Genuine salvation's unending joy

1 Peter 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

When we consider the biblical concept of “The Living Word”, we often will turn to the writings of the Apostle John – and rightly so.  The phrase “Living Word” is a title that applies equally to the Bible and to the Lord Jesus Christ.  John certainly bears this out in significant texts such as John 1:1-18 and 1 John 1:1-4.  It is in those texts we see joyful-word centered Christianity defined.

However there is another Apostle who took up the pen under the direction of the Holy Ghost and wrote about “The Living Word” – namely the Apostle Peter.  Peter will explain in 1 Peter 1 why the design of Christian salvation is centered around enjoyment of the Word and the WORD. 

Peter - the man of "The Word"

Peter ended up writing two letters bearing His name.  In the first chapter of this first letter, we are going to explore what Peter has to say about the Living WORD – Jesus Christ, and the Written Word, the Bible.  In fact, 1 Peter 1:23 is a text that could describe the work of either Christ or the scriptures.  Peter writes there:  "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." 

Peter is going to underscore the centrality of the WORD (Jesus Christ) and the Word (The Bible), and even more so, the enjoyment that results from centering on both.  In this blog we aim to understand why Christianity must be joyfully word centered by considering the following three ideas from 1 Peter 1:

1. Genuine Salvation begins with enjoyment of  the Word (and the word) 1:1-12

2. Godly Living continues with enjoyment  of the Word (and the word) 1:13-16

3. Great Hope is unending in the enjoyment of the Word (and the Word) 1:17-25

Since this is such an important theme, we will only focus on the first of these ideas.  First of all, Christianity must be joyfully word-centered due to the fact that:

Genuine Salvation begins with enjoyment of  the Word (and the word) 1:1-12

1 Peter 1:1-12 is all about the unfolding of the beginning of the believer’s salvation.  Consider what Peter writes about biblical salvation:

1. God’s choosing of the believer in love in 1 Peter 1:1-2. 

2. The New birth, whereby the Divine Gifting of faith is literally “birthed” in the hearer of the Gospel, resulting in conversion.  1 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 2:8-9 

3. Ongoing growth in Christlikeness – or what we call sanctification. 1 Peter 1:4

4. The believer’s perseverance – whereby every true child of God will persevere until the very end to Christ’s appearing. 1 Peter 1:5 

Prior to God's grace, I had anything but joy towards the Word.  Jesus Christ was of no consequence in my thinking.  I tried to gain joy through self-righteousness.  Before faith came, I was in bondage, under judgment, condemned by the Law of God. (Galatians 3:24ff)  However once God in His grace called my name, I believed, and now am enjoying the riches of freedom in my salvation.  Quite literally, there is "rejoicing" over what Christ has done and is doing in having made me an heir of the promises of salvation. (Galatians 4:30)

How joy shines through the believer's salvation

Like a string of diamonds does Peter lays out the warp and woof of Genuine salvation.  Then he makes this statement in 1 Peter 1:6 which is pertinent to today's blog: “this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.”  It is here where we see the theme of “joy” or “rejoicing” as one of the chief marks of genuine conversion.  Despite the dark background of trials, of which Peter states to be normative for the Christian in 1 Peter 1:7, The joy of salvation shines through the darkness like a series of bright diamonds or brilliant stars. 

The believer's uncontainable joy - The Living WORD

In fact we see one more statement made pertaining to our enjoyment of the Living Word Jesus Christ.  1 Peter 1:8 states: “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”  The Greek of this verse literally pictures the believer so full of joy that they are singing joyfully to themselves over this joy that they cannot contain.    

May you and I dear friend enjoy the Word and the WORD - for the joy of our salvation demands it, requires it and will die without it. 

Joy gained from cherishing the Word

1 John 1:4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

As we noted several days ago, John’s opening here in 1 John 1:1-4 functions like a Rose, wherein we can begin in the middle and work our way outward from center to circumference.  As we have worked our way through this text, we now arrive at the purpose for which John wrote these verses in 1:4 – “These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.”

