Fullness of Joy and True Community

Notes on 1 John 1:1–10 and 2:1

“These things declare/write we unto you…”

-       “that ye may have fellowship with us”

-       “that your joy may be full”

-       “that ye sin not”

If our joy is full, we have no more desire for the “pleasure” of sin; we are already full of joy, so that there is no desire or room for anything else.

For example, if we’ve just eaten a big, satisfying meal of healthy food, then junk food loses its temptation and appeal because we’re already full. This is how it is with sin, too. Sin is like the junk food. If we are not full of God’s joy, then we will be easily tempted to fill up our emptiness with the pleasures that the world offers. *

And not only this, but when we have fellowship with others whose joy is also full of the same, we have positive peer pressure to “sin not”.  This is the purpose and great benefit of true community.

And what are “these things” that promise to fill our emptiness so that we have no more desire to sin? “…that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” Not just the theoretical statement, but the practical experience of John and his fellow disciples—not just hearing and seeing, but “handling”.

Darkness is a synonym/symbol for sin. Darkness cannot remain while there is light; likewise, sin cannot remain if we are walking in the light. Darkness is a cover for sin, making it easy to hide from others. But if we are walking in the light, it means we have nothing to hide. Therefore, true fellowship and community means that we have nothing to hide from each other, because we have a clear conscience with God and with each other. Wouldn’t it be awesome to be part of such a community, where everyone is honest and transparent with each other, because nobody has anything to hide? We can have such a community through Christ. If the first-century apostles could have it, so can we!

Reflection: What is my practical experience with the “Word of life”?  What have I seen, heard, beheld, and handled, that can bring fullness of joy to others? Am I an active part of a joyful, supportive faith community, where there is positive peer pressure to stay close to God and walk in His light?

Personal Response: I have seen how God has supported and sustained me and filled me with joy as I surrender to His will, even when it goes against my personal hopes and dreams. There is no darkness of discouragement or despair when I surrender all to Him. Instead, He fills my heart with the light of His love and the promise that He will not withhold any good thing from me. And when I start to forget, then I have an entire community of friends and adopted family who remind me of God’s promises and leading in my life. What more could I ask?

The Hope of the Cross

“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”

Think of it for a moment. Jesus—burdened with all the weaknesses of fallen humanity in His human nature—was in agony. His human desire shrank from the fate before Him—a cruel, torturous death at the hands of His enemies. As He knelt there in the garden, great drops of blood dripped from His forehead as He wrestled with God in prayer.

Yet, love prevailed. Love for you, love for me. As God the Father brought the picture of your face, and of my face, before Jesus, He could not say no.

And because He said yes to that great sacrifice on the cross, you and I have hope. Because of that sacrifice, every sin in our record is blotted out—under one condition! What is that condition? John 3:16 tells us the answer: We must “believe in Him.” Faith is the key that unlocks heaven’s storehouse. Everything is possible to him that believeth. And is it our own faith that we have to muster up to believe in Him? No; God has granted to each and every one of us a “measure of faith” (Romans 12:3), which will grow and strengthen as we exercise it. When Satan throws our past mistakes and failures in our face to discourage us, it is our privilege to throw Jesus’ sacrifice in Satan’s face, and remind Him that Jesus’ blood now covers us, and he (Satan) is a defeated foe.

But the miracle doesn’t stop here. If Christ had stayed in the grave, we would still have no hope. But Romans 6:4 tells us that Christ’s resurrection gives us power to walk in newness of life—to not only have a clear record covering our past, but also to maintain that clear record from now until Christ comes again. How is this possible? Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, living out Jesus’ perfect character in us. And again, this can happen only when we believe in His power and claim His promises in faith, believing that He loves us and will accomplish what He has promised. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” I John 5:4.

Will you have faith in Him today? Will you trust in His righteousness to cover you and empower you to walk in newness of life?