[:en]SCRIPTURE: 1 JOHN 4
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1)
“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:9-11)
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16)
“We love because He first loved us” (1 JOhn 4:19)
“And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21)
TEST THE SPIRITS
John’s first sentence in this chapter is a warning about the false prophets in this world. He gave this distinction between the Spirit of Truth from the Spirit of Falsehood. The Spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in flesh is from God. But the spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. It is the spirit of anti-Christ. Those who speak the truth is from God. Those who speak from earthly wisdom is from Satan. God’s children recognize the voice of God.
GOD’S LOVE AND OURS
God is love. He proved His love at the cross. The cross is a plus sign. The vertical line reunites sinners to God and the horizontal line reconciles people to one another. When we look at the cross, we must remember God’s love and in return love each other as how God has loved us.
Human beings cannot see God. But they can see God’s children. If believers abide in His love and yield to His Spirit, they can love each other. When there is true love for God and His people, we will have confidence on the day of judgment. Perfect love drives out fear and we need not be afraid of punishment. God is in heaven representing us before the Father. We are on earth representing Him before sinful men. Therefore, we have the obligation to please God by loving one another. John concluded with this statemnt. “If anyone says I love God yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God he has not seen” (v. 20)
LESSON
Beware of false cults that deny the deity of Christ. They are false Spirit of the evil one. As God’s children, we know that the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world. So, we listen to God and can discern the Spirit of Truth from the Spirit of Falsehood.
God’s love prompted Him to sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Because of His love, we ought to love another in order to show that God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. (vs. 10-12)
As children of God, we are born of God through faith in Christ with His nature. Since God is love, we should also manifest His love to people around us. By doing so, we become His witness and as we mature in His love, we are no longer afraid to meet the Lord because we will not face condemnation.[:]