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| Chapter 4 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is of God. 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is not of God; and such is the spirit of AntiChrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already it is in the world. 4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world; therefore they speak of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby we know the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us: that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 Herein is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby we know that we dwell in Him and He in us: because He hath given us of His Spirit. 14 ¶ And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath for us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 ¶ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love Him, because He first loved us. 20 If a man say, "I love God," and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loveth God love his brother also. |
Following on the information in 1 John 2:20ff John comes back to identifying the false teachers. v1-6 "Who is Jesus?" is the question John is asking in these verses. The readers of this letter were saved and so knew who Jesus was, Rom 8:9. The false teachers were claiming that they had a special knowledge of God and were therefore "special," John points out that all true Christians know God and have been given His Spirit. v2,3 A very important statement of faith is given by John "Jesus is God come in a human form." Any one who is preaching or teaching and does not believe this statement is not of God and must be of the Antichrist. Please note that this statement involves just an identifying of Jesus, the demons also are able to do this, but this did not save them, Mark 1:23,24; Luke 4:33-34; Matt 8:28-34. True faith involves a personal faith in Christ, who He is and what He has done for us, 1 John 2:22-27. Consider also Matt 12:22-30; Matt 16:13-16; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21; John 6:68,69. v4-6 If you announce that you worship God but leave out Jesus then you are not worshipping as a true Christian, for God and Jesus are one, John 5:23. v7-16 Love is of God. John returns to the thoughts on love, but now he asks "why is love so important?" His answer is that "God is love." His is a spirit by nature, and as such has no time or space restrictions (limits) as you and I are. He is holy and pure, but His nature is love, even His actions are controlled by His love. v7,8 As a result of this anyone who cannot love others cannot also have a love for God. v9,10 Because He love His creation mankind, even though the creation rejected Him, He was prepared, because of His love, to make away for restoring Man back to Him. He did this by sending His Son into the world, paying the price required for this sin of rejection on the cross. Consider 2 Cor 5:13-15; 1 Thess 5:9,10; Eph 2:1-6. v10 True love must also have an action, not just words. The love of God is given without expecting a response or love in return. Our own nature is against God, we have a sinful nature which rejects God, yet He still sent His Son to die on the cross, to restore the relationship (propitiation), Rom 5:8-11. v11 A command - love others because He loves us. Love does not save, belief does this, John 3:16, but because of what it cost Jesus then we will want to love Him and the Father. v12-16 The plan of God. Note how many times ‘abide’ or ‘dwell,’ are involved in this passage, all made possible by the Holy Spirit. God wants to be part of His creation, not just walk with them but live in them, in perfection for eternity and for man to become part of God, How? "Confess that Jesus is the Son of God." John 14:23. The more we love God, the more we know Him, the more we will love Him. v17-21 Love and Obey. John now introduces the words ‘fear’ and ‘torment’ in his messages to believers on love. How can these go together? Unfortunately any believer who is not growing in the love of God may suffer fear and torment in doubts. v17,18 Love made perfect looking forward to the coming Judgement Day because of our fellowship with God, we are growing like Him. A believer has a reverent fear of God, they recognize who He is and give Him reverence, tormenting fear does not exist in this situation. People normally have a fear due to something which has happened in the past or is still happening today, it may even be a fear of the future or a mixture of all three. Heb 9:27. For a believer this fear should not happen, they have experienced the love of God and so have no fear of past, present and future events, it is all covered by the death of Jesus, judgement has already happened, "perfect love casteth out fear," John 5:24. v19 We do not have to be afraid of the past because it all happened because He loved us first. Consider Rom 8:28-39. v20,21 Truth. Once again John uses the phase "If a man say," a warning against false, fake words. A believer who tries to show their spirituality by saying false words, "I love this brother," when in fact there is only hatred is a liar, not only with those words but in their relationship with God. John points out that if you cannot love someone you have seen how can you love an invisible God. To love God means that you must love others as God loves. Matt 5:43-48. |
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