[1 John Series] I Was There! Sample

Where it all starts

1 John was written by John the Apostle around 90 A.D. There are two big thoughts across the book: one, that God is light, and two, that God is love. Going along these lines there is a firm stance against Gnosticism, which was a common false teaching at the time, and yet John is very loving in the way he speaks to these believers. This contrast shows through the rest of the book as well. He talks about light and darkness; love of God or love for the world; the Spirit of Christ or the spirit of the anti-Christ; righteousness or sin; truth or falsehood. It seems John wants us to make a change in our hearts. In today’s society we need to learn how to combine these things together—light and love—so that we can stand strong against things that are not true and be loving as well.

John starts by speaking of “What was from the beginning.” Have you heard that phrase before? The beginning? We find it in the first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, as well as in the first verse of the Gospel of John, John 1:1.

The second thing I want you to notice is how John uses the words heard, seen, and touch. He wants us to live a life that is real. Now, think about that for just a second. He speaks of what he had seen. What did he see? He saw Jesus Christ on the cross. He walked with Him all those days in His time of ministry on the Earth. He saw Him.

He also heard the Sermon on the Mount being preached. He heard Him declare the blind man healed. He walked around with Him and broke bread with Him. He heard from Jesus. He touched Jesus. Who was the disciple that laid his head on Jesus’ breast? It was John, so he could say, “I heard His heartbeat. I’ve touched Him. I’ve seen Him for who He is. This is real. Jesus Christ is real.”

And the real life of Jesus is what gives us real life. We’re not just playing games. A real eternity. A real life. A real Savior. A real God that wants to affect your heart as a real person. Talk to Him. If you will, ask Him to touch your heart today. So that you can say with John, “I’ve seen Him, I’ve heard Him, I’ve been touched by Him, Jesus Christ is real.”