One Year Journey Through the New Testament
1 John 4
Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!
Test the Spirits
1 John 4:1–6 (NKJV)
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Points to Ponder:
- John opens this chapter with an instruction to be discerning, testing the spirits.
- The He offers a criteria: If a spirit confesses that Jesus Christ came to earth in the flesh is of God. Those that do not are not of God.
- He warns that the spirit of Antichrist is already in the world.
- He then gives the solution: children of God overcome the spirits due to the greatness of the God they serve. Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.
- Those who hear and respond to the gospel are of God.
Knowing God Through Love
1 John 4:7–11 (NKJV)
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this 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 also ought to love one another.
Points to Ponder:
- This passage explains the essential nature of love. He tells the readers of the need to love one another, because love is the essence of God.
- God showed this love through sending His Son to the world to save us. The love of God is the source of all true love. His Son became the propitiation (payment) for our sins.
- Then John made it clear that we ought to take God’s example and love one another.
Seeing God Through Love
1 John 4:12–16 (NKJV)
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Points to Ponder:
- Although we have not literally seen God, we can experience His essence when we love one another. His Spirit is the carrier and bestower of His love.
- God is love, and if we abide in love, we abide in Him.
The Consummation of Love
1 John 4:17–19 (NKJV)
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: 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 casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Points to Ponder:
- Perfected love allows the believer to operate in boldness. This love drives out fear.
- Fear brings torment, but we who love God live in victory over fear. The love of God empowers us to love Him and us.
Obedience by Faith
1 John 4:20–21 (NKJV)
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Points to Ponder:
- John finalizes his thoughts on the love of God by stating that one cannot say “I love God” and hate another person.
- The logic says that one cannot hate the brother he can see and claim that he loves the God he cannot see.
- If you love God you will love your brother as well.
- Love one another!
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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.
Devoted To You 