The nature of joy

Joy by its very nature cannot be contained in solitary confinement – it must be shared with another person in order for it to be genuinely called joy.  Why? Because Joy is meant to be shared in relationship.  Consider John’s remarks about Him being both captivated and captured by His central focus on The WORD Jesus Christ and the Word – the scriptures. 

The Promise of joy to those who cherish the Word and the WORD

This fourth verse is both a promise and an exhortation.  It is a promise because the readers are told that by reading John’s words, they will have full joy.  This isn’t the first time John connects the idea of “joy” or “blessedness” to the reading of what He wrote.  In Revelation 1:3 he writes: “Blessed is the one who reads and heeds these words”.  It’s not because John wrote them, rather because of the One who is supernaturally guiding the process of the composition of those words.  The subject of the revelation is also the object to whom the revelation points. 

These are not just the ramblings of a 90 plus year old preacher writing inspirational thoughts to his readers – these are God’s words, fully inspired, God breathed through the flowing and simple language of this Apostle.  Joy, Full joy, is to be found due to these being “The Words” of God written about the “WORD of God” living. 

Powerful reason to cherish the Word and THE WORD: your joy depends upon it

The promise of fullness of joy also is accompanied by the exhortation to read these words.  Now the exhortation – or urging to do what is written – is not stated, but expected.  In other words, John is writing with the expectation that other people will read.  Communication involves the intention of the reader and the expectation that someone is listening. 

John is so full of joy over what He has experienced and witnessed for the past 60 plus years that he cannot stand to keep it to Himself.  He sees his flock, he sees them striving to be Godly, yet their joy is not full.  When a pastor sees his people struggling, the urgency is to see them full of the goodness of joy that will last through thick and thin.  As any good pastor knows, only one prescription will do – centering and enjoying oneself around The WORD and The Word. 

Practical example of cherishing the Word and THE WORD

He writes for this purpose: that our joy may be made complete.  Note what he didn’t write: “that our joy is complete”.  In order to have the fullness of joy written of in this text, the Christian must avail themselves by actually opening up their Bibles – and marveling at the wondrous things of scripture. (Psalm 119:18).  In doing so, they will meet Jesus the Living Word, whose aim is to meet with them. 

Pleasure of cherishing the Word and THE WORD

To see the rainbow, I must look through the prism.  I behold the pure white light, its point of entry.  The properties of that light remain the same in terms of substance, yet they are united with that prism.  I look at the light coming out on the other side, and I see the seven-fold colors of the rainbow.   Those that study optics will tell you those seven colors correspond to specific frequencies of light that are the same no matter what rainbow you look at.  The colors dazzle me, and my heart is amazed.

To see the infinite glory of Jesus Christ, I must see His Deity united in His Person to His sinless, post-resurrection humanity.  As I do, it is the scripture that spells out for me in specific detail how beautiful and significant He is.  The Written Word in the Old Testament and the Gospels record for me the prediction and portrayal of His Deity coming into time and entering through the virgin’s human womb.  As He is born, as He lives, as He is crucified, raised and ascended, I am beholding the glory refracted through the prism of sinless humanity.  It is the Acts and Epistles that explain to me the many-fold character of His glory. 

He is communicated brilliantly.  My joy is made full and complete.    

Never get over Jesus Christ

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

In becoming captivated by the written Word and the Living WORD - we find the key to joy in the Christian life.  The Apostle John never got over Jesus.  For 60 years after having been called by Jesus Christ, John wrote his Gospel, three epistles and Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation). The freshness of his faith breathed with joy in the Lord. 

Today I want us to look closer at this man who never got over Jesus Christ - The Living WORD.
 

John never got over Jesus!

