1 John

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

This verse marks a slight change in the overall topic being discussed, and yet it will be found to fit harmoniously into the overall flow of thought. John starts with “Beloved” indicating those who have experienced the great love he is about to discuss, and which comes through faith in the work of Jesus Christ. Such faith results in adoption as sons of the Living God.

John previously mentioned love as a test of faith, such as in 3:10-24, but now he will explain the logic behind this claim. He begins this by saying, “let us love one another.” In 1 John 3:23, he said that “we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another.” This is speaking of the fraternal love which is to be exhibited among believers, and it was called a “commandment” in verse 3:23. He again states that we are to love one another and then explains that saying, “for love is of God.”

The meaning of this is that God is the source of properly directed and true love. In verse 4:4, speaking to believers, he said, “You are of God.” In verse 4:6, including himself in his words, he says, “We are of God.” As this is so, and as “love is of God,” it is only reasonable that believers are to love one another. How could love be of God, and believers be of God, and yet believers do not love one another? It is illogical thinking. With this understood, John says, “and everyone who loves is born of God.”

This is obviously speaking of love in the way that God loves. On the earth, there are all kinds of love which are a part of the human emotions that we possess. But there is the godly love which can only come through union with God, because apart from God, such love cannot be understood. If it cannot be understood, then it also cannot be rightly expressed. But when one is born of God, he loves in the way which is expected of God because he “knows God.”

The love of God is found in what God has done in and through Christ. Man was in sin, but God remedied that situation by sending His Son. It is from the greater to the lesser. God, the greatest of all beings, was willing to express his love towards His creatures through Christ. He had nothing to gain from it, and it was the highest price that could have been paid, but He did this as an expression of His perfect love.

In coming to God through Christ, we know God – meaning we understand His heart – in a way that could never be understood apart from Christ. This is the love that John speaks of, and it is the same love that John asks us to express towards fellow believers.

Life application: Why should believers love one another? It is because everyone born of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ knows God. To know God is to understand the complete expression of love because God loves infinitely. To know this calls for us to strive to emulate what we know.

When John says, “let us love,” he is speaking of continual practice, not just a one time or fleeting occurrence. Rather, it should reflect everything we do and think about, and it should be expressed to all with whom we fellowship in the Body of Christ. Just as this love is from God, and thus it gives evidence of a sound relationship with Him, in the same way our love should give evidence of a sound relationship with those around us.

The way John terms “born of God” indicates a completed action. Through God we have been begotten and we remain his child eternally. As is taught clearly and without exception, the doctrine of eternal salvation is referred to here. One is born of God and is forever a child of God. The only thing we can expect from backsliding and waywardness is a loss of joy in this life and a loss of eternal rewards in the next.

When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, let us be found acceptable as sons and daughters of the One who adopted us into His eternal kingdom. Let us love, even as we are loved.

Lord God, because love stems from You, and because You are the Source and full expression of true love, fill us with the desire to emulate You in loving those around us. May our lives be examples of the love that we received when we came to Jesus. You sent Him despite our failings, and so help us to love others – even in their own failings. May it be so, and may it be to Your glory, O God. Amen.

Tuesday, 12 May 2020

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. 1 John 4:6

John now uses the same formula as the previous verse, but provides it in a contrasting form to indicate believers who listen to the true apostles, rather than unbelievers who listen to false prophets –

“They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. (4:5)
We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.” (4:6)

The contrast is made, and the divide is absolute. This division comes down to one thought alone – “Has Jesus Christ come in the flesh or not?” Explained, this means, “Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, meaning fully human and fully God, or is He not?”

The Greek of “He who knows” is literally, “The one knowing.” It is an ongoing and increasing knowledge of who Christ is. Paul, for example, was knowing, but he was also growing in his knowledge and pursuit of the Lord. He strove daily to attain to the full knowledge of God in Christ. For those who teach this as a truth, and for those who receive it as such, John says, “We are of God.”

Just as the false teachers and those who accept their message are of the world, those who accept the message of the true apostles are of God. As this is so, John continues by affirming that “He who knows God hears us.” If someone accepts that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, he will hear the apostles’ message. This is inclusive of, and probably especially speaking of, John’s gospel and his epistle which he is presenting.

He, and any with him, had come to present this truth many years after the writings of the other gospels and other epistles. Confusion had crept into the church over these issues. False teachers had come in with false messages, and John had written his gospel and epistles to speak out against these things. Those who are of God will receive his words as intended. Those who are not will not.

For example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have John’s words, but they do not “hear” them. Their teaching denies the incarnation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ. And so, even though they have the word, it is meaningless to them. They remain of the world. As John says, “he who is not of God does not hear us.”

