My Bible has a beautiful description of The First Epistle of John and I will include that here:
God is light; God is love; and God is life. John is enjoying a delightful fellowship with that God of light, love, and life, and he desperately desires that his spiritual children enjoy the same fellowship.
God is light. Therefore, to engage in fellowship with Him we must walk in light and not in darkness. As we walk in the light, we will regularly confess our sins, allowing the blood of Christ to continually cleanse us. Two major roadblocks to hinder this walk will be falling in love with the world and falling for the alluring lies of false teachers.
God is love. Since we are His children we must walk in love. In fact, John says that if we do not love, we do not know God. Love is more than just words; it is actions. Love is giving, not getting. Biblical love is unconditional in its nature. Christ's love fulfilled those qualities and when that brand of love characterizes us, we will be free of self-condemnation and experience confidence before God.
God is life. Those who fellowship with Him must possess His quality of life. Spiritual life begins with spiritual birth which occurs through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ infuses us with God's life -- eternal life.
Although the apostle John's name is not found in this book, it was given the title Ioannou A, the "First of John."
Chapter four is a quick read because it repeats some of the same principles that we have already reviewed. John reminds us to love one another and that God is love, but there is so much more to glean from these 21 verses. Let's jump right in!
Verses 1-3 Try the spirits
We are told to not believe every spirit. There are some spirits in this world that are deceiving. We must be careful to not believe everything we hear or read. We have to scrutinize everything through the lens of scripture. John said this is because there are many false prophets that are in the world now. Just like in the time John wrote this, there are many false prophets today. You may see someone with a large following, a big church, or television program, but we must be very careful what we listen to and believe.
Jesus said, For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Matthew 25:4) John is careful to remind us of Christ's warning so we can be aware of our surroundings, our culture, our world, and be on guard to stand against the evil deception that may come against us.
John says, in verse two, that this is how we know the Spirit of God: what are the people saying? Are they proclaiming Jesus Christ and Him crucified, or are they promoting their own agenda? Are they telling you that you have the power within yourself to make your own way in the world? Do they encourage you that you are the leader of your destiny? The Bible clearly states in verse three that every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and He is the Son of God is not a spirit from God. Be careful to what messages you have heard and believed.
Questions: What messages have you been hearing over and over again? Have you bought into the lie that you can meditate on an idea and it will happen from your own power? Do you agree with the statement, "Create your own happiness"? How do you respond to someone that says "Do more of what makes YOU happy?" Are these things that the scripture teaches is from God, or from the world? Are you stumbling in these lies or are you embracing the Truth of God's Word?
Verses 4-6 The World vs God
John hits on this comparison again because it is so easy to be entangled with this world, especially in this technological age. Sometimes it is easy to get discouraged when we see all the evil in the world. It's so easy to lose heart and think, "How can good ever win out?" The news is full of depressing stories and terror grips the heart of those who are not looking to God as the source of their protection and provision. Verse four is full of encouragement. 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. YES! That gets me excited. Greater is the God within us than the devil in the world. God has triumphed over satan and we get the victory!
The spirits that are not from God are from the world, according to verse five. They speak of the world, the customs, the desires, the goals, the perverted identities of who we are, and the world hears them. The people who are not interested in the things of God are listening to these spirits. They follow suit. They look like the world, act like the world, talk like the world, and desire to me more like the world. We are not to be like them. We are of God, according to verse six, and it says we can know the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error by who listens to us when we speak about God's Word. When you apply the principles of God's Word to your life and live out the commands of God, those who support and encourage you are operating in the spirit of Truth. If you are called a hater, persecuted for your faith, ignored or are mistreated because of the things you choose not to participate in, those individuals are operating in the spirit of error.
Questions: Are you ever criticized because of what you believe? Have you ever been excluded to a social event because you do not fit in with the others? Do you recognize the spirit of error in others who come against you for the things you believe in? Are you willing to stand firm in your faith even if you stand alone?
Verses 7-12 Love One Another
We must not hate those who are mean and cruel to us. If we are persecuted for our faith, if we are excluded from social functions, and if we are ignored because we believe the Word of God is Truth, then pray for that person, and love them, but do not become like them.
Verse eight tells us that if we do not love others, we are not a part of God. How can we be? Love is not just something God does, it is who He is. We are His children, and as the children of Love, we are to behave like our Father. He showed His love to us, according to verse 9, by sending Jesus to die for our sins in order that we might live.
You may think that the person, or group of people, who hurt you doesn't deserve to be forgiven. Maybe you do not think you have any love to give them. Remember you were once in their spot. You were lost without God in your life and He loved you so much that He died for you. He loved you before you could ever love Him. Romans 5:8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
We were not good enough to die for. We did not deserve God's grace and mercy. Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Verse 11, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Questions: Do you find it difficult to love someone who has hurt you? Are you struggling with finding who knows the Truth? Is it easy to accept God's love for you? Do you have someone you can rely on to tell you the Truth?
Verses 13-15 Confidence in God
Verse 13 says this is how we can be confident that God is at work in our lives, dwelling in our hearts, and leading us, because He has given us His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. When the Holy Ghost is alive within you, you know it! There is a change! You have an encounter with God. John 14:20 Jesus said At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.
Verse 15 says if anyone that confesses Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in that person and he or she lives in God. Our life is in God through the work of Jesus on the cross. Sin separated us from God but Jesus paid for the price of our sins and now we have relationship with Jesus the Son of God and God the Heavenly Father. John 3:17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.
Questions: Who do you know that you can share this message with? Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit? Have you ever shared your experience with the Holy Spirit with others? Has anyone ever shared their experience with you?
Verses 16-21 God Is Love
Throughout the book of First John, he wants to remind us that God is love. In a world where we hear the name of God, and His Son Jesus, be slandered and cursed, where we see blasphemy all around, it does not show a picture of a loving God. God is a God of wrath. He is a God of justice. He is a God of mercy. But never forget that God is a God of love. He is love. Love is who God is.
In verse 18, John tells us that there is no fear in love because perfect love casts out fear, or torment. In His presence there is no fear. In His presence there is peace and love and joy and all the fruits of the Spirit. There is only good and pleasant things in His presence. If you find yourself being afraid, or feeling condemnation, get alone with God and the fear will leave. The fear will go because it cannot be in the presence of our Lord.
The chapter ends as John reminds us one more time to love our brothers and sisters. He tells us that loving others, whether they love us back or not, is a sign that we belong to God. We are His children and we show it by being like Him.
Questions: Do you see God as a loving Father? When you visualize who God is and what His personality is like, do you see Him as kind and loving, or mean and ready to punish? What are you afraid of? Have you tried to get alone with God and be in His presence, away from fear and doubt and disappointment?
I pray that you experience the great goodness of God and His love. I hope this Bible study encouraged you and uplifted you. There are some great power verses in this chapter. I hope you are learning a lot as we break the Bread together. I hope something you studied this week has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. See you next Wednesday!
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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