The great mountain ranges of the world produce many of the planet's most impressive rivers. Think of the Colorado River, for instance. Fed by many supporting tributaries, it begins in the majestic Rocky Mountains, the highest peaks of which are found in the state of Colorado. There, the snow gathers, then melts, and the waters flow (all the way to Mexico), providing water for millions of people and thousands of acres of farmland. Life flows from those mountains.
John thought of God like a great mountain from which life flows. He is the source of life. Love and light and truth and righteousness all flow from Him.
Today, we will see how God is the ultimate source of truth and love. Truth, because He cannot lie. Love, because He cannot hate. God is the origin of both truth and love.
And rather than be at odds with one another, truth and love perfectly overlap. The truth God reveals is wonderfully loving, and His love is never absent of truth. He is the perfect source of both.
This leads us to two main points for today's study.
First, since God is the originator of truth, John will tell us to test the messages we hear throughout our lives.
Second, since God is the originator of love, John will, again, tell us to love one another.
Let's look at both.
1. Test Messages You Hear (4:1-6)
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Here, we have John's main exhortation: Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1). Don't believe all the spirits. Test the spirits.
But what is a spirit?
For John, in this passage, a spirit is a messenger or a message. This is why he says, at the end of the verse, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1). John had witnessed many depart from the church, never really members of God's family, false prophets who had launched out into the world.
So John exhorts his readers, and us, to test the messages we hear. We aren't to believe everything that presents itself as coming from God. We are to have discerning minds.
A good example of this careful mind comes to us from Paul's missionary journeys. When he visited Thessalonica, some Jewish people believed, but many persecuted him. He had made claims based on the Old Testament Scriptures, but they didn't care enough to look into it. So Paul had to run. He went south to Berea. The record says of them:
"Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Acts 17:11, ESV)
We are to be like the Berean people, searching the Scriptures to see if the claims people make are so. We should not blindly receive the messages we hear.
Do Not Believe
For this, we must consider John's exhortation in this first verse. It would be easy to jump on the command to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, and we will spend some time thinking about how to do just that, but you have to see John's first directive. He said: Do not believe every spirit (1).
O believer, God asks you to be a nonbeliever as well. It is embedded in your identity as a believer. To inhale the air means you must also exhale; you cannot do one without the other.
Belief and unbelief are the same way. You cannot inhale belief without exhaling unbelief. By accepting the truth, you confess there is an error.
By loving righteousness, you become a hater of sin. By following good, you have come to reject evil. And when you believe in God and His gospel, there is much you cease to believe.
Other translations say it this way:
- "Don't believe everything you hear..."* (1 John 4:1, The Message)
- "Do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit..."* (1 John 4:1, New Living Translation)
Now, the last thing I want to encourage is a paranoid and hostile group of Christians. I have seen this close-minded type of Christian group. Only their select teachers are qualified to share with them because others outside their camp or network or denomination must be in error. They become rigid in secondary matters and paranoid about every Christian teacher. In groups like these, a hypercritical spirit ruins fellowship, because everyone is afraid to say or believe or do something the group does not accept.
But what I would like to foster is a more discerning view of the world.
When I was a boy, I was pretty convinced there were a few basic things to worry about. It boiled down to the big three. Drugs were one major enemy. Groups like D.A.R.E. came onto our elementary school campuses and scared us straight. We watched classic campaigns like the "this is your brain on drugs" commercial or the "Just Say No" movement. Another enemy was kidnappers. We were told not to talk to strangers. If someone tried to say hello or ask the time or pet our dog, they were, for sure, a kidnapper. And the last big enemy was quicksand. In every cartoon I watched as a child, quicksand was a major danger. So I was on the lookout. Drugs, kidnappers, and quicksand. None of it was gonna get me. And I have lived to tell the tale.
It's all ridiculous, I know, but what was the message there? Watch out. There is more than meets the eye. Be discerning. Not everyone who looks friendly is so. Have a critical eye.
