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1John Chapter Four Test the Spirits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HERESIES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Most of the eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry had died by the time John
composed this letter. Some of the second-or third-generation Christians began to
have doubts about what they had been taught about Jesus. Some Christians with a
Greek background had a hard time believing Jesus was human as well as divine,
because in Platonic thought the spirit was all-important. The body was only a
prison from which one desired to escape. Heresies developed from a uniting of
this kind of Platonic thought and Christianity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Who does John tell us not to believe, why does John say to test every spirit to see whether they are from God, how can you recognize the Spirit of God, what is the spirit of the antichrist, and who is already in the world now?
________________________________________________________________________________ "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits"
means that we shouldn’t believe everything we hear just because someone says it
is a message inspired from God. There are many ways to test teachers to see if
their message is truly from the Lord. One is to check to see if their words
match what God says in the Bible. Other tests include their commitment to the
body of believers, their life style, and the fruit of their ministry. But the
most important test of all, says John, is what they believe about Christ. Do
they teach that Jesus is fully God and fully man? Our world is filled with
voices claiming to speak for God. Give them these tests to see if they are
indeed speaking God’s truth. 2) How have we overcome the evil ones of this world, how do those who are of this world speak, who are the believers from, and how do we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of false hood?
________________________________________________________________________________ It is easy to be frightened by the wickedness we see
all around us and overwhelmed by the problems we face. Evil is obviously much
stronger than we are. John assures us, however, that God is even stronger. He
will conquer all evil-and his Spirit and his Word lives in our hearts! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ God's Love and Ours ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3) Who does John tell us to love, where does love come from, who are born of God and knows God, and why, is anyone one who does not love, does not know God?
________________________________________________________________________________ Everyone believes that love is important, but love is usually thought of as a feeling. In reality, love is a choice and an action, as 1Corinthians 13:4-7 shows. God is the source of our love: he loved us enough to sacrifice his Son for us. Jesus is our example of what it means to love; everything he did in life and death was supremely loving. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to love; he lives in our hearts and makes us more and more like Christ. God’s love always involves a choice and an action, and your love should be like his. How well do you display your love for God in the choices you make? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cross-reference 1Corinthians 13:4-7:...(4) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (5) It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our society confuses love and lust. Unlike lust, God’s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It is possible to practice this love only if God helps us set aside our own desires and instincts, so that we can give more love while expecting nothing in return, thus the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ John says, "God is love," not "Love is God." Our world, with its shallow and selfish view of love, has turned these words around and contaminated our understanding of love. The world thinks that love is what makes a person feel good and that it is all right to sacrifice moral principles and others’ rights in order to obtain such "love." But that isn’t real love; it is the exact opposite-selfishness. And God is not that kind of "love." Real love is like God, who is holy, just and perfect. If we truly know God, we will love as he does. 4) How did God show his love among us, who loved us first, and why did God send his only Son?
________________________________________________________________________________ Jesus is God’s only Son. While all believers are sons and
daughters of God, only Jesus lives in this special unique relationship. 5) Who has no one ever seen, and how is God’s love made complete in us?
________________________________________________________________________________ If no one has ever seen God, how can we ever
know him? John in his Gospel said, "God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s
side, has made him known" (John 1:18). Jesus is the complete expression of God in human form and he has
revealed God to us. When we love one another, the invisible God reveals himself
to others though us, and his love is made complete. 6) How do we know if we live in God and he lives in us, what did John say they have seen and testify to, how do we know that God lives in us and we in him, and what do we know and rely on? ________________________________________________________________________________ When we become Christians, we receive the Holy Spirit. God’s presence in our lives is proof that we really belong to him. He also gives us the power to love (Romans 5:5; 8:9; 2Corinthians 1:22). Rely on that power as you reach out to others. As you do so, you will gain confidence. 7) Why is love made complete among us, what did John say we are in this world, in what is there no fear, what drives out fear, why does perfect love drive out fear, and who is not made perfect in love? ________________________________________________________________________________ The day of Judgment is that time when all people will appear before Christ
and be held accountable for their actions. With God living in us through Christ,
we have no reason to fear this day, because we have been saved from punishment.
Instead, we can look forward to the day of judgment, because it will mean the
end of sin and the beginning of a face-to-face relationship with Jesus Christ. 8) Why do we love, who is a liar, who cannot love God, and whoever loves God, who must he love too? ________________________________________________________________________________ God’s love is the source of all human love, and it spreads like
fire. In loving his children, God kindles a flame in their hearts. In turn, they
love others, who are warmed by God’s love through them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answers to 1John Chapter 4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) every spirit...because many false prophets have gone out into
the world...every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is from God...every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus...the
antichrist ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Taken from the NIV Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan Publishers |