1 John 4:5-6

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.

1 John was written to highlight the evidences of conversion in the life of a believer. One of the key evidences of the regenerating work of the Spirit of God in the truly converted is their acceptance of the Word of God. When presented with truth that may even defy their own actions, instead of justifying their wrongdoing, they instead submit to God’s Law and repent of their sin. Submission and repentance are the response of the converted. Self-justification and pride-preservation are the marks of an unbeliever. One who truly believes the truth of God’s Word will see the promise of lasting restoration that can be had in the momentary bruising and aching of repentance. Unfortunately, the visual impairment of the foolish causes them to so cringe at the short-sighted prospect of the pain of repentance that they miss the liberty and freedom beyond. As the drunk who fears giving up the security of his half-empty bottle of forgetfulness, in exchange for a life of restoration and sobering accomplishment; the spiritually inebriated fear letting go of the very things that please for now and leave them ravished later. To this John says, in effect, “this is a distinguishing mark of a believer: how he responds to God’s truth.” Week in and week out, many professing Christians pour into church pews. God’s life-changing, direction-altering, sin-shattering, hope-bringing truth is presented. A better way is laid on the altar before the congregants. However, unaffected by the truth, and eager to depart from their inconvenient duty, they climb from their pews and depart unchanged, un-helped, and ultimately unrepentant. When faced with the truth, the faithful congregants turn away un-submitted, and rush to their La-Z-Boy recliners to receive the message of the world that feeds their souls.

So how do you do? When presented with an unbearable truth that convicts your soul, do you respond in submission and repentance? Or, like Adam and Eve, do you camouflage yourself with fig leaves and hide amongst the trees, hoping that the eye of an Omniscient God may not see your sin? John tells you that to reject God’s truth is to firmly ensconce yourself under His wrath. Repent and be saved.

Food For Thought: If repentance is the best thing, why don’t people repent?

1 John 4:2-4

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. 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.

What do you believe about Jesus? I mean, what does your theology of Jesus look like? If I were to ask you to describe Jesus to me, what would be your description? Here in 1 John 4:2, John says that your Christology (the study of Jesus) is extremely vital to your eternal position. Theology is not just for the old guys in seminaries. Theology is for anyone who truly would be a follower of Jesus. Let me just bullet point a couple things about Jesus that John would have known:

Jesus is Divine: Jesus was not just sent from God as a prophet, He was God in the flesh. He was Deity. Jesus was not just a created being as purported by the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, He literally came from heaven. John tells in his gospel that Jesus “became flesh and dwelt among us.” John writes in 1 John 1 that Jesus was here and John’s “eyes have looked on him,” and his “hands have handled him.” Jesus is of Divine blood. He came from heaven and wrapped himself in a robe of human flesh, and sought to set things right between God and men.

Jesus is Christ: For centuries, the Jewish fathers watched and waited for the Messiah that would come and fix what Adam had broken through faithless disobedience in the garden. Sadly, they were so jaded in their perspective that when He showed up from heaven, they couldn’t believe it. The darkness of the human heart was spotlighted in the moment that they ruthlessly murdered Him. The purposes of an omnipotent God will never be undone. Quite the opposite, all attempts at undoing the works of God will only always jettison those purposes further down their paths of accomplishment. In killing Jesus, the disbelieving Jews became the executers of the gospel for mankind. The blood that dripped from their fingertips flowed to save them. Jesus, the Divine, had come to take the guilt and shame away from mankind and restore the broken hearts. The sin sick could now find health in Jesus. He was truly the Christ.

Christology matters. He didn’t just show up and tell a few stories. He showed up to change hearts and usher in a new era that would echo with hope and joy. Now with John worship the Divine Christ Jesus.

Food For Thought: Christology matters. What do you believe about Jesus, what texts of Scripture would use to prove that?