And I think we could use a more discerning view of the messages we interact with each day. We must test them. We should not immediately believe them. Here are some environments it would be helpful to test the spirits:
- In the college classroom.
- From other Christians.
- From the pulpit.
- When online.
- The thoughts of the mind.
But how can we can test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1)? How can we tell if they are false prophets who have gone out into the world (1)? John gives us three questions to ask.
Question 1: Are They Allegiant To The True Jesus? (2-3)
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
Christological Confession
Here, John highlights the confession of the false teachers from his era. Many of them challenged the idea that Jesus was flesh and bones. It's likely many of them said Jesus was pure spirit. So John said we can know a message comes from the Spirit of God if they confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (2). Conversely, every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God (3). It's the spirit of antichrist (3) that twists and denies the identity of Jesus.
But what is this confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh all about (2)?
First, confession is more than mere intellectual belief. To confess Christ is to believe in Jesus, but also to surrender to Jesus. You could pay anyone to say, "Jesus came in the flesh," and many nonbelievers know He walked the earth. But it wouldn't be a confession.
To confess is to not only say the words but live the life. The confessor submits their life to Jesus Christ.
To quote Paul:
"Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3, ESV)
Second, this confession has to do with Jesus' identity. That He has come, which implies He came from somewhere (2). The rest of Scripture tells us He came from eternity. He is God who came for us.
And this confession says Jesus came in the flesh (2). God became human. The second person of the Trinity, the Son, fully divine, took on the fullness of humanity. He became one of us. We rejoice because He can now relate to us. He is God who became a man.
Know False Teaching Exists
But the spirit of antichrist loves to lead people away from the truth about Jesus (3). Many theories about Jesus abound. Even by John's day, a false message about Jesus was in the world already (3), twisting His identity until it was out of step with Scripture. This still occurs, and John tells us to beware.
And a simple knowledge that false teaching exists will help us be alert. It's all around us. Competing truth claims are nothing new. And, since Jesus called Satan the father of lies, we should have an expectation deceitful truth claims will saturate the world (John 8:44).
Jesus braced us for various false messages and messengers by saying things like:
""Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15–16, ESV)
And Jesus' apostles backed up Christ's words with statements like these:
Peter to the church: "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." (2 Peter 2:1, ESV)
So we must know false teaching -- messages and messengers -- exist. We must be aware. And as we scroll Instagram, read the latest headlines, or listen to the most popular podcasts, we must be aware the great deceiver is out there, trying to lie to us. We must be on guard.
So the first question: are they allegiant to the true Jesus?
Question 2: Are They Of The World? (4-5)
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
The World's Praise
A second test John holds out has to do with the audience and the origination of the message. If the messenger comes from the world system, then they are false messengers (5). If the world system listens to them, they are false messengers (5).
John feels this is a shame, because true believers, his audience, had overcome the world (4). He says, He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (4). He assured them, they were from God and had overcome them (4).
Apparently, the false teachers hadn't completely overturned the churches John served. The Spirit lived in them, and He helped them stand up against false teaching.
But notice how the false teaching was known: The world listens to them (5).
This helps us understand that popularity and praise are not the best measure of legitimacy. Truth claims are not a democracy. The highest vote-getter doesn't win.
Just because the world went along with their message, didn't mean it was true. In fact, the message's popularity helped demonstrate how demonic and worldly it was.
Meanwhile
But the message of Christ, at least on this side of eternity, will not be the majority view. It won't receive worldwide praise and acclaim. It will get you outcast.
Jesus said:
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:13–14, ESV)
So the second question: are they of the world?
Questions 3: Do They Hear The Apostles? (6)
6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
The Final Question
The final question is one John alluded to at the beginning of the letter:
"that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3, ESV)
The "we" John referred to there, and refers to in this passage, are the original Apostles (6). So, whoever knows God listens to the Apostles (6). Whoever is not from God does not listen to the Apostles (6).
The question is simple: Do they hear the Apostles? That's how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error (6).
