1 JOHN 1 (NOTES OF A READING)
[p. 362] 1 JOHN 1 (NOTES OF A READING)
Ques In verse 3 would “ye” include in the fellowship those from the time the epistle was written to the present time?
CAC Yes, I think so. The saints now come into these things as matters which have been reported to us. We have not exactly seen and heard for ourselves, for it has not been granted to us to be actually with the One here spoken of, but men were with Him and they saw and contemplated and handled certain things. The eternal life was manifested to them, not exactly to us; we could not say that. They reported, and we are very dependent on the report now rendered by the holy Scriptures, particularly in John’s gospel and first epistle; we have to pay great attention to the report.
Ques Would it include only the apostles’ fellowship, or others?
CAC Primarily with the apostles, because it is John particularly who has reported to us, but our attention was called last week to the fact that there was quite a goodly company of persons who had been eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word, and things had been manifested to them. It shows the true character of eternal life. It is something to be discerned and apprehended in the Son of God. The witness is that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son, so that it is only known and apprehended in Him — something not in us, but in Him.
Ques Is that not really the character of christian fellowship?
CAC Our fellowship is constituted by what we have had reported to us as true in Christ. It is the real bond of fellowship. It is not that we like each other naturally, or to be with a set where doctrines commend themselves to us, but that each one has an apprehension of the eternal life seen in Jesus.
[p. 363] Ques How would you speak of eternal life in a simple way; it is hazy in the minds of many?
CAC John writes his gospel and first epistle to take away all mystical thoughts from us and give us to see it is spiritual substance. It is what has been seen in all its reality in the Son of God. It does not belong to God as such, though God alone has immortality. Eternal life is the act of favour of God to men, and it is the gift of His love that men should have it and apprehend it in Christ as a present reality. It is all to make us believe on the Son of God.
Ques In Him we have life; would that be eternal?
CAC Certainly, but we must pass over from ourselves to Him to apprehend it.
Rem The Lord Jesus set the thing out in all He enjoyed in communion with God as a Man.
CAC Yes, and all that can be carried on into resurrection. All that can be carried into resurrection has the character of eternal life.
Ques Would “the Son of man who is in heaven” (John 3: 13) convey it?
CAC I should think so; it would bring out the heavenly character.
Ques All the traits of Christ seen in us, is that eternal life?
CAC But there are traits of Christ which do not belong to eternal life. The fellowship to which God has called us in 1 Corinthians 1 belongs to the wilderness side; John speaks of a fellowship that belongs to the land — to the sphere of the purpose of love.
Ques How does Paul come in?
CAC Paul’s knowledge of Christ began really outside the scene of sin and death. He did not know Christ after the flesh at all, but entirely after a spiritual order, a life which was with the Father.
Ques Would you say a spiritual state is necessary?
CAC Yes, because it speaks of entering into it. [p. 364] The great type is the land of Canaan. Israel in type passing over the Jordan into the land came into a region beyond death, and that is properly the sphere of eternal life, heavenly in character, but known on earth. Eternal life will be in the world to come. There will be a spiritual life enjoyed by saints in the world which is outside earthly conditions, and that will be eternal life. Brethren will dwell together in unity, and that is how it is known now. They have enjoyment of what is in the Son of God. Without it we cannot possibly have unity.
Ques What traits of Christ do not belong to eternal life?
CAC None of His natural relationships, so that He is not the son of Mary in eternal life.
Ques Is it enjoyed in the company of the saints?
CAC Yes, there is not much enjoyment of life in solitude. There is not much life about solitary confinement. Companionship contributes to it, and that is so with eternal life.
Rem “For there hath Jehovah commanded the blessing, life for evermore” (Psalm 133: 3).
