THURSDAY
1 John 1:1–4 1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life— 2 that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us — 3 what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship along with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
John closes the opening section to his first letter by saying that his reason for writing is so that “our joy may be complete.”
The term for complete can carry a few different connotations.
- It can refer literally to filling something up, i.e. fill a water bottle
- It can refer to the completion of a time or period, i.e. the end of an era.
- It can refer to finishing something that has already begun, i.e. complete the task.
- It can also mean to bring something to its designated end, i.e. fulfillment.
Here it most likely means a combo of 3 and 4. Their joy has already begun in their collective faith in the gospel. By remaining in the truth that John is writing in this letter, their collective joy will be brought to completeness. The participle may be complete is also passive, implying a divine passive. Their joy is given by God as a result of their salvation and the gift of the Spirit (joy is a fruit of the Spirit, remember, in Gal. 5:22). If they remain in their faith in the gospel together, God will bring their joy to completion.
Joy is a big theme in John’s writing. John ends his second letter in a similar way that he begins his first.
2 John 12 12 Though I have many things to write to you, I don’t want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to be with you and talk face to face so that our joy may be complete.
In his gospel he notes Jesus saying something similar in the Farewell Discourse.
John 15:11 11 “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
These passages are most likely pulling from Psalm 16:11:
Psalm 16:11 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Through faith in the gospel, we are brought into fellowship with God where we can experience his presence. In his presence our joy is complete. However, remember he says our joy. This joy is meant to be shared collectively.
His audience will experience the joy that John has experienced when they remain in the gospel by holding true to the teaching of the apostles. Remaining in fellowship with God, basking in the presence of God, brings the fullness of joy.
For John, seeing believers remaining in fellowship with God and the believing community completes his joy. He has interwoven his mission in life with God’s mission that seeing others stay in fellowship with God adds to his joy.
This experience of joy in the gospel is why the angels announced at the birth of Jesus:
Luke 2:10–11 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
This picture of the Christian life is far from the common stereotype of religious people in our culture. Many people visualize Christianity as a life of saying “no” to everything fun. No alcohol, no sex, no bad words, no partying, etc. It’s not only what Christians so “no” to that appears joyless, it’s what Christians have to do as well. Go to church. Pray. Serve. Read the Bible… BORRRRING! All too often, the way we Christians live and talk about these things only confirms these presuppositions. Instead, we as Christians ought to demonstrate that fullness of joy is found in pursuit of the presence of God. We live a holy lifestyle because God knows the path to the fullness of life and he has revealed it to us in Jesus. We practice the Christian disciplines to experience more of the presence of God. It seems backwards, but the result of this kind of life is complete joy in the presence of God, which we can experience now in part and in the new creation in full.
So Christian, live with joy in the fellowship you share with God and others who believe in the gospel.
Reflection
Where are you looking for fullness of joy? Are you looking to find fullness of joy in yourself? Are you expecting someone else to complete your joy? A spouse, a friend, a parent, a child? Are you expecting something else to complete your fullness of joy? A new job, a new house, a new car, a new tool, a new outfit?
Repent of any other source you are looking at to find fullness of joy. Commit to finding your fullness of joy in the only one who can truly give it. Commit to finding the fullness of your joy in the life revealed.
Would you describe your service for God in the church as completing your joy? Like John, you are called to help others remain in the truth of the gospel in your role at church. Does this bring you joy?