.22. If we know anything of joy, it
will be that. all else is but a sham so much
of what he's spoken of as joy the same as so much of what he's
spoken of today as Christian fellowship it's a sham because
this fellowship, this joy, they're substantial things all of these things rooted and
grounded in God and rooted and grounded in that blessed covenant
of grace, that covenant of redemption Joy is the fruit of the Spirit.
And as Christ is the One through whom sinners have fellowship
with the Father, so we see here that it is the Spirit who is
the Revealer of Christ. What can we know of the Lord
Jesus Christ but by the ministry of God the Holy Spirit? That's
His office. He brings us into fellowship.
with the Father and with the Son. You think of the benediction
that we're so familiar with. We normally use it at the end
of all our services, that apostolic benediction, the closing verse
of 2 Corinthians, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the communion, or the fellowship, the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit. It's by His ministry, by His
fellowship, that we come to know Christ. As the Lord Himself says,
John 15, 26, When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto
you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceeded
from the Father, he shall testify of me. Oh, there we see all the
three persons in the Godhead. The Comforter, Christ said, Whom
I will send unto you. He comes from Christ, He proceeds
from Christ but He is also the Spirit of Truth which proceeded
from the Father and He has an office to perform just as the
Son performs His office as the Saviour so the Spirit comes as
that One who is the Sanctifier and the source of every Christian
grace Again, the words of the Lord
Jesus in John 16, 13, When He, the Spirit of truth, is come,
He will guide you into all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself. How remarkable! He is God. He is equal to the Father. He
is equal to the Son. He is the glorious Holy Ghost,
the third person in the Triniton. He shall not speak of himself,
says Christ, he shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine
and shall show it unto you. Oh, this is how we come to know
that fullness of joy that is found in fellowship one with
another, the fellowship that is rooted and grounded in Christ
who is the source of it. Truly our fellowship is with
the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. You know, even here in our text
you might say, well there's no specific mention of God the Holy
Ghost in this verse. But how did John come to write
these things? Is John not one of those holy
men of God moved by the Spirit of God? These are not simply
the words of John, the beloved apostle. This is the words of God. This
is the inspiration of the Holy Ghost himself. And all that the
Spirit might be pleased to apply it to our hearts, that we might
know it as a communion of believers, as a church of Jesus Christ,
that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you. It is how
we can speak one to another of the things that we have known
and experienced of the grace of God, that ye also may have
fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with
the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ. O God, grant then
that it might be the mark of all our communion, one with the
other. Let us now sing that hymn that
I referred to, 816, and we sing to the tune Evangelist, 138. When is it, Christians all agree
and let distinctions fall, when nothing in themselves They see
that Christ is all in all. We have no life, no power, no
faith, but what by Christ is given. We all deserve eternal
death and thus we all are even. 816 June 138