Such people, and so many others, simply do not hear the truth of Scripture concerning Christ. They reject its obvious truths, and they are not “of God.” They remain in Adam, under the devil’s authority, and their condemnation remains. Finally, John says, “By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

Here, John uses a term that is different from verse 4:2. There it said, en toutou. Here it says ek toutou. Of this, Vincent’s Word Studies says, “It occurs only here in the Epistle. Ἑν τούτῳ is in this: ἐκ τούτου from this. The former marks the residing or consisting of the essence or truth of a thing in something the apprehension of which conveys to us the essential nature of the thing itself. The latter marks the inference or deduction of the truth from something, as contrasted with its immediate perception in that something.”

In other words, John is saying that we can make a logical deduction concerning what we believe. We are of God when we believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. In this acceptance, we have tested the spirits (verse 4:1) and we know that we have followed the spirit of truth. Likewise, we can test the spirits of those who do not believe this truth, and we can know that they are not of God, and that they have followed the spirit of error.

In this, John is using “theological math” where 1 plus 1 will equal 2. We can logically and accurately determine such things by simply adding the points presented and coming to a right answer to the equation.

Life application: When John says, “we are of God,” he is referring to himself and the other apostles who are speaking the truth of God’s message. It is actually kind of nuts to think otherwise when John was one of the apostles who lived with, saw, felt, heard, and learned from Jesus.

If someone proclaimed a false message, all his audience would need to do would be to talk to John about what was and what wasn’t true. He is a messenger of Jesus and therefore whoever “knows God” would listen to him and his message (including his letter which is now included in the pages of the Bible.) Likewise, to know who is not of God, just look at who rejected John and the other apostles’ messages (and those who teach false messages today.)

This isn’t difficult and it doesn’t take a degree in theology to figure out. When someone teaches or preaches what is right from the Bible, he is teaching based on the spirit of the truth. When he isn’t, he is teaching from the spirit of error. If there is disagreement, then all we need to do is go to the Bible and read to find out what is right and what is wrong.

It should never cease to amaze us that those televangelists who promise blessings, healings, and miracles get any support at all. People should be checking out their teachings against the Bible. There we can see that they take Scripture entirely out of context and misapply it for financial gain. And yet, they keep getting richer. And those who listen to them keep finding themselves in the same unhappy circumstances. This is also the case with other false teachings. Things that are unprofitable, and yet which flourish, are because of the desires of tingling ears. These things spring up from deep wells of unsound doctrine.

The best part of waking up shouldn’t be what’s in your cup. Rather, it should be the time you spend in your Bible. Make every effort to know and cherish this incredible gift of God.

Give us wisdom, O God, into the vast riches of Your word. Keep us from error and being deceived by people with unsound agendas. Instead, give us right reasoning concerning those things which are profitable in Your eyes and which will bring You glory! This is our hearts’ prayer today. In Jesus’ name… Amen.

Monday, 11 May 2020

They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.  1 John 4:5

John returns to his mode of making contrasts. In the previous verse he said, “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.” In this verse, he makes a bold contrast from those words –

You/they
Of God/of the world

True believers in Jesus Christ are of God. In contrast are the false prophets and those who listen to them. They are of the spirit of the Antichrist and are of the world. They are sons of the Devil and the system he employs. The world in which they live and fellowship in is the source of their speech, even if it isn’t necessarily the subject matter they teach. Understanding this, John says, “Therefore they speak as of the world.”

In John 3:31, Jesus said, “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” The source of what Christ Jesus spoke was not of this world, because He was not of this world. Those in Christ have their source in Christ, and thus they are “of God.” Those who are not in Christ, speak as the world. Because this is their manner of speaking, John says, “the world hears them.”

When someone is in Christ, he should naturally want to speak about Christ. He will speak about the temporary and futile state of this world, and also of the anticipation of what is ahead for believers. Those who are not in Christ have no such hope, nor do they have a heavenly source for their thoughts. They are of this world because they are grounded in this world. Because of this, the world (meaning the people of the world) will naturally listen to them.

Until a person is willing to accept the premise that this world is not as it should be, and that God has a redemptive plan which is in motion which is intended to bring us back to the state we were originally intended to be in, they cannot accept those things. Further, because Jesus is the central point of that entire plan, they cannot accept Him or what He has done in any meaningful way.

It requires a complete change in one’s worldview to say, “I accept the premise that this world is not truly what I was intended for, and that God has remedied that by sending Jesus.” This is why Jesus said this to his apostles –

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:18, 19

There is actually a state of enmity between those who are in Christ and those who are not. This may not be an overt state. In other words, a husband and wife may love one another, but when only one is saved, there is the knowledge that “She thinks she is going to heaven and that I am going to hell.” This is the hatred that John is referring to. The husband hates that message, and therefore, he hates the Source of that message. His heart must first turn to Christ to receive the truth of what Christ speaks concerning such things.