But how does one "hear the Apostles"? By adhering to the Word of the Apostles, which is the Word of God. The Apostles communicated the Old Testament word of God, and wrote the New Testament word of God, just as Jesus had promised. To hear them is to hear God.
"Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."" (John 8:47)
Know The Word
Error is out there, man. And we need to grow in our knowledge of the Word so we can be guarded against this spirit of error.
I am a huge baseball fan. I have my team, but I also just love the game. To many people, it is boring, but baseball purists are convinced people think the game is dull because they don't understand the intricacies of the game. But, since I've played, watched, listened to, and read about baseball, I can appreciate the game a little more than the average person.
And, because of my working understanding of the game, it's easier for me to tell if a player makes a mistake or an error than if my wife were watching the game. Because I'm familiar, I can tell an error when I see one.
In a similar way, the more we familiarize ourselves with the Word of God, the easier it will be for us to notice error. We will notice it when it happens.
Some Helps
But, because error is out there, I thought I would suggest a handful of inexpensive or free resources to help you become more solid in your understanding of Scripture. I will talk about some of them at the end of the teaching, but I have links to all of them at the end of my sermon outline posted at nateholdridge.com. More about that later. But let's move on to our next section.
2. Love One Another (4:7-12)
A. Love Is From God (7-8)
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Again
Once again, John takes us back to a main theme of his: let us love one another (7). He's not like Paul, who was more linear in his arguments. Instead, John is systematically spiraling in his logic. He's introduced love, talked about it a fair bit, but is now ready to do a deep dive.
John's audience might have felt he was redundant with them. Perhaps we might join them in saying, "Yo, John, we got it. Love each other. Say something else, please." But, instead of moving off the subject, John hits it harder than he has up to this point. We won't cover it all in our study today.
As I said, he's already made this appeal a couple of times in the letter. The first appeal was attached to God's light, and if we want to walk in the light, we should love one another (1 John 2:9-11). His second appeal was attached to our nature, that if we are born again, we will love others (1 John 3:10-24).
Love Is From God
And in this passage, he combines both themes to show us that love is from God (7) since God is love (8).
Part of the reason John felt compelled always to tell us to love one another is that he was constantly thinking about God. He had come to know love is from God, and God is love (7, 8).
For John, knowing God is knowing love. Without God, a person cannot know the truest love. And when John says God is love, he means every activity of God is filtered through love. God can't do anything unloving; it is His very nature. He is love. Love is from Him.
You see, love is not one of God's activities, but His every activity. It's just who He is. He defines the substance. He is love.
So We Will Love
John will explain what he means by God's love in a moment, but before we move on, notice how John thinks. He says people who have been born of God and know God will love (7). And people who do not love do not know God (8). At the very least, they are out of experiential fellowship with Him. And at worst, they aren't born of Him in the first place.
Remember those mountains. To have hiked them, to have gone to the source of the great Colorado River, is quite an experience. The mountains and peaks are beautiful.
And the believer who loves has been born of and has known God (7). They have experienced Him.
When I was in high school, our sports teams, if they were good enough, would make the local Central Coast Section playoffs. Each participant would get a T-shirt as evidence they were part of the CCS playoffs. The next year, when the younger players moved up to the varsity squad, the older players could wear their CCS shirts as evidence of where they went the previous year. The younger players had no such shirt to wear.
And, in John's mind, Christian love is the playoff T-shirt Christians are to wear. We've been born of God. We know God. So we should love like God.
B. Love Moved God (9-10)
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
The Incarnation
John has told us God is love and that love comes from God (7, 8). Here, he details that love. First, he shows us God's love caused Him to send His only Son into the world (9). In other words, love moved God to send His Son.
The incarnation is an expression of God's love, but it also enabled God's love. By becoming one of us, God was able to effectively love us.
Without the incarnation, Christianity is just another one of the religions of the world, because if Jesus isn't God who became flesh, then He's only a man trying to be so good He can get to God, or become divine.
But Jesus wasn't trying to earn divinity; He was already divine. Jesus' story isn't of man reaching up for God, but of God reaching down for us.