1 John 4:1

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Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

I once heard a great preacher say, “What the church needs most is discernment.” Christians all too often lack the spiritual discipline of discernment. When we get to 1 John 4, John knows this and he instructs the church to become a discerning people. Often, however, spiritual immaturity becomes the seed-bed for toxic theology and faulty thinking. The longer I have Graham and Cecelia, the more I realize that parenting and childhood are simply two great parables of the Christian life. There is a lot that can be learned about yourself and your natural tendencies spiritually when you carefully watch a one-year old.  As babies grow and mature, eventually the “shovel technique” is perfected and they begin to grab anything and everything and shovel it into their mouths. Whether it is a cookie, or a toy, or a piece of garbage they find near them on the ground, anything and everything goes straight to the mouth. Babies, physical ones and spiritual ones, are a pretty undiscerning crowd. Without proper training both will ultimately be devastated by the ingestion of all sorts of strange things. Spiritually speaking, this toxic lack of discernment has been a filter-down side-effect of years of poor biblical interpretation and the inculcation of extra-biblical teaching. At times the spiritually immature are excited through the means of humor, empathy, or guilt, and are left with an emotional buzz. Perceiving this buzz as “the moving of the Spirit,” they then seek only the “high” that the buzz brought, and never actually feel the weightier things of truth that are presented from God’s Word. They find that their “favorite preachers” are the ones who bring this buzz. Sadly, the undiscerning walk away from the church-substitute “comedy hour,” invigorated and excited that they “have heard from the Lord,” but never truly changed or helped. For this reason, people must be trained. Theology must be learned. It is not good enough to attend church. You must learn what you believe. You must know what God says. You must understand His truth so that when a substitute is presented you can be able to easily distinguish it. You must learn what “the proclamation of God’s word” truly is and what it isn’t.

Food For Thought: Why do many people fail to realize that certain “preachers” are not actually preaching God’s Word?

1 John 3:23-24

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Love is the rule. Faith is the pre-requisite. Love without faith in Jesus is purposeless. There is no price tag on heaven. There is no waiting line to get in. There is no check-sheet you must accomplish to earn it. There is only one way. Ironically, the one thing that we need to be able to get into heaven is actually based on the premise that we aren’t doing anything. In spite of a culture and a natural mindset often of “I must accomplish”, when it comes to heaven, the “I must accomplish” mentality must get checked at the door. Ephesians 2:8 says that we are saved “by grace…through faith.” God saves us, based upon nothing that we have done, but simply because we believe in the accomplishments of Jesus as our only hope and chance of salvation. When we get to 1 John 3, John doesn’t miss the golden opportunity to rightly shape the theology of those who have been following his teaching over the last several paragraphs. Often, Christian groups make “being a Christian” about everything except for the one true thing that “being a Christian” is. They get enamored by strategies and programs that will guarantee larger church congregations. They emphasize community involvement with their members. They set up donation centers where people can give their time, money, or goods to the poor. They love, and love, and love, but they forget the central reason behind all of it…that men can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. That others can come and not just get a full belly, or a new coat, or a new pen, but rather that others can come and be eternally saved by the truth of Jesus. Sadly, many well-meaning people are so blinded by the gleam of their good works that they miss the necessity of their faith in Jesus. Depending eternally on their involvement and faithfulness, they become some of the kindest people in hell. God’s prerequisite is still faith. Live with love, from a heart of confident faith in Jesus. Realize that your love is a reflection of His. Understand that the primary purpose for your actions of love is that the pre-requisite of faith may take place in the hearts of others and that ultimately they may see your good works and glorify the Father by them.

Food For Thought: What must someone do to go to heaven? In a proper understanding of theology, where do good works come in?

1 John 3:16-22

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Imagine that it is five degrees below zero and the wind is blowing at thirty miles an hour. It has been snowing for the better part of the night and there is about a foot of snow covering everything. There is a knock at the door and I open the door to see a little old man curled over wrapping his arms tightly against his body as he shakes uncontrollably. He mutters something through chattering teeth and frozen jaws that sounds like “I…I….I…heard that you were a Christian….I have been….. out here all night, and I…. am free…..zing.” I am ecstatic. Glowing with pride for my Christian testimony and how well I have served God in front of others, I proceed to quiz the man as he shivers on my porch, “Well, I’m glad you made it to my house, but before we go any further, I would like to ask you if you have ever made Jesus Christ your personal Savior?” In disbelief the man coughs and sputters, “I haven’t….eaten for two days….and my toes are fro…zen, can you please….help.” Beaming with the opportunity to use my favorite line of scripture, I quote Peter, “Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee,” I then reach to my secret stash of gospel tracts behind the door and grab the “Everybody Needs a Home” one. Before closing the door and sending him back into the cold empty handed, I take a moment to pray with him. Hopefully, by now, something in you is screaming “LET HIM IN THE HOUSE!! GET HIM A WARM BLANKET!!! GET HIM SOME HOT SOUP AND A CUP OF HOT COCOA!!!” I can say I love the lost, but if they never see it, how will they ever believe it. I can tell them that God loves them like I do, but I think far too rarely that just isn’t the case. He actually gave His life for them…I won’t even give them my parking space. It has been aptly said and still remains true, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Now, go show the love of God.

