March 2 Daily Discovery - Read 1 John Chapter 1

This passage below is from the King James Version (ekjv.org).  

Remarks from the Berean Fellowship follow the passage below.  

[1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
[2] (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
[3] That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
[4] And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
[5] This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
[6] If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
[7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
[8] If we say that 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 that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

That your Joy May be Full

There had never been anyone like Jesus. He was the most amazing Person. He was so compassionate and fervent and merciful. The common people loved Him and gathered to Him in great numbers. The religious rulers of his day murdered him by manipulating the roman government into crucifying him. This Great Man and deliverer and lover of men had died a painful and shameful, public death. He never did anything wrong. H e never heart anybody.  He only went about doing good. Those thousands that had followed Him and had been ministered to by Him were downhearted and depressed and despairing over their loss. What possibly could be done to bring them encouragement and joy after having witness or heard about how his life ended?

The answer to that question is the news that his life did not end on the cross. There had only been a pause of His earthly body for 3 days.

He arose from the grave, having triumphed over it!

Jesus is Alive!

John tells his readers, "We have heard Him, we have seen Him, we have gazed carefully upon Him, and we have touched Him!" He is alive!
There were hundreds of eyewitnesses of Christ having been raised from the grave in a physical body. His crucifixion was public and His resurrection was public as well.

Mark 16:1-14

[1] And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
[2] And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
[3] And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
[4] And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
[5] And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
[6] And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
[7] But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
[8] And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
[9] Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
[10] And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
[11] And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
[12] After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
[13] And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
[14] Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

1 Cor 15:1-8

[1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
[2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
[3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
[4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
[5] And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
[6] After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
[7] After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
[8] And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

It is important to note that none of his disciples or apostles were quick to believe that he had been raised from the dead. When they received the reports of his resurrection they had all refused to believe. They did not believe the reports, they believed after they had seen him and put their hands into the wounds that were in His hands and were able to touch His side where He had been pierced by the spear while He was on the cross. That is when they believed.

It was not just doubting Thomas, it was collectively, doubting disciples. When Jesus first appeared to his disciples as they were gathered together, Thomas was absent. All of the rest of them were able to touch Jesus and know that He was indeed alive in a body. I'm sure they reported this to Thomas in order to convince him that Jesus had risen from the grave, and that is why Thomas said, "If I can't put my hand into His side and touch his wounds I will not believe."

This is why John tells the people in His epistle, "Our hands have handled Him"!

Walk in the Light

Eph. 5:8

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Col. 1:12-13

[12] Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
[13] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Jesus, our Savior is in the light and we can walk in the light with Him. There is a kingdom of darkness that may be about us, but we have light in our dwellings!

Ex. 10:22-23

[22] And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
[23] They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

John 1:1-9

[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[2] The same was in the beginning with God.
[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
[4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
[5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
[7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
[8] He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
[9] That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Receive Continued Forgiveness AND Cleansing

1 john 1: 9 has been referred to as the Christian's bar of soap. While we are in this world, we are going to suffer some defilement as a result (We are going to get dirty, spiritually). We are saints but we will not live completely free from sin.

I know that jesus died on the cross for my sins but that was a long time ago. What do I do when I sin now, even after I have been saved? I feel such guilt and shame. What am I to do?

Confess your sins to God (Jesus).

He will forgive you and he will cleanse you from them. The way to victory over sin is to continue to confess it and ask for forgiveness and cleansing. Don't wait until you are totally filthy and stinky.

When you get just a little bit dirty use the Christian's bar of soap and get yourself cleaned up by the Lord!

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Continue Your Search

Do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?

See: Berean Fellowship Bible Study Method