The apostle encourages the people to do two things. One, not to believe every spirit, or teacher, but to ( secondly ) test or try or examine the teaching.
The reason for this concern was that there were indeed many false prophets that had gone out into the world spreading their false doctrine concerning Jesus Christ.
In their testing, here's how they would know truth from error. Those who confessed or taught that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. Or, that the Messiah had come in the flesh, and that man was Jesus Christ. He was both God and man. The Messiah come to the earth, and taking on a human body, in the person of Jesus Christ.
Those who denied this truth were not of God, but were the spirit of Anti-christ. He closes up this section by affirming that his readers, were "of God", and that they had "overcome them", and their victory was due to the fact that " He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world"
Those who would hear them were of God, and those who would not hear them were not of God. That's how they would know the spirit of truth from the spirit of error.
( Note, the false prophets were influenced by demon spirit's )
The second matter that John deals with has to do with our "loving one another".
The call is "love one another, for love is of God: and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love"
This could not be any plainer, or more simply put. Loving one another is proof of relationship, lack of love is proof of no relationship.
John also explains that here's the love of God manifested toward us. "That God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" This is love John says. It's the Father sending, giving the Son into the world, that we might live, have salvation, be born again, come to know the Lord and become possessors of eternal life, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Thirdly, John then returns to the matter of our loving one another. We ought to he says. Because, God has loves us, and we then ought to love one another. A simple logic and explanation. Additionally, he tells us what no man has seen, and that is God. No one has seen Him. But, if we are loving one another, God is abiding in us, and His love has been perfected in us, or realized God's purpose in our lives. To love one another.
Fourthly, "by this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit' One of the main reasons why we know that we know Him, and why we know that we are in Him, and He is in us, is because of the Holy Spirit having come into our lives when we became saved. Rom 8, tells us that the Holy Spirit is bearing witness to our spirit that we are the children of God. He speaks to us, He ministers to us, He enlightens us, all having to do with Christ, and with the Father, much like a parent who is raising a child does. That parent is in the child's life as it were, and is explaining to the child things that he or she ought to know, and tells the child things that are important in the child's development.
Fifthly, and finally, John tells us what he and the others have seen, and what they are testifying to. Namely, that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. And, that whoever will confess that Jesus is the Son of God, then, God abides in him, and he in God. Because, that's what happens when a person is saved. There is a union and communion with God. The person goes from darkness to light, from death to life, to being dead to being alive, to being without God, to now being with God.
John adds, he and others have known and believed the love that God has for us. ( Question, isn't it good to believe this for yourself, and about yourself? That God has love for you. ? )
God is love John says. And, the person who is abiding in love, abides in God and He in him. Again, this matter of love is a central hinge point on which we hang our knowing where we stand with God, and where God stands with us. Having this love in our lives means we are with Him, and He is with us. Not having this love in our lives means we have no right to call ourselves christians.
What God's love has done for those who have believed, is they now have boldness in the coming day of Judgement. In other words we do not have to fear that great white throne judgement. For we have passed from death to life, and will not come into the judgement. And, even now here in this world, we can rest peacefully, because as He is, so are we down here. How is He? He, a ref to Christ no doubt, or to the Father, both of whom we are in, and both of whom are in us. we are one, and nothing will separate us from the love of God. We are His children, and can face the future with hope and confidence at His coming,
This chapter concludes with the fact, that our love for Him, is because He first loved us. He was the first one to act, to move, to sacrifice for us, to give for us, to devise the way of our salvation, to give us faith, to convict us, to die on the cross for us, to do everything first that relates to our being saved. Our love is the result of His love for us first.
If someone says they love the Lord, but they hate their brother, that person is a liar, plain and simple. Because the person who does not love his brother whom he as seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen. If there is no love in that person it means so much, regardless of what they may claim about themselves and their profession of faith. Love is the proof that you know the Lord, that you are in Him, and that He is in you, period.
This is the commandment that we have from Him. This is what He has given us to do . That the person who loves God must love his brother also. There you have it. If you love God, you must love your brother. You cannot love God and not love your brother. It would be a lie to say you were loving God. You cannot hate your brother and be loving God. They just don't go together in reality.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Fourthly, "by this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit' One of the main reasons why we know that we know Him, and why we know that we are in Him, and He is in us, is because of the Holy Spirit having come into our lives when we became saved. Rom 8, tells us that the Holy Spirit is bearing witness to our spirit that we are the children of God. He speaks to us, He ministers to us, He enlightens us, all having to do with Christ, and with the Father, much like a parent who is raising a child does. That parent is in the child's life as it were, and is explaining to the child things that he or she ought to know, and tells the child things that are important in the child's development.
Fifthly, and finally, John tells us what he and the others have seen, and what they are testifying to. Namely, that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. And, that whoever will confess that Jesus is the Son of God, then, God abides in him, and he in God. Because, that's what happens when a person is saved. There is a union and communion with God. The person goes from darkness to light, from death to life, to being dead to being alive, to being without God, to now being with God.
John adds, he and others have known and believed the love that God has for us. ( Question, isn't it good to believe this for yourself, and about yourself? That God has love for you. ? )
God is love John says. And, the person who is abiding in love, abides in God and He in him. Again, this matter of love is a central hinge point on which we hang our knowing where we stand with God, and where God stands with us. Having this love in our lives means we are with Him, and He is with us. Not having this love in our lives means we have no right to call ourselves christians.
What God's love has done for those who have believed, is they now have boldness in the coming day of Judgement. In other words we do not have to fear that great white throne judgement. For we have passed from death to life, and will not come into the judgement. And, even now here in this world, we can rest peacefully, because as He is, so are we down here. How is He? He, a ref to Christ no doubt, or to the Father, both of whom we are in, and both of whom are in us. we are one, and nothing will separate us from the love of God. We are His children, and can face the future with hope and confidence at His coming,
This chapter concludes with the fact, that our love for Him, is because He first loved us. He was the first one to act, to move, to sacrifice for us, to give for us, to devise the way of our salvation, to give us faith, to convict us, to die on the cross for us, to do everything first that relates to our being saved. Our love is the result of His love for us first.
If someone says they love the Lord, but they hate their brother, that person is a liar, plain and simple. Because the person who does not love his brother whom he as seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen. If there is no love in that person it means so much, regardless of what they may claim about themselves and their profession of faith. Love is the proof that you know the Lord, that you are in Him, and that He is in you, period.
This is the commandment that we have from Him. This is what He has given us to do . That the person who loves God must love his brother also. There you have it. If you love God, you must love your brother. You cannot love God and not love your brother. It would be a lie to say you were loving God. You cannot hate your brother and be loving God. They just don't go together in reality.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