Food For Thought: Read James 2:15-16. What does James say that agrees with the assessment John gives here in 1 John 3?

1 John 3:11-15

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

The point of 1 John is to reveal the true nature of believers. When John wrote this book, he included several things that would be characteristic of someone who truly had been converted by the power of the Spirit. One of those key things is that Christians will respond in love. Christ had left his disciples with one last commandment before He went to the cross to die for them, namely, that they love. He had told them to love. This is a true mark of a Christian. Attending church is good. Memorizing hymns is fantastic. Wearing nicer clothes to church than what you wear when mowing the lawn makes for good practice. But a true mark of Christianity is the transformed inside. John uses the illustration of Cain here in 1 John 3. Often Cain is seen as this Old Testament guy who was just a murderer and wicked. But when you read Genesis, you will find that Cain was a pretty religious guy. As a matter of fact, all of his frustration towards Abel had come from the church service where they had shown up to worship God. By all outward measures, Cain was a serious follower of God, but time revealed what was on the inside. When Cain did not receive the recognition he felt he was due, and when God accepted Abel’s sacrifice instead of Cain’s, Cain showed his true colors. In a murderous fit, he executed his ignorant anger against a misunderstood God on his own brother. John warns Christians in 1 John 3 of others who reveal this hatred toward them. His desire is that Christians be true followers of Jesus and not just religious impostors. He tells the Christian that we should love others and care for them. Hatred is for the fakers. Real Christians love. Look to Jesus as the great example. Let His self-less life and altruistic death stand as a testament to us of how we genuinely should live daily. Vengeance is not ours. Vindication is not required. Self-preoccupation and self-exaltation are meaningless. Let love be the rule of your life.

Food For Thought: What was the deep-seated problem of Cain’s life that caused him to become a murderer?

1 John 3:7-10

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that commiteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

In 1 John 3:7-10, John highlights a truth that has existed since the beginning. We have to go all the way back to the creation account to find it, but let’s go there anyway. Genesis 1-3 reads as the introductory part of the grand text of Scripture. In this pinnacle text all of the key players of history are assigned characteristics that they live by for the rest of the book.

Character One (in His Autobiography) - God

He shows up in the story as the One Who is in control. He tells the truth. As a matter of fact, He is the only One Who tells the truth. Because He only tells the truth, He told Adam that if Adam sinned, death would be the result. That is truth. Justice…sure, but in a deeper sense, that is truth from the mouth of an only true God.

Character Two – Man

He assumes the dependent role. He must rely on the Providence of a Sovereign God. He must trust the truth provided by the only Wise God. Without faith he is hopeless and helpless. Without a relationship with the massive Creator, the man has no purpose in the story.

Character Three – Satan

From His introduction in the beginning he is breathing a perversion of God’s truth, deceiving with every vile breath. He lies and corrupts the truth. He says that death will not be the result of disobedience. He knew the truth, yet sought to destroy the man with his lies.

The story ensues, and because he lacked faith, the man was cursed in his disobedience. As you read the story carefully, you will find that the only One in the story Who tried to help the man was God. Man rejected Him, and faced the promised consequence, not simply as punishment, but in a much deeper sense as the forewarned outcome. Satan, the deceiver had accomplished his devastating work of destroying the relationship between man and the Creator. Just when the story seems to be one of tragedy, God, the One Who only tells the truth and has man’s best interests at heart, makes one more promise.

Character Four – The Promised One (Messiah)

One day the evil work of Satan will be undone and Satan himself will be destroyed. A promised one would come and bring salvation from the curse that Satan cunningly devised to capitalize on the lusts of man.

Satan deceives and offers hurt. It has always been this way. God lovingly only offers truth, and a meaningful life inside of that truth.

Food For Thought: Who are the four key characters of history? Which one only seeks destruction through lies? Which one(s) seek to liberate and offer hope with truth?