1 John

Theme = TRUTH

This letter has quite a few themes that can be tracked throughout but this theme of truth stood out to me like a bright light. Truth… as I even think of how to begin to expound upon this theme my mind wanders into what this word really means. Today’s culture has chosen to believe that truth is relative… that truth is subjective to our individual opinions… for there is ‘no absolute truth’.

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

As John wrote this letter to a people being bombarded with untruth I am sure that these words of Jesus were running through his soul… that the truth would set God’s people free. This is why this theme stood out, for John’s entire intent in writing this epistle was to show people truth that they would know the truth… that they have eternal life in Christ. John would be provoked to a righteous anger… for his best friend Jesus came and sacrificed himself to give this life… his close group of friends sacrificed their lives to spread this good news… martyred for their faith, hoping that all peoples would see truth and not perish. John desperately wanted people to see truth, it was his entire life… and he knew that apart from truth there is only death and destruction. According to this letter truth = all have sin and are in need of a Savior. Truth = God desires us to live righteous before him as his children, free of sin and death. Truth = sin and evil are going to be destroyed and righteousness in Christ is on it’s way into the world. Truth = Jesus is Savior… he alone can bring salvation before God the Father. Truth = God’s anointing is indeed upon his children… growing them in a knowledge of him. Truth = Love is determined by action, not by words. Truth = Jesus is God’s Son… is indeed of God. Truth = Whoever believes in Jesus Christ has life, eternal life… whoever rejects Christ does not have life. Truth is contingent not on our opinion but on God’s… what he says is reality… well, is.

For the recipients of this letter this theme would grasp their hearts and minds from the get go. They had learned all these things that John was sharing with them… they had been well versed in the truth after learning it from Paul, Timothy, Peter, and John himself. These would be second generation believers, whose parents and forefathers were those who first received the good news about Jesus. They would realize that the ramification of these truths is that in Christ alone is life… there is no life apart from him. They too would be righteously angry as they consider those who are deceiving them to believe that there are other paths to life. If what John is saying is true… then they must look to Jesus.

Today’s culture seems even more lost then that which John spoke into. It is sad to think that the very death of people will be their own ignorance of absolute truth. If Christ isn’t who he says he is then yes, there is nothing to be found in him. On the contrary though, if Christ really is who he says he is… if capital ‘R’ reality is that he is life and all who reject him are doomed to death and destruction… then well… there are a whole lot of people who are eternally lost. Wow… the ramifications for denying truth… how wildly severe they are. As I search for truth I realize that things aren’t true because they work, but rather they work because they are true. This is what I see in Christ… he is true… his plan is clear as daylight as I press into his word. God’s word truly does have all the answers… and is proving to be absolute truth as I seek truth in it. Christ is life and I want life the life he has. I will press into the truth of his word resting not on some hope that is founded in blind faith… but trusting in the God who has proven himself faithful and loving and gracious to me and countless others because in him is truth.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

p.s. this is my God-daughter Isabelle who is now living in the Phillipines but will be returning in another two months for the rest of my year here in Montana.