Broadcast Date – November 11, 2001 on KCXY (Y95) - 95.3 FM

At 5:49 AM, on July 16^th, 1945, in a white blaze that stretched from the mountains of Northern New Mexico to the still dark skies, the first atomic bomb was tested at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The light of the explosion then turned orange as an atomic fireball began shooting upwards at 360 feet per second, reddening and pulsating as it cooled. The characteristic mushroom cloud of radioactive vapor materialized at 30,000 feet. Beneath the cloud, all that remained of the soil at the blast site were fragments of jade green radioactive glass, all caused by the heat of the reaction.

After the explosion, initial reactions were mixed. But the comments of one person are particularly noteworthy. J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the men who was instrumental in developing the atomic bomb, stated, "The world will never again have a sense of security."

Consider the many events taking place around us today. On a daily basis we are hearing of threats of terrorists attacks, chemical warfare, biological warfare, new types of cancers being discovered, accidents taking the lives of our loved ones. And the list could go on and on.

But friends, the Bible teaches that, yes, in spite of all this, we can possess a sense of security. Consider the words of John, recorded in I John 1:1-4: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with out 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 shew 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."

First, John presents Christ as the foundation of our security. Notice the words, "That which was from the beginning." John does not make use of a personal pronoun but rather "that which." John is referring to the characteristics and attributes of Christ prior to his existence in a fleshly body. John presents Christ, not as a created being as some teach, but as a member of the Godhead from all eternity. Admittedly, the Bible’s use of the word "beginning" does not always refer back to the time before the creation of the world. For instance, consider I John 2:7: "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning." Friends, the word beginning as used here refers to the time when John’s readers first became Christians through their obedience to the gospel of Christ. Also consider I John 3:8: "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." Here the word beginning refers to the time Satan first engaged in his sinful behavior.

But consider the context in which the phrase "That which was from the beginning" is used in I John 1:1. Here, John makes use of the phrase "in the beginning" to affirm that Christ existed from all eternity. Notice John’s words recorded elsewhere in John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus is not merely a god, one god among many, but rather he is a member of the Godhead, having existed from all eternity.

John’s words serve to affirm the fact that Christ lived in the flesh. Notice John’s use of the words, "That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled." At the time of John’s writing, the belief of the Gnostics was prominent. The Docetic Gnostics denied the humanity of the Lord. The Cerinthian Gnostics denied the deity of the Lord. John affirms that Jesus was God in the flesh. Elsewhere we read, "For in him (that is, in Christ) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9).

Jesus not only lived in the flesh but; after he was crucified, he overcame death. Consider the actions of Thomas, recorded for us in John 20:24-29: "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Because Christ’s overcame death, we too will be able to overcome death if we remain faithful to Christ. Consider the words of the apostle Paul, recorded in I Corinthians 15:54-58: "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

The second point we notice from our text is that, after presenting Christ as the foundation of our security, John speaks of the fellowship that makes our security possible. Notice John’s words in I John 1:3: "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." This fellowship, or partnership, is established through our acceptance of and obedience to the truth. We are called into this fellowship by the gospel of Christ. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (I Corinthians 1:9). Also notice II Thessalonians 2:14: "Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Friends, this fellowship involves a common faith based upon unity of teaching. We establish fellowship with the apostles when we believe, practice, and teach the same things the apostles taught. For example, the apostles taught that a person is forgiven of his sins when is baptized. When the penitent hearers asked Peter on the Day of Pentecost what they must do to be saved, Peter responded, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). In order for a person to maintain fellowship with the apostles today, he must teach the same thing the apostles taught. He must teach that a person is forgiven of his sins when he is baptized, not before.

Friends, will you also consider Ephesians 4:3-6: "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

The third point we notice from our text is that, after John presents Christ as the foundation of our security and discussed the fellowship that makes our security possible, John presents his purpose for writing: "that your joy may be full." This joy is a result of the security we have in Christ.

We are secure in Christ because we have been forgiven of our sins. Notice Peter’s words recorded in Acts 3:19: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

We are secure in Christ because we are able to be victorious over death. When Martha told Jesus she knew that Lazarus would rise at the last day, Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." Friends, make no mistake about it, unless Christ comes first, we will die physically. But we will not cease to exist. The Bible teaches that if we believe in Jesus Christ, accept his teaching, obey his commandments, and remain faithful to him, we will have eternal life.

We are secure in Christ because we have a hope of a home in heaven. The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote: "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil" (Hebrews 6:19).

Elsewhere we read: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (I Peter 1:3).

Friends, do you remember Mr. Oppenheimer’s statement I referred to earlier? "The world will never again have a sense of security." But those persons who are Christians do possess a sense of security. They possess a sense of security because they are able to look beyond the current conflicts and troubles of the world in which we live. They are able to realize their fellowship with the apostles, with God their heavenly Father, and with Christ. They are able to look forward to their eternal home in heaven.

In stark contrast, those persons who are not Christians have no real security. Rather than an eternal home with God in heaven, these persons will experience an eternal, conscious, punishment in hell. The only security these people possess is a false security, a security that deceives.

I thank you for your attention and hope you can be back next week.

Rod Halliburton