1 John 1:4

‘we write these things to you,
that our joy may be fulfilled’
(1 John 1:4)

This beautiful letter from the apostle John opens much like his Gospel, in terms of its content and authoritative tone. Interestingly, he writes collectively, as if representing all of the apostles (although likely the last remaining), regarding what ‘we… heard… saw, and… touched, concerning the Word of life’(1 John 1:1, cf. 4:6), which had become ‘flesh and lived among’(John 1:14) them – the incarnate ‘Word… God’(John 1:1ff.), i.e. Jesus, who nevertheless had been present ‘from the beginning’(1 John 1:1, cf. John 1:1-2), co-‘eternal… with the Father’(1 John 1:2). It’s awesome and majestic theology, yet personal too, something John is keen to share with his readers, ‘that you… may have fellowship with us… the Father and… His Son, Jesus Christ’(1 John 1:3).

There’s a ‘joy’ in this too, the main focus of this study verse, a joy that comes from knowing, experiencing and sharing these ‘things’ described in the opening verses. No doubt John’s joy was also anticipatory though, as he considered all that he was about to write. We can share in this joy, as we enter into his mind, as he, in turn, carries us into the mind of God, through Christ. Earlier Jesus had said to John and his fellow apostles: ‘“I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full”’(John 15:11, cf. 17:13), so here John is joyfully passing them on, so that we likewise can receive and share them further – all thereby finding ‘our joy… fulfilled’.

So first we must receive these things ‘with joy’(1 Thessalonians 1:6), just like the Thessalonians received them from Paul, rejoicing in them ‘greatly’(1 Peter 1:6ff.). Then comes the joy of savouring them, especially when expressed so beautifully in a letter like this one from John, which ebbs and flows with glorious ‘things… true… lovely… and… worthy of praise’(Philippians 4:8), like how we can be cleansed from any past or lingering ‘unrighteousness’(1 John 1:9) through the ‘atoning sacrifice’(1 John 2:2 & 4:10, cf. 1:7) of our Lord, to walk in His ‘light’(1 John 1:5ff.), ‘love’(1 John 4:7ff., cf. 2 John 1:6) and obedience, just like He ‘walked’(1 John 2:6.), as a child ‘of God’(1 John 3:1ff.)!

Next we can experience even more joy through our combined evangelistic efforts in spreading this ‘Good News’(Philippians 1:5) further afield, since ‘both he who sows and he who reaps… rejoice together’(John 4:36) as we gather in fruit for the Kingdom – all part of the joyful life to be found in this blessed ‘fellowship’ described above.

Then there’s the joy of seeing fruit from teaching and nurturing others too, as John expressed elsewhere: ‘I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth’(2 John 1:4), likely meaning members of a church he’d sown into. Obviously that might include mentoring specific individuals, like ‘Gaius’(3 John 1:1ff.), who John wrote to in yet another letter, expressing ‘no greater joy’(3 John 1:4) than seeing such development. Of course there’s the joy of seeing fruit in our own lives too, as the ‘Spirit’(1 Corinthians 2:13ff.) and the ‘word’(Hebrews 4:12) work together, even literally in ‘joy’(Galatians 5:22).

No doubt John anticipated all of this as he wrote, and that we would experience the same.

There’s a sense though in which all Christians know ‘these things’ already, as John points out later in this letter: ‘the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you’(1 John 2:27), but it’s good to enjoy ‘reminding’(2 Peter 1:13) each other about these things. Some decades earlier Paul had urged the Christians in Ephesus (which interestingly is likely where John was writing from): ‘be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord’(Ephesians 5:18-19, cf. Colossians 3:15-16). So our fellowships have this potential to resound with joy, as we recount and celebrate these things together.

Finally, in the context of some false teaching that might ‘lead… astray’(1 John 2:26), John also presents these truths as tests that can be used to confirm we really do ‘have eternal life’(1 John 5:13) and are ‘in the faith’(2 Corinthians 13:5) as Paul puts it – the joy coming from testing positive! Such reassurance comes from knowing that we’re walking in this ‘light’(1 John 1:7), ‘love’(1 John 3:14) and obedient ‘righteousness’(1 John 3:10) that John describes, albeit recognising our ‘sin’(1 John 1:8), all through acknowledging ‘the Son’(1 John 5:10ff.) alongside receiving ‘the Spirit’(1 John 3:24): our ultimate joy – the presence of ‘God’(1 John 4:15).

Please feel free to share this via social media etc.

(or anywhere else)

by copying/pasting its URL link: https://etheldreda.net/1-john_1_4/

&
if you’re on Xtwitter,
please do let me know @etheldredanet

(This website currently does not have social media share buttons, to avoid using cookies – see Privacy Policy.)