FRIDAY
1 John 1:1–4 (HCSB) 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.
In these verses that we have been covering this week, we see a paradigm of the proper response to the gospel. This week we talked about seeing (hearing and touching), perceiving and declaring.
- Seeing
- Perceiving
- Declaring
Every Christian life begins with the reality of the incarnate Christ. Jesus was born, taught truth, lived a life of love, died on a cross and rose again on the third day. These physical realizations form the first step in one’s faith in Christ.
From that encounter with the reality of the incarnate Christ, we are confronted with the revelation, through Scripture and the Spirit, that his life, death and resurrection mean more than the physical events themselves. The theological truth that we perceive is just as real as the physical events themselves. This we believe.
When we have believed the truth of the gospel, how can we not declare it? Our changed life declares it. Our voice also declares it. The gospel is the life revealed. We have good news, the best news, to share with our coworkers, neighbors, friends and family. Not only the evangelism piece is to be shared but this truth is to be declared regularly to our believing brothers and sisters in the faith as John is doing in this letter. The implications of these truths are so numerous and influential to all of life, we must regularly declare them when others have forgotten them or are living misaligned to these truths. We must encourage one another to live according to these deep truths of the gospel in the midst of life’s challenges, false teaching and our own lack of trust.
Reflection
Where are you on this spectrum of faith?
Are you seeing? Are you still examining the life of Jesus, deciding if he is someone worth following? Continue reading the gospels with an open heart to get to know the Jesus John and the apostles saw, heard and touched. Don’t just take another’s word for it. Read it for yourself and get to know this Jesus.
Are you perceiving? Are you examining the theological truths of Jesus to determine if they are indeed true? Read the epistles in the New Testament as the apostles are the authoritative source of the theology of the gospel. Ask questions. Stay curious. Think deeply on the core theology of the gospel.
Are you declaring? If you’ve come to believe the truth of what has been seen and perceived, declare it. Are you living your life in such a way that makes the gospel of Jesus look gloriously true? Are you living with love, joy, hope and peace? Are you ready to give an answer with gentleness and respect for the hope that you have in Jesus? Are you declaring the truths of the gospel to your believing brothers and sisters in Christ when they need to hear it? Are you asking others to declare these truths to you when you need to hear it?