This starts a series of devotionals on 1 John, a book that is short, simple and profound. In it we read that God is light, that God is love and that God is our Father. We learn about forgiveness and eternal life. It tells us why we have difficulty in life and what can be done about it. While 1 John is non-technical, it is deep.

This little book was written by the Apostle John. Its first words are reminiscent of the opening of John’s Gospel. Both focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and how having faith in Jesus will change your life. John wrote his gospel so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31). This short book was written so that you who believe in Christ might know you have eternal life (1 John 5:13). That is what this book is about.

John begins the book by telling something about himself. He was an eyewitness to all that Jesus did. You heard that Jesus performed miracles? John was there. You heard that Jesus died and rose again from the dead? John was there. Not only that, John lived, ate, moved and ministered with Jesus for three years. John did not just know about Jesus. John knew Jesus. His testimony is trustworthy.

Yet it is not the messenger, but the message that is so important. John tells about the Word of life. Anyone who encounters this Word of life, which was from the beginning, will have his life transformed. From the Gospel of John, we learn that this Word of life was with God in the beginning and was himself God. He made all things and gives life to all. This Word of life became visible in human form, in the man Jesus Christ. This is described in the doctrine of the incarnation: Jesus Christ was truly and fully human, and yet he is also fully and truly God. Those who know Jesus as their Savior and Lord will have a new relationship with God and themselves. From the Word of life, we can receive eternal life.

That may seem hard to grasp or understand. Here is the nub of it. God created you to know him, to glorify him and to enjoy him. God created you to have a relationship with him. Yet this is so difficult because we are just creatures and God is the Creator. We can learn things about him by looking at what he has made (as we can learn of an artist by looking at his art). We can learn about God’s thoughts from the words written down by the prophets. But how can we, mere finite creatures, know the eternal One? On the face of it, we have as little natural ability to peer into the heart of God as our pet goldfish can peer into our hearts.

Here is where we see the power of the incarnation. In Christ, God himself has come down to live with us. In Christ, we can actually see and understand God in a way that fits our experience. In Christ, God came to us. In Christ, God spoke our language. In Christ, the gulf that separates you from God is bridged so you can actually know God and can have fellowship together with him.

There is something besides our creatureliness that separates us from God—it is our sin. Sin is our refusal to do things God’s way. We resist following others when they do not agree with us, even when it is the right way. God does not say, "My way or the highway." Truth is, God’s way is the highway. Everything else is a rough road that will eventually lead to a dead end or a cliff. Our sin is when we refuse to take the road that God paved. Our sin separates us from God.

But Christ is the Word of life. Through faith in Christ, our sins are forgiven. In Christ there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. In Christ we are made part of the family of God. It does not matter what you have done, the forgiveness of God in Christ is great enough to bring you back to God and give you eternal life.

John writes this letter so that you will know Jesus and all of the blessings of Christ will be yours. This not only brings glory to Christ, but it adds you to the family along with John and all believers. We who know Jesus are to share his gospel with other people, not only because it increases the glory of Christ, but because our joy is increased when more are added to our fellowship.

I need to view evangelism more that way. How can I communicate the gospel of Jesus so others are added to my family (the family of God)? Your fellowship with God also means your fellowship with me. So I ask you—do you really know Jesus as your Lord? Do you know his presence in your heart and life? I tell you of Jesus so your life will be transformed. This will bless you and make my joy complete.