Tag Archives: Ministry of the Holy Spirit

At the beginning of his first epistle, the apostle John explains his purpose for writing: “that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4 KJV). John writes for our joy. And who wouldn’t want to have joy fully? But to be clear, the joy John describes is not joy as the world understands it, since John says, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). No, the joy John describes is rooted in Christ, who is “from the beginning,” whom John and the other apostles heard, and saw with their eyes, whom they looked upon and touched with their hands, the living “word of life,” Jesus Christ himself (1 John 1:1). Just as they enjoyed in-person fellowship with Jesus, John desires for us, that all who are “of God” would enjoy a fellowship of obedience to Christ, love for the body of Christ, and discernment in living for Christ, all of which gives us Christ-exalting joy (1 John 1:3-4).