As he had walked with Jesus in His faith-walk for some 60 or so years, He got to know Him.  In 1 John 1:1 John unfolds the compelling nature of his experience and knowledge of Jesus Christ: 

The Eternal Christ - The Living WORD – “What was from the beginning”

The Experience of Jesus the man - The WORD in human flesh…

a. The Teaching of Jesus – “what we have heard”

b. The miracles of Jesus – “what we have seen”

c. Personal knowledge of Jesus “with our own eyes”

d. The Passion of Jesus – “what we have looked at”

e. The resurrected Jesus – “touched with our hands”

f. Concerning the Word of Life – Jesus Christ Himself and also in reference to the scriptures about Him.

We should never get over "what" He worked in our lives

In the Greek text that word translated “what” is in the neuter, meaning that John is overtaken not only by the Person of Christ, but the event and accomplishments of the Master.  John could have very easily used the word “He” in the text, wherein he could had written: “He was from the beginning, He was the One we heard” and so on.  Yet John doesn’t do that.  The Holy Ghost had John write “what was from the beginning” to express the accomplishments and events surrounding the Person of Christ.  Christ did a marvelous work in John's life - something of which He never got over. 

We should never get over the wonder of the new life implanted in us by Christ

I feel the reason he did it this way was so that we could interpret his statement “word of Life” to refer to the scriptures and Christ Himself.  John never got over what He witnessed and heard from the Living Word Jesus Christ nor the living words He heard from Jesus Christ.  In four other places Jesus Christ is depicted as the “Living Word”. (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 5:7 (KJV); Revelation 19:13)  The Bible too is elsewhere described as being the living word of God. (Hebrews 4:12) 

We should never get over the wonder of Jesus Christ

John never got over the Word Jesus Christ, since it is Christ who called him forth from spiritual death unto spiritual life. (John 1:37; 5:24-25)  John never got over how the written word imparted to him eternal life at his conversion, which Jesus spoke and taught.  He was captivated. When Jesus, the Living Word, spoke the written word: “Come, and you will see”, the Apostle John (unnamed in John 1:39) and the other disciple, Andrew, began to follow Him.  He never got over that.  For six decades he had followed Jesus, and was still exhibiting an insatiable hunger for the written Word.  We know that centering our lives around the WORD and the Word is enjoyable because what takes place in our first saving encounter with the Word and the Word should never be something we get over. 

Mind-blowing joy

1 John 1:3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

How Christ the Living WORD is truly mind-blowing

When John wrote what he wrote by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, He undoubtedly had many concepts going through his mind as he penned about the Living WORD Jesus Christ. 

Jewish thought in the Old Testament and "The Word"

As  a Jew, John would had been thinking of such Old Testament passages that refer to this “WORD” like Psalm 33:6 “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host”.  As much as this text could easily refer to the words of God creating the heavens and the earth, it is equally in reference to the Creative Word that had been with God from eternity.  Psalm 103:20 assigns personal qualities to this Word – “Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His Word!”  The Jewish scriptures hinted to this idea of “Word” as perhaps being some type of personalized creative aspect of the God of Eternity. They knew that without the Word, spoken or Eternal, creation itself would never had become a reality.  Creation would had been locked forever in the eternal mind of God.  Only when God spoke did the creation, ever on His mind, become a reality. 

Greek thought and the New Testament truth about "The Word"

Though a Jew, John wrote His letter in the Greek tongue.  Any Greek speaking person would had recognized the usage of the term “word” (Greek Logos) as perhaps referring to that unnamed force that held everything in the universe and all life together.  Yet what he writes is that “The Word” is not a force, but a Person.  This Person of the Word, which for the Jews was Eternal, and for the Greeks the force holding all things together, was manifested in frail, yet sinless humanity.

John was captured since He saw what the Jews and Greeks said could never be seen

The Jews stated that if anyone ever beheld the face of God, death would come.  The Greeks taught that the Eternal Word or Logos was impersonal and unseen.  John is captured by the fact that he not only saw the personification of the Eternal revealed in human flesh, He talked with Him and walked with Him! 