Life application: In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul equates all people as sons of Adam and “of the dust.” But he says that the believers who bear the likeness of Adam will also bear the likeness of the “heavenly Man,” that is Jesus Christ.

The people John speaks of today were and remain sons of Adam. Just as Adam believed the lies of the devil, so these people continue to follow in the same lies. Any teaching contrary to the Bible is a part of this system, but specifically denying the manifestation of Jesus as coming in the flesh is what John is speaking of. Their denial, whether explicit or implicit, is of the world and the world rejoices in hearing them.

Accountability to the true God is thrown out the window so that the deeds of darkness and wickedness can abound. Take time today to evaluate your stand on the Person of Jesus – it is through Him that we are granted eternal life and fellowship with the Creator; nothing else will do. Stand firm on the faith which leads to eternal life!

Lord God, keep us from the influence of those who speak from the system of the world, but whose hearts are cold to You and the wonderful message of reconciliation You have given. It is through the shed blood of Jesus that we overcome this world and are brought back to You. No other path is acceptable. But we thank You that this one path is available. May You be praised for bringing about this glorious restoration! Amen.

Sunday, 10 May 2020

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. 1 John 4:4

John now contrasts the faith of the believers he is addressing to the spirit of the Antichrist which he has been speaking of. In verse 2, he said, “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” He now says, “You are of God.” The implication is that they have confessed that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.

The word “you” is plural and refers to all of the recipients who have rejected the false prophets and influence of the devil, the spirit of the Antichrist. It is also in the emphatic position, “You are of God, in contrast to those I have just referred to.” As this is an epistle now in the Bible, the word “you” also includes us if we have confessed that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.

John then again, as he has so tenderly done in the past, calls his audience “little children,” using the Greek word teknia. He says that his little children have “overcome them” meaning the false prophets and the spirit of the Antichrist. He states this in the perfect tense, indicative mood, meaning that they overcame them in the past, continue to do so, and it is a certain fact.

The false prophets put forth lies, and in following those lies, a person can be swept away into falsity before ever believing the truth. However, by believing that Jesus came in the flesh, one overcomes them. This is important to understand, because a person may later be told something contrary and accept it. This will then count for loss of rewards, but not a loss of salvation. The person who has overcome has done so once and for all. It is a surety for them. And the reason that it is so is “because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Christ is greater than the false apostles, the false teachers, the false prophets, and even the Antichrist. When a person comes to a saving knowledge of Christ, the One who is greater than all of these created beings resides in him and, therefore, that person is secure – forever – in Christ. Jesus told His apostles of this –

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Christ has overcome the world. Therefore, those who are in Christ have also overcome the world and those of it.

Life application: The action is complete to this point, but his letter is one of warning for believers. We need to continue into the future with our eyes on Jesus and our hearts and minds on the things of God, lest we get swept up into false doctrine and false belief. Standing fast in sound doctrine was, is, and will be possible because believers now have the Holy Spirit. Although the “He” isn’t specified in these verses, it is referring to the Holy Spirit. This is certainly the case for several reasons –

Verse 3:24 speaks of the Spirit given to us by God.

After this was mentioned, John speaks of testing the spirits and continues with the contrast between the Spirit of God and the spirit of the Antichrist.

It is the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, fills us, and leads us into all righteousness.

Because we are indwelt with the Spirit of God, we have the power to resist and overcome the devil, but we can’t be filled with the Spirit if we are disobedient to the Word of God. Further, we can’t be filled with the Holy Spirit if we don’t comply with the acknowledgment of Jesus having come in the flesh. Nor can we be filled with the Spirit if we fail to accept Jesus’ authority. Being filled with the Spirit, then, is not an emotional state in any way, shape, or form. Instead, it is a state brought on by obedience and then opening up to the Sovereignty of God in our lives.

When we do those things which please the Spirit, we will be filled by the Spirit (it is passive in the Greek – we open ourselves up to the filling). This is what we are to pursue at all times.

Thank You, Lord, for the Gift of Your Holy Spirit – that He indwells us is the greatest comfort to our hearts and souls. And knowing that when we are obedient He will lead us to all righteousness, it spurs us on to wanting to be obedient. Because of His power in us, we are able to overcome the false prophets, the spirit of the Antichrist, and even the work of the Devil himself! What an honor to have such a close and powerful Helper in our times of need! Amen.

