Being Captivated by the Word

1 John 1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life

Why centering upon the Written Word and the Living WORD produces joy in the Christian life

Yesterday we bagen looking at the key to joyful Christianity - ventering upon the Living WORD - Jesus Christ and the Written Word - the Bible.  Having witnessed how John found such joy in focusing his thoughts around the WORD and the Word, we aim in today's blog to answer this main question: What is so joyful about centering upon the written Word – the Bible, and the Living Word – Jesus Christ?

I will submit to you from 1 John 1:1-4 the three reasons why John, and us here in 2012, can find true abiding joy in centering around the Living WORD and Written Word. Joyful Word-centered Christianity occurs when…

1. We are captivated by the Word 1:1

2. We are captured by the Word 1:2

3. We are cherishing the captivating and capturing Word 1:3-5

For sake of time and space we will consider the first of these reasons.  Note first of all that the joy of the Christian walk begins and continues as….

WE ARE CAPTIVATED BY THE WORD 1 John 1:1

When we say captivated, we mean that John, and us, should never arrive at the point where we get over Jesus and the scriptures.  John’s writing style here in these opening verses operates like the petals of a Rose – wherein you begin at the middle and appreciate the beauty as your travel from center to  the circumference.  In 1 John 1:3a he writes: “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also….”  John here is reporting what He both saw and heard.   

He never, and we should never, get over what we witnessed

In 1 John 1:1 John is clarifying what it was, or rather who it was, that he saw and heard.  Frankly John was captivated and never got over it.  As he travels back some 60 years to those moments when he was engaged and called by Jesus, it’s as if He met Jesus 6 minutes ago.  Furthermore He has in his mind the entirety of Jesus’ teaching and work that He witnessed over the 3 1/2 years that He walked on this earth. 

May you and I center ourselves on the Living WORD - Jesus Christ through the written Word - the Bible.  May it be said of us that we never got over Jesus - for He and His Word are the key to our unending joy in the Christian walk.