CAC It is the greatest exhibition of eternal life in the Old Testament. There are two mentions and two sides: the setting aside of the power of death in Daniel, and then the positive side when brethren dwell together in unity and enjoy God. The catechism in the Scotch church asks the question, ‘What is the chief end of man?’ and answers it, ‘To glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever’. It is a very good definition, no wit of man could have devised a better. John says, “This is the eternal life, that they should know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (John 17: 3). It is to enter into the Father’s thoughts of Christ, and into what He is Himself as Father, and to see a perfection in Man corresponding to the Father and say, That is my life and I can enjoy it in Him. It is all as clear in Scripture as a beam of light! The difficulty is in ourselves, we are so complex, we need pulling to pieces and putting together in [p. 365] a new way altogether.
Eternal life is for the earth, and the character of it is untouchable by death. The sweetest and highest character of life, such as in family relations, can be touched by death. It is terminated by death, so it is not eternal life.
Rem The gift of life is connected with purpose; I like that.
CAC Anybody can see that what we have in Christ cannot be touched by death. “The wages of sin is death; but the act of favour of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6: 23). Eternal life is God’s great contrast with death. It cannot be thought of in connection with heaven, for death has never entered into heaven.
It is presented in two ways by Paul. In Romans 5, “through Jesus Christ our Lord” — that is the medium by which it reaches us, and in chapter 6, eternal life “in Christ Jesus our Lord”, showing it subsists in the Person. And it is through Him it is ministered to us, He is the channel. So that in each case our thoughts are turned to Him. It does not turn me in on myself, but directs me to Him. John 20 emphasises that He was to be touched in a new sphere. Mary had touched Him after the flesh; she was now to touch Him as having gone to the Father.
Ques Does the tree of life bear on this?
CAC Yes, I think the promise was in the tree of life, a pledge on God’s part that He had a life far more wonderful than Adam would have had if he had never failed. His thoughts of God would have been limited, for an innocent being could not have any conception of righteousness or holiness. The very presence of that tree was a promise. ‘I have something better than this beautiful, perfect garden. It is perfect, yet I have something far better!’ It would have set Adam and Eve thinking even in that day. The fellowship of the Father and the Son brings us into the region of divine thoughts. The apostles say, “We know”; we enter in and pass it on to you, that in result your joy may be full. I do not [p. 366] suppose there is anyone today who would not like that.
Rem It is not good that man should be alone.
CAC All that we are brought into now was in the mind of God before He created Adam. Christ was first in the mind of God, not Adam. It could not be known apart from the incarnation of Christ, a divine Person become Man; and He has an inward life with the Father and it is ours through grace. God has given it to us.
Ques Is there any difference between eternal life and life?
CAC They run very closely together; God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. I think the character of life God has for His saints is eternal life now. Of course there is a certain kind of life that can be enjoyed in the wilderness, and there is such a thing as pious confidence in God in regard of circumstances here. It is a kind of life here, but it is not eternal life. I may be happy that I have a God in whom I have confidence; it does not matter what bombs fall, it does not change Him. With the Lord, the swaddling clothes and manger were God’s care for Him. It does not touch eternal life, which is a new region. He said to the woman at the well, “If thou knewest ... thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water ... whosoever drinks of the water which I shall give him shall never thirst for ever, but the water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life” (John 4: 10, 14). There is the divine proposal, showing it is the Spirit that leads our desires and aspirations into the region of eternal life. So if we do not keep on good terms with the Spirit, we shall not know much of eternal life.
Rem We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. That would not be fully eternal life.
CAC Yes, I think that is right. And we ought to pass over and know when we pass over from the wilderness to [p. 367] Canaan. While eating the Supper we are in the wilderness, considering how the Lord laid down His life, and we are where His blood was shed. We should pass on and touch resurrection, go on to where He is risen from the dead, and there you touch eternal life.
Rem If we were touching eternal life we should have no difficulties.
CAC And any of us may enjoy eternal life without thinking of it, in conscious association with Christ out of death, and all may be enjoying it together — the youngest can enjoy it — when we are consciously happy, even for a moment, in the enjoyment of what death cannot touch.
It is very wonderful to think that there is nothing John had that he is not willing to share with you and me.
Rem Each child of God likes to pass on to others joy that he has himself.
CAC And this particular kind of joy! They found fulness of joy in it. It is about as good a definition of eternal life as you will find in most of the pamphlets.