John’s desire for us in 1 John 1:1-4 is that we join the apostles in the Gospel and believe in Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father with them. He then tells us that he wrote about that so that our “joy may be full”. The following scriptures teach about how we can come to know God better and have greater joy and fellowship with God:
| 1 John 1:8-10 | We need to admit that we have sinned and not deny it. If we do that, then Christ will forgive our sins and cleanse us. If we deny it, “his word” will not be in us. |
| 1 John 2:3-6 | We need to keep God’s commandments. If we keep His word, we will have the love of God with us and we’ll know that we are in God. In addition to knowing that we are in God, we must walk as He and Christ walk. |
| 1 John 2:9-11; 3:11-19 | In order to have the love of God with us, we must love our fellow brothers and sisters and not hate them. We need to show that love through actions and truth. If we do that, we will be in Him. |
| 1 John 2:15-17 | We need to not love the world. If we love the world, God’s love isn’t in us, and the pleasures we find in the world will surely pass away. If we do the will of the Father, that will will abide forever. |
| 1 John 2:20-21, 27 | Christ has anointed us and teaches us all things. What He teaches us are truths and not lies. |
| 1 John 3:4-6 | Sin is the transgression of the law. In Christ there is no sin, so therefore whoever fully abides in Him does not sin. If we sin, we do not fully know Him. |
One of my favorite scriptures from the list above are 1 John 2:9-11 and 3:11-19. It is essential for us to love our fellow brothers and sisters in order to have greater joy and fellowship with God. There are a few ways that I can better implement this principle in my life. One of the ways is by giving more selfless service to others. By doing that, I know that I will gain a greater love for those others and grow closer to God. Another way would be that of listening to others more intently when they are entrusting me with personal feelings, etc. I want to keep that trust strong. These are just a couple of ways that I know I can implement this principle better in my life.