"I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the One Nietzsche ridiculed as 'God on the cross.' In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?
I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of the Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world.
But each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in Godforsaken darkness.
That is the God for me! He laid aside His immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of His. -- John Stott, The Cross Of Christ, p. 326
The Cross
But Jesus didn't come to merely experience our humanity; He came to die. Notice how John says it: In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (10).
We talked about the word "propitiation" back in 1 John 2, but I'll remind you it speaks of Jesus dying for our sins and satisfying the righteousness of God on our behalf. We used to be enemies of God, but through propitiation, Jesus makes us friends and family.
John's point, though, is to show us what God's love drove God to do. The cross was the natural outflow of God's love and holiness and justice.
Remember those volcano science experiments? I always wanted to build one. You take an empty 2-liter and fill it with various ingredients, vinegar, and baking soda among them. When those ingredients intermix, they blast out into a little fake lava pouring down the paper mache volcano.
Well, God's love and holiness intermixed, and the cross was the result. At the cross, His love and justice were satisfied. Our sins were dealt with.
If you don't yet know Him, you should. He loves you. He is love. There is no one and nothing like God. His love will shock you. But you must receive it, accepting what He did for you on the cross of Christ. There, Jesus died to take your punishment so your sin would no longer be in the way of God's love. Believe in Jesus, and the love of God can run wild in your life.
C. Love Demonstrates God (11-12)
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.
John's conclusion is simple: Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (11). If we've gone up to His mountain and have been impacted by His love, we should love others.
And the cool thing is, as John said, no one has ever seen God in His totality (12). Our earthly bodies cannot handle the fullness of His holiness and glory. His majesty is too much for us on this side of eternity.
But there is one amazing way people can see God: if we love one another (12). When that happens, His love is perfected in us (12).
In other words, the circuit of God's love is complete when we release love. It starts with Him, it flows through the cross, and we receive it, but then it should flow from us to others.
In this way, when we love, we aren't a dead-end for the love of God.
A good example of this is an electric circuit. When you turn on a light switch or push the power button on your television, you are completing the electric circuit, allowing the current of electrons to flow through the wires. But when the switch is in the OFF position, the electricity cannot flow.
Let us be people who have our switch in the ON position, so the circuit of God's love can flow to the world around us.
Applications
So God is the origin of truth and love. We are to abide in both.
Before I let you go, let me suggest a few applications:
1. Read your Bible.
If the spirit of error exists, we should spend time in the Word. Time with the genuine article will help us see counterfeits.
2. Get a study Bible.
We can understand so much more of the Bible than we give ourselves credit for, and I often tell Christians to concentrate on what they do understand in God's Word. But a study Bible can help you with various questions you'll inevitably come across as you read. I recommend the ESV Study Bible. This is a good first step in having the Scripture explained to you as you read. https://amzn.to/2XgalLn
3. Purchase a decent commentary.
More in-depth than a study bible, a commentary can serve as a helpful resource when you are stuck on a passage's meaning. Here is one I recommend: https://amzn.to/33RHvn2
4. Grab some recommended resources.
- Here are a few free online commentaries:
- And here are few websites with great articles on Christianity:
- And many people seem to enjoy the brief videos put out by The Bible Project. Check them out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jointhebibleproject
Sign up for their email lists. Download their apps. Purchase their books. When you use them, you'll thank me.
5. Read healthy and widely regarded systematic theologies.
I gave this exhortation after the first teaching on 1 John, and I'm sure nearly everyone has finished their first 800 page volume, but I thought I'd throw out the exhortation once again. Here are a few I like:
- Systematic Theology, Henry Thiessen
- Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem
- Systematic Theology, Norman Geisler
6. Refuse to see God's love as a doctrine for soft Christians.
God is love. Love is from God. This is biblical, but sometimes Christians grow tired of the perversions of these statements. People act as if love is God, which is untrue. Still, you should believe meditation upon the doctrine of God's love will make you one of the toughest and strongest people around. This truth changes us, enabling us to sacrