Podcast 114, 1st John, “Pt 4, Ch 4”

Podcast 114, 1st John, “Pt 4, Ch 4”

It is most probable that every Christian has at one or more times quoted verses from 1 John 4. The following verses are familiar to everyone:

·      Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God.

·      God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

·      There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.

·      We love him, because he first loved us.

It is John who gave us John 3:16, what is likely the most quoted scripture in the Holy Bible: The Savior is talking to Nicodemus.

John 3:16-17

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John is often called, ‘John the Beloved.’ He is also referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” No disciple spoke of love more. John clearly understood that the very nature of God is love. 

1 John 3:8

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

John taught that we are the offspring of God and that we must become like our Father. 

1 John 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

I shall divide 1 John 4 into six section. Section 1 comprises:

1 John 4:1-3

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

John wants us to see the world as he sees the world. There are two great forces, good vs evil or God vs Satan. There is Christ and antichrist. All good comes from God and all evil comes from Satan. If that seems oversimplistic, imagine stepping off the world and looking down to earth, say from the moon. There is light and dark. It is the law of opposites. There is temporal light and spiritual light, temporal darkness and spiritual darkness.

The only reason we have temporal life is because we have temporal light and temporal darkness. The only reason we have spiritual light and spiritual darkness is because we are enticed by Christ to do good and we are enticed by Satan to do evil. Without that catalyst we would be spiritually senseless. Until Satan entered the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were unaware of their nakedness. They knew neither good nor evil, joy nor sorrow, love nor hate. Christ allowed Satan to tempt Adam and Eve just as he allows Satan to tempt us to give us agency, to give us a choice between good and evil. Genesis teaches, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” It could be acquired no other way. The fall was necessary. 

In the above John is teaching us how to discern between the spirit of God and the spirit of the Devil. The formula is quite simple. That which preaches of Christ is of God. That which denies Christ is of Satan. 

Section 2 comprises:

1 John 4:4-6

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. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Again, John is teaching us how to discern the spirit of truth from the spirit of error. We are prone to think of antichrist as some hideous monster with the number 666 across his forehead. Remember the second beast was like a lamb. Antichrist is very subtle and appears in many disguises. The spirit of antichrist is any person or philosophy or movement that teaches there is no Christ. That is why Satan and his angels are sons of perdition. They know who Christ is, yet rebelled against him. If you recall Christ would not allow the evil spirits to testify of him. He did not need their testimony. Only through the Holy Ghost can one truly know that Jesus is the Christ. 

Section 3 comprises:

1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Those three words, “God is love,” define Christ comprehensively. Love is his very essence. What other reason would he have to sacrifice his life, being entirely sinless, for our sins? It was only his love that motivated him to die for us. He didn’t need power praise or glory or honor. 

He was already God. Before he even came to earth, he was omnipotent and omniscient, yet he condescended to come to earth, having a veil drawn over his mind just as we have a veil drawn over our minds. We are told that Christ grew from grace to grace. He had the full earthly experience. In fact, his temptations, his suffering, his agonies were greater than ours, yet he never sinned. In the wilderness, he could have given in to Satan. Those temptations were not staged. They were as real as our temptations; otherwise, he could not have empathy for us. He had to understand our temptations, our weaknesses, our sicknesses, our doubts, our fears to become the perfect judge that he is. It was Paul who said, 

Hebrews 4:15

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

John teaches us the second great commandment, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

Section 4 comprises:

1 John 4:12-14

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 

What did John mean when he said, “No man hath seen God at any time?” John, himself, was a man and he saw the resurrected Lord.

Revelation 1:13-17

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

We know that Paul also saw the risen Lord as he traveled on the road to Damascus. Christ also, in his resurrected state, appeared to Mary Magdalene and to the eleven apostles and to many hundreds of people. We must assume then than John is speaking of the natural man who has only natural eyes. Some saw the resurrected Lord and didn’t recognize him because they saw him with their natural eyes. Christ can only be seen with spiritual eyes. Those who see Christ must also have the spirit of Christ. Those who have been honored by a vision of Christ are blessed. Most of us, however, see him only with the spiritual eyes of faith. Still, we know of his existence though we have never seen him in vision. We too are equally blessed. Remember his words of Christ to Thomas. 

John 20:29

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Still, we are very grateful for those like John who were privileged to see the Savior and give us their firsthand descriptions. Nonetheless, the spirit is just as strong in those who see him only with the eye of faith. 

Section 5 comprises:

1 John 4:15-17

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 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.