Christ the Living WORD desires joyful fellowship with His people through the Written Word

John writes these words in 1 John 1:3 “3what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” To have fellowship is to have something in common.  Christ in his humanity came to have something in common with us, so that we could have something in common with Him.  John is inviting us to treasure the rainbow of Christ’s deity in humanity, and to share in the eternal joy of the Father. 

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. 

Captured by the WORD and the Word

1 John 1:2-3 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Being Captured by the Word and the WORD

John’s text thrust us from the center of this Divine Rose of 1 John 1:3 to the circumference of 1 John 1:1.  We now begin to travel back, taking in the full view and scent of Christ the living WORD and the written words of John.  John not only was captivated by the Word, He’d been captured by it.  His obsession both with the Word and the Living WORD stemmed from the fact he was captured and captivated. 

What is meant by the word "word"?

In the opening of His Gospel he writes what is perhaps the most profound stretch of verses in any of the four Gospels – John 1:1-18.  He writes about how the Word became human flesh.  The Word in Jewish thought was quite literally the eternal mind and Eternal Power of God which had been with Him from the beginning. 

No doubt, in condensed form, John wrote about this in 1 John 1:2 “and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us”.  Twice he writes how the “life was manifested to us”.  What is significant about that statement?  How is it that what John wrote demonstrates that He was captured by the life of the Word – and thus the reason for His joy over it? 

An Illustration: Being captured by the sun's light in a prism

Think of the WORD becoming flesh as being likened to a prism and the sun.  Let’s say if I claimed to be able to bring the sun and all its radiance down to where you could hold it in your hand and enjoy its radiance.  Perhaps you would doubt my claim.  But then let’s say I handed you an oddly shaped piece of clear stone, and told you by that oddly shaped piece of stone you will be able to hold the beauty and brightness of the entire sun in your hands.  You may say that I’m crazy. 

But you take it outside, and suddenly a rainbow of color appears in your hand.  That bright orb in the sky, some 93 million miles away and 100 times larger than our earth, burning with a surface temperature of 10,000 degrees, has been brought down into that prism.  All its beauty is displayed before you.  The properties of the light have not been changed.  If anything, your eyes do not hurt by looking at it.  You become captured by what you are seeing.  By the prism you can enjoy the Sun. 

Christ's humanity enables us to enjoy Him in His shared Deity with the Father and the Spirit

Likewise through the flesh of Jesus’ humanity we can enjoy, like John, the radiating beams of the Deity He shares with the Father – i.e we can enjoy “The Son”.  We can have fellowship with the Father and the Son who share in the eternal, unending light of Deity.  We can do this through the prism of Christ’s humanity, in which He chose to enter and take upon Himself.    This is what John is driving at.  The Living WORD Jesus Christ has captured Him.  He has seen the refracted rays of Deity shining through frail humanity.  The written words of scripture alone can explain what He saw. 

May you and I be as John - captured by the WORD through the Word. 

Encouragement for the discouraged

Colossians 1:29 "For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."

Perhaps you have come to this blog today and are dealing with doubt, frustration and questions about your current station in life.  You're in a hard spot, a "tough row to hoe".   Today I want to give you verses from Paul's letters that communicate the fact that your fulfillment derives exclusively from Jesus Christ.  Be encouraged dear friend by these scriptures that offer much encouragement and hope, no matter what situation you may be in at the current time.

1. Romans 15:17 - Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God.

2. 1 Corinthians 2:16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

3. 2 Corinthians 3:5 that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God

4. Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

5. Ephesians 3:11-13 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

6. Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.

7. Colossians 1:29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.  

8. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

9. 2 Thesslonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

10. 1 Timothy 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

11. 2 Timothy 4:16-18 16At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. 17But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

12. Titus 2:15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

13. Philemon 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.