John speaks here of "the Word of life" and says that it existed "from the beginning" (1 John 1:1). The Bible teaches us that the Word is God:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
John 1:1
It also teaches us that life is found in Him:
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of mankind."
John 1:4
But Life is not simply the fact of existing. The Life spoken of in the Bible is a life of communion with God, in which His presence transforms the way we live and the way we face the different situations of our daily lives, in the light of His Word.
Jesus Himself says:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life."
John 14:6
To live this Life, therefore, is to learn to walk with God and to allow His Word to guide our thoughts, our decisions, our reactions, and the way we go through the circumstances of life.
From this communion with God, the fruit of the Spirit is manifested:
God offers this Life to every human being by proclaiming His Word to them. But simply hearing the Word does not automatically mean that we are living this Life.
The Bible calls us not only to hear the Word, but also to put it into practice:
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
James 1:22
The Word must therefore be welcomed, believed, and put into practice so that it becomes a reality that is truly lived out in our daily lives.
The Word Has Existed from the Beginning
John declares that this Word has existed "from the beginning" (1 John 1:1). This means that the Word of God did not come into existence at a particular moment. It existed before humanity appeared, even before the creation of the world.
John tells us:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
John 1:1
And a few verses later:
"Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made."
John 1:3
The Word, therefore, was not created with the world: He was already there when creation began. God did not become Good News for humanity at some particular point in time. In Him, life, love, goodness, and light have always existed (1 John 4:8; John 1:4–5).
A Journey Toward Knowing Life
Through John's testimony, we can also discern a journey of growth in our relationship with God: hearing, seeing, contemplating, and experiencing.
"What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life."
1 John 1:1
In its immediate context, John is testifying about Jesus, whom he actually heard, saw, and touched. He is therefore not speaking merely about theoretical knowledge: he is bearing witness to what he personally experienced. This testimony can also lead us to reflect on our own journey with God.
We Have Heard Him
The first step is the moment when the Word is proclaimed to us. We hear God's message. A truth enters our lives. We receive information, revelation, and an invitation.
Faith comes, among other things, through hearing the Word:
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
Romans 10:17
But at this stage, we do not necessarily understand its full depth, nor have we yet experienced it personally. We have heard, but hearing does not yet mean living.
Someone who has only heard about God may easily view faith as simply a form of knowledge or just another piece of information.
We Have Seen with Our Own Eyes
At this stage, we begin to spiritually discern what God is revealing to us. The Word gradually ceases to be merely external information. We begin to understand that it concerns us personally and that it speaks directly into our own lives.
The Bible speaks of this kind of spiritual understanding when Paul prays:
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you."
Ephesians 1:18
Our spiritual eyes begin to open to a reality that we did not see before. We no longer simply hear about God: we begin to recognize His truth in our own lives.
We Have Looked Upon Him
Here, we make a conscious choice. We no longer simply hear or understand the Word. We choose to welcome it into our hearts, meditate on it, and put it into practice.
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
James 1:22
This is where the Word truly begins to transform the way we think, speak, act, and, above all, the way we respond to the different situations we encounter in our daily lives.
When we face a difficult situation, we no longer respond only according to our emotions or circumstances. We seek to understand what God's Word teaches us and how we should respond in light of that Word.
Jesus compares the person who hears His words and puts them into practice to a wise man who builds his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24–25). This is the beginning of genuine transformation.
Our Hands Have Touched Him
The final step represents a personal and profound experience. In his testimony, John is speaking literally about Jesus, whom he saw and touched (1 John 1:1). For us, this reality can also invite us to move from knowledge that we have heard about to a reality that we personally experience in our own lives.
What we have heard, understood, welcomed, and put into practice now becomes a reality that we experience personally. We discover that God's presence is not merely a theological concept or theoretical knowledge. It becomes a reality in our lives.
We experience His peace in the midst of difficulties (Philippians 4:6–7). We experience His love (Romans 5:5). We experience His joy (John 15:11).
We also begin to understand how God can use certain trials to shape us, strengthen our faith, and produce perseverance in us:
"The testing of your faith produces perseverance."
James 1:3
Trials are therefore not necessarily signs of God's absence. God can use them to help us grow and lead us toward a deeper faith (James 1:2–4; Romans 5:3–5).
We also understand that, in spiritual warfare, the enemy seeks to turn us away from God and make us lose sight of this reality:
"Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
1 Peter 5:8
This is where our faith becomes truly personal.
An Experience That Changes the Way We Return to God
This is why those who have truly experienced God's presence can return to Him more easily after they fall.
They may fall. They may become discouraged. They may go through difficult seasons.
But something remains within them: they know what they have tasted. They know that God's presence is real. They know that it is precious. They know that nothing can truly replace it.
Someone who has only heard about God may easily view faith as simply a form of knowledge or just another piece of information. Someone who begins to see and understand God's truth begins to draw closer to Him. Someone who welcomes that Word and puts it into practice begins to be transformed.
But the person who has truly experienced God's presence discovers a reality that goes beyond mere knowledge: they have tasted Life. And that experience creates within them a desire to remain close to God.
"Remain in Me, as I also remain in you."
John 15:4That is why, even after falling, they can return. They can get back up. They can begin again. Again and again, as many times as necessary.
Not because they are perfect, but because they know where true Life is found.
For the person who has truly tasted God's presence may fall, but they no longer want to live far from Him. They return, rise again, and begin again because they know that nothing in this world can replace the reality of living in God's presence.
And perhaps this is the true journey of Life: to hear the Word, to see it through the eyes of faith, to contemplate it, to put it into practice, and then to personally experience the reality of God until we desire to remain in His presence.