“THE FIRST TEST”

“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—“

1 John 1:1

The first epistle of John is a practical letter addressed to a Christian audience, meaning, the readers have genuinely repented of their sins and placed their saving faith in Christ. The writer warns against the dangers of false teaching and encourages believers to live in obedience to God and possess selfless love for their fellow Christians.

Several false teachings were circulating in the churches in the Roman province of Asia (modern western Turkey). People denied Jesus coming into the world as a human being, believing that matter—including the human body—was inherently evil and that spirit was good. In other words, they rejected the Incarnation, which is a key Christian doctrine. Another false teaching was the belief that Jesus was only a man and that the divine Messiah descended on Jesus at His baptism and left Him before the Crucifixion. Others claimed that Jesus only seemed to have had a human body like ours, who believed that Jesus was only an illusion, appearing to be human but having no body at all.

These false teachings have caused a lot of confusion among believers, so this letter was intended to prove the deity of Christ and assure believers that they have placed their faith in the Son of God.

The first part of 1 John resembles the Apostle’s introduction in his Gospel (John 1). He affirms the reality of Jesus Christ as God putting on human flesh. He also points to the preeminence (superiority) of Christ, calling Him “that which was from the beginning.” Notice this letter’s similarity with Genesis 1 and John 1. This is the original message about Jesus Christ: that He is the Son of God, who existed before time began and co-existed with the Father.

The Apostle affirms that he was an eyewitness to this truth as not only did he see Jesus in the flesh, but he also knew him on a personal level. His affirmation is a direct attack on the false teachings denying the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Further, he calls Jesus “the Word of life,” which resonates with his message in John 1:1.

What’s more alarming here is that those who denied that Jesus was a real human being claimed to believe in Christ. Their rejection of the truth about Christ’s nature was proof that they lacked genuine salvation. Their distorted view of Christ meant they did not know God (John 5:23). The proper view of Christ is the first test of genuine Christian fellowship.

The only way to avoid being deceived by a counterfeit gospel is to know the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, and one of the essential parts of the Gospel is the truth about Jesus’ humanity. He is Immanuel (God with us); He is God in the flesh.

Do you believe this?

Pursue the Savior today!