Saturday, 9 May 2020

…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. 1 John 4:3

John now returns to the concept of the Antichrist that he discussed in verses 2:18-22. In verse 2:22, he said, He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. As explained, that was referring to the Father/Son relationship, meaning that Jesus Christ is born of God and thus He is fully God.

To deny the deity of Christ is Antichrist. John now confirms that, while continuing his thoughts concerning testing the spirits. He had just said that “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” That speaks of the incarnation. To confess the incarnation of Jesus Christ is a spirit that is of God. Now he says, “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.”

A more literal translation of the first part of this verse would read, “And any spirit that not confesses Jesus Christ in the flesh has come, from God not is.” It is stated in a negative form, rather than a positive. John is drawing lines in the sand with his theology.

His use of “confess” is in the present tense and, as has been the case many times in this letter, is speaking of a person who does not actively and consistently follow through with an action. In this case, it is to confess that Jesus has come in the flesh. Sure, anyone can say Jesus is God incarnate to impress an audience, but he can also be speaking a complete lie. If he truly believes this is so, he will continue to confess it and live in such a manner that he believes it is really the case.

Another interesting point is that there is a definite article before “Jesus.” In essence, it says, “…does not confess that the Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” Why would John do this? It is because there were, there are now, and there will continue to be, people who claim faith in Jesus, but it is not the same Jesus described in the Bible. They are proclaiming a “false Jesus.”

The words of John’s statement are obvious on the surface, but they needed to be said. A denial of the deity of Jesus, who is also fully human, is not of God. One must accept the incarnation, as it is presented in Scripture, or that person is not of God. A list of some of the heretical teachings found during the church age are Adoptionism, Docetism, Apollinarianism, Arianism, Nestorianism, Eutychianism (also known as Monophysitism), Monothelitism, Patripassianism, Psilanthropism, Sabellianism, and Tritheism. Each introduces a subtle change in what is considered orthodoxy, and eventually it will lead to a total breakdown in sound theology.

This list is not an all-inclusive list of heresies. Some of them affirm Jesus is human while not God. Some affirm He is God, but not human. Some divide His life up into being only human at times, and then endowed with deity at others. And so on. The main point of John’s words is that Jesus is God and He is human – fully and forever from the moment of His incarnation.

But even this can be misunderstood. Some say that Jesus was created in the womb of Mary, and then God united with this physical body. This is a heresy because it denies the actual human lineage of Jesus. It means God could have created a body for Jesus in any woman. The fact that He is born into a Jewish family is incidental to the story.

Rather, Jesus is of the lineage of Abraham, Israel, Judah, David, and so on because he was conceived – not created – in the womb of Mary. Rather than God creating a body, He prepared a body – meaning that He tended to the genealogy of Christ from the beginning of man’s time on earth. The genealogy was carefully and precisely aligned for Christ to be born at a specific moment, to a particular person, in the nation of Israel.

One can debate if some of the heresies mentioned above qualify for John’s definition concerning Antichrist or not, but they are heresies nonetheless. As he says, “And this is the spirit of the Antichrist.” The word “this” is pointing back to his already-penned words – “every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.”

Such a spirit is that of the Antichrist “which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” The spirit had been warned about. John confirms that even at the earliest times within the church, there were already heretics who denied this fundamental truth. Instead of simply accepting the incarnation of Christ, as described by the Old Testament writings, and as confirmed by the apostles, the spirit of Antichrist blossomed, and it has continued to be expanded on by heretics who are of the Antichrist.

What John is saying here is not that any particular person is the Antichrist, but that this is the main point that characterizes the spirit of Antichrist. Someday, the Antichrist will come, and he will be one who espouses this doctrine, and who also fits the other prophecies which refer to him.

Life application: If you have studied Mormon theology, you will see that they believe something entirely different about Jesus than that of biblical Christianity. They profess a false Jesus – a Jesus which is of the spirit of the Antichrist. Islam denies that Jesus is God incarnate and is therefore of the spirit of the Antichrist. This is the test John lays out so clearly.

Either one teaches that Jesus Christ is fully God, clothed in human flesh, or he is under the control of the spirit of the Antichrist. Be attentive to this – John could not have been any clearer in his presentation. We are expected to believe this as a fundamental truth of our faith. To deny Jesus as coming in the flesh means one has never called on the Jesus of the Bible and therefore his condemnation remains.

Heavenly Father, though we may struggle with the concept of the incarnation, we accept it as truth because this is what Your word proclaims. Jesus is fully God and yet fully Man – Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Thank You for sending Jesus to reveal You to us in a way in which we can comprehend. What a wonderfully magnificent Creator You are to do what You have done! Amen.