I John: A Lifestyle that Transforms

¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We write this to make our joy complete.

Introduction

Welcome to our study of “A Lifestyle that Transforms” from the book of I John.  While the identity of the author of this book is not stated, it was the agreement throughout church history that the author was the apostle John.  It was written as a letter from a Pastor and was distributed thoroughly the church world.  John encourages us to live genuinely and, in doing so, our lifestyle will transform our self-image, our family, our church, our co-workers and all relationships we encounter daily.

When we live a genuinely biblical lifestyle then we bring words of life, love, hope, and light into a world trapped by the chaos of sin.  We can offer then what the world needs desperately as our lives stand in contrast to the lives of those living for themselves.

I pray that as we study God’s Word together that we will grow in the image of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.  When our lifestyle honors Christ, we will transform our world for His glory.  May the Lord find us faithful.

Our study of “A Lifestyle that Transforms” begins today with “You must make Jesus the focus of your fellowship.”

I John 1:1-2

Many voices today will attempt to “enlighten” us with the thoughts that Jesus was not real, that He was merely a spirit, or that while He was a prophet and a good man, He was not the Son for God.  You will reject these thoughts if you believe what you read in the Bible.  But, does your belief in Jesus Christ influence the way that you live?  You cannot ignore Him, serve Him only on a Sunday, buy His goodness with an occasional monetary gift, or do good deeds to appease Him.  As the cliché states, Jesus is either “Lord of all or not at all.”  There is no middle ground; you either express your love for Him in all areas of your life or you serve to please your own will.  If you believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God then you will dedicate your life to honoring and glorifying Him.

In I John 1:1-2 we read that Jesus “was from the beginning.”  This is reflective of John 1:1 which reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.”

Jesus came to earth and appeared, was seen, was touched, and spoke.  His words and actions were observed by first-hand eye witnesses during His life, death, and after His resurrection.  Jesus was a real person and He is alive today!  He is the Word of Life, the giver of eternal life, and is with the God the Father.  Jesus is God.  He is worthy of your respect, your honor, your praise, and your lifetime of service to Him.  John teaches us that if we love Jesus then we will obey Him.  Our words have meaning only when placed in the context of our actions.

I John 1:3-4

In I John 1:3-4 we discover the bond that should unite believers.  We are each brought into the family of God because of our love for Jesus Christ.  We are to align our lifestyle with Jesus as we interaction with other family members in the Church.  We must treat them in a manner that honors Christ.  We treat each other with dignity, with the love of Christ, and with the grace and forgiveness than only Jesus can provide.

To be in “fellowship” means that we are sharing life together because we have something in common.  The commonality in the church should be honoring and serving Jesus Christ.  Any other factor will not bring transformation to our hearts or to our communities.  Any other factor will lead us away from our reason for being and that is to glorify God.

We are encouraged to have relationships with those outside the family of God so that we can share Christ’s love with them throughout life’s journey.  But, we can only be in genuine fellowship with those who share our Christ-centered values and convictions.

Application

If you truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God then your love for Him must be expressed in your lifestyle and overflow onto everyone you encounter daily.  If you dedicate each day to serving Him and bringing glory to Him then your life will be transformed and you will impact others for good.  If you make Jesus the focus of your fellowship then you will live a lifestyle that transforms!

A question needs to be asked.  With whom are you in fellowship?  The idea of fellowship goes beyond acquaintances and superficial relationships.  Are you in fellowship with people who share a love for the Lord as seen in a lifestyle dedicated to glorify and honor Him?  If not, then ask the Lord to direct you to people who help you grow to be the person God created you to be.  If you are in right fellowship then praise the Lord!  Obey the words of our Lord when He said, “A new command I give you; Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:33-35).

You must make Jesus the focus of your fellowship.  This is a lifestyle that transforms!

Prayer

Dear Jesus, I want you to be the focus of my fellowship.  Please teach me to center my heart and mind on you.  Help me to live a lifestyle that transforms others for your glory.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For You to Consider

1. How do you respond to those who state that Jesus was not the Son of God?
2. If your lifestyle was centered on Jesus Christ then how will your life be different in the following areas:
   1. Your family.
   2. Your finances.
   3. Your leisure time.
   4. Your work.
3. Who are the people with whom you share fellowship and why are you are sharing with them?
4. What can you do to help others in your church to make Jesus the focus of your fellowship?
5. Please complete this sentence, “If I believed fully that Jesus is the Son of God then I would …”