FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD- 1 JOHN 1:9-10

John sets before the saints those things by which they may know they are saved. The plan of salvation is presented in plain and positive statements. The incarnation of God's son is declared to be the foundation of the Christian faith. Believers are encouraged to live lives that give evidence of their fellowship with God.

One of the dangerous heresies that threatened the early church was Gnosticism. According to Gnostics, the only hope of salvation is through self-knowledge and not by faith in Jesus Christ. They taught that man is fallen and lost because he is imprisoned in a material body. Since the material body is sinful, God cannot dwell in such a body. Therefore, the Gnostics could not believe in the incarnation of the son of God. Since this matter was viewed as evil, one could engage in unbridled indulgence of the flesh without any ill effects upon his real-self-his spirit. This false teaching had become a threat and some believers were actually turning from the faith because of  the Gnostics influence.

This epistle was written by John to meet the heresy by presenting the true knowledge of God. The first four verses of the letter are often called ''A Christian Manifesto''. In verse 3 the apostle declares that his purpose of writing is to proclaim the reality of God as revealed in Christ. Error is best confronted by the truth it denies. The proclamation of the positive convictions concerning the gospel will souls and establish them in the faith. A message must be personally believed and experienced if it is to avail. John had seen Jesus in person, heard His voice and touched Him. We do not have Christ's physical presence with us, but we can see Him with the eyes of faith. Jesus can become as real to us in our walk of faith as He was to Peter, Thomas and others during His life on earth.

There is a standard by which our fellowship with God can be tested. Walking in the light and obeying the commandments of God are proofs of Christian experience. The false teachers not only lived in sin but they denied moral responsibility. Their claim, ''we have no sin'' proved they did not have a right understanding of the gospel of grace.

The gospel of grace of which John wrote is not theoretical  or speculative as claimed by the Gnostics heretics. It is experimental and practical. It is not the trained intellect that sees God, but the pure in heart. True knowledge of God is that inward and spiritual acquaintance, which comes when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. False religion today and cults prey on credulous mind with promises of privileged knowledge and unlocked mysteries.

The command to love, the apostle makes it clear is not a strange kind of commandment. Jesus' death on the cross gave a new meaning to the old law of love. He demonstrated what love really meant- Prov. 10:12; 1 Cor. 13:1; Gal.5:13; Phil. 1:9; 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 Pet. 4:8; 1 Jn. 4:21.

We are to love the world, but we must not lose sight of the individuals who made it up. Life is a very impersonal experience for many. We need the Lord to help us to understand, appreciate and relate to the people as individuals. The natural tendency is to love those who love us and dislike those who dislike us. But Jesus said we are to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us and pray for those who misuse us- Matt. 55:44. Unconditional love requires that we love the unkempt, the unclean, the unlearned, the unlovely, whether they respond or not. True Christian love is not expressed in words or gestures. Real love is something we do, it is expressed in actions and deeds and in most cases, it may inconvenience us.

Both the church and home must work together to help children, youth and adults have the word of God abiding in their hearts. We need to take advantage of the many Bible teaching that the church provides for us in home Bible study groups, mid week bible studies, bible quiz, vacation bible schools, youth camps, etc. These teachings are not only meant for the church, the home must also assume its responsibility too. Family doctrine is a must.

Worldliness as defined by John refers to the present world system that is in opposition to God. It does not refer to the people of the world- Jn. 3:16, nor to the created world-Jn. 17:24, but to an evil system controlled by Satan. It is a world order that has no time for God. We should shun and hate anything that is against God because it is satanic. We are living in a world in open rebellion against God. It is a world that is filled with greed, selfish ambition, sensual pleasures, deceit, lying and violence. John reminded that ''the whole world lies in wickedness''- 1 Jn. 5:19. We are either obedient to one and not both at the same time. Christians have to move in the business and social world, but they do not become part of it. The apostle warns against three specific forms of sinfulness- The lust of the flesh, which is the vain pampering of the fleshly nature (it is a passionate desire for self satisfaction that comes from the sinful tendency in man's nature; The lust of the eyes, which is the desire to feast the eyes on that which is pleasant, whether good or bad; and The pride of life- that proud pretension that revels in material things or causes one to feel superior to someone else. John is saying we are to reject the world and its ways.

We live in a world that pulls at us from many directions. We must constantly brace against those influences that would draw us away from God, but we cannot isolate ourselves from our world. We must be a light and our lifestyles guiding others. Our godly influence can make a difference if we allow our light to shine.