[Maximum Joy Series] Standing on God’s PromisesSample

The True God vs. False Idols

We have arrived at the conclusion of this powerful epistle. For some, the ending of this letter may seem strange. In some ways, verse twenty-one seems disconnected from everything the apostle John has been talking about. But if you look closely, you can see that he has used the word true three times to describe our God. Our God is the one who is true. 

Our spiritual radar system—the Holy Spirit—helps us recognize the true God in contrast to the false gods in the world. And what is a false god, other than an idol? Idols are usually not evil things, but rather good things: our possessions (cars, houses, even yards), our retirement accounts, our bodies, our success—you name it. The problem with idols is twofold: they are not easy to spot in our lives, and they can destroy our fellowship with God.

Here are a couple of hints on how to spot an idol. Is it becoming more important to me than people (my family, my friends, my ministry)? Is it blocking my view of the Lord? They say an idol is like an eclipse of the sun—the moon gets in the way. When something gets between us and God’s light, then darkness creeps in and whatever is blocking that light is an idol. 

Idols are counterfeit. They will never give you the kind of joy that comes from an intimate relationship with the one true God. Instead of giving, they will rob you of the opportunity and privilege of growing and experiencing maximum joy. 

John knows the source of maximum joy. It comes from fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. And this fellowship can vary in its quality and depth. The deeper the fellowship, the greater the joy. In order to have maximum joy there must be intimate fellowship. 

The principles of fellowship surface in the body of this letter like dolphins in the sea: three principles arising successively and repeatedly—right living, right loving, and right learning. These principles are not requirements for an eternal relationship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. No New Testament writer has made that clearer than John, who repeatedly claims that the requirement for eternal life is to believe in Jesus, the very source of eternal life. Faith alone—the cry of the Reformers. These principles (right living, right loving, and right learning) are not requirements for an enduring relationship with God, but they are requirements for joyous fellowship with Him. 

This brings us back to the apparent contradiction experienced by Martin Luther: Simul iustus et peccator (simultaneously justified and a sinner). This expression defined Luther’s experience after he had been justified but still found himself dealing with daily sin in his life. Yes, this is the normal Christian plight—declared righteous (justified), but still wrestling with sin as he travels this sod. Righteous in his position (his standing before God in Christ), but sinful in his condition (his walk with God on planet earth). 

John understood that it is fellowship with God that produces joy. He wrote one book (the Gospel of John) with a primary theme of relationship and a sub-theme of fellowship. Then as a follow-up to his Gospel, John wrote a letter (1 John) with a primary theme of fellowship and a sub-theme of relationship. 

Understanding the difference between position and condition, or relationship and fellowship is fundamental to a Christian life of joy. Understanding the primary principles of fellowship (right living, right loving, and right learning) is imperative in order to experience maximum joy. 

To receive your complementary sample of the book Maximum Joy: First John—Relationship or Fellowship? and for more resources on spiritual growth, please visit https://www.gsot.edu