A recap of our first large group's study of 1 John 1, along with a dentist analogy from Gordon!

1. 1 John 1 (ESV)
The Word of Life
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our
hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we
have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was
with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen
and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship
with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus
Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Walking in the Light
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you,
that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have
fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice
the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all
sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not
sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
BELOVED SERIES
ACF Large Group 1
6 September 2019

2. Key Points
The Word fosters Fellowship and Joy in God
“that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have
fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”
What is Fellowship?
⎯ Taken from the Greek word koinonia
• “The Greek word koinonia is derived from the word koinos, which very
literally means common, in the sense of being shared by all.”
(Campbell Morgan)
⎯ Two types of fellowship
1. Fellowship with “us”, the church
• We are to be united with each other as one body, one Church
o “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to
the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through
all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6 ESV)
• Faith is meant to be shared among members of the body, such that all
members can grow from each other’s experience with God
2. Fellowship with “the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ”
• We are to be united with God
o “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in
me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you,
Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so
that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-
21 ESV)
• Fellowship with God is characterized by sharing every aspect of life
with God built by continuous prayer
What is Joy?
⎯ Joy is uncircumstantial and arises from hope of the eternal
⎯ Some examples of joy:
• Joy from hearing one’s testimony and experience with God
• Joy from knowledge of total acceptance from God amidst rejection
from the earth
• Joy from God’s overwhelming love

3. We should not hide our sin from God
“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth… If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
⎯ We respond two ways to sin; we can either hide in shame, or we can confess
to God
⎯ The former, hiding our sins, is “walking in darkness”
o We cannot both have fellowship with God and hide our sins from Him,
whether it be from shame
⎯ The latter, confessing our sins, is “walking in the light”
o God is light
o The closer we are to God, the more exposed our sins are
o Instead of shame, this exposure of our sins is necessary and brings
about growth and change
o Thus, there is no point at all in trying to hide your sin in shame, for God
knows your sin anyways
A Dentist Analogy
Context: Gordon is a dentist who frequently takes pictures of his patients’ teeth to
analyze what problems they have.
Observation: Light is necessary in revealing the state of his patients’ teeth, often
marked by decay and cavities due to years of not flossing. This exposure is very
unpleasant to the patient, who shrieks away from their own decay. However, the
unpleasant exposure is necessary in order for their teeth to be cleansed. Their decay
does not go away from ignoring the problem.
Biblical Application: The patients’ teeth decay is a metaphor for the sin we have. It’s
ugly and shameful and discouraging. Only by drawing near to God, who is light, and
letting Him expose our sin that eats us alive, is the decay able to be fixed and cleansed.