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SEPTEMBER: Life in Christ

September 17

HOW TO KNOW THE JOY

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
1 John 1:4

The first thing that is essential before we can ever have and hold this joy is the absolute centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ. John starts with Him in 1 John 1:1-3: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."

You will never know any joy until you know Christ. He is the source of joy; He is the fount of all blessings; everything comes through Him. So before John begins to discuss anything else, he talks about Him.

Here we come to the great watershed that divides Christian preaching and teaching from every other teaching; it is based solely on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian church has nothing to say to the world until it believes on Him. Indeed, the Church' message to the world is one of condemnation until it believes on Christ. Christ is central, He is essential, He is the beginning and the end, and John has nothing to say to these people by way of encouragement unless they are absolutely clear about Him. It is through Him that we have access to God; and it is through Him that we have fellowship with God.

A Thought to Ponder
You will never know any joy until you know Christ.

From Fellowship with God, pp. 32-33.



Today’s devo is taken from Walking with God Day by Day © 2003 by Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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