Life, Light, Love
The sermon explains the key words of 1 John, 'life', 'light', and 'love', and how they relate to having eternal life and fellowship with God.
Theodore Epp emphasizes the significance of the three key words in 1 John: 'life,' 'light,' and 'love.' He explains that eternal life, which is found in the Son, allows for true fellowship with God and is more than just a duration of existence. Epp highlights that walking in the light reveals both righteousness and sin, serving as a test of our eternal life. Additionally, the love that God pours into our hearts through the Holy Spirit is a vital expression of this life and a measure of our faith. Ultimately, these elements together define the essence of Christianity and our relationship with God.
Text
1 John 1: 1-4
There are three key words in the epistle of 1 John. They are "life," "light" and "love." These words are used many times in this epistle.
That God has given us eternal life is clearly stated in 1 John 5:11-13, which are key verses to the study of this epistle. God has given us eternal life, and that life is in His Son. If we have the Son, we have eternal life; if we do not have the Son, we do not have eternal life.
Eternal life is a special quality of life that makes it possible for us to fellowship with God. More than eternal duration of life is meant.
The other two words, "light" and "love," provide the test whereby we may know whether or not that life is within us. We are told that God, as to His nature, is light and that there is no darkness in Him. And if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with the other. Light reveals righteousness, and it also reveals sin. By virtue of the light, we can know whether or not we have eternal life.
The love spoken of is a God-given love, and it becomes both the outward expression of the inward life and another test whereby we may know that we have such life. The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5) so that the man who is born of God loves others. This is the very essence of Christianity.
"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Cor. 2:9).
Sermon Outline
- The Key Words of 1 John
- Life
- Light
- Love
Key Quotes
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- We can know if we have eternal life by walking in the light as God is in the light.
- The love of God is the outward expression of the inward life and is the essence of Christianity.
- We must have a God-given love for others to truly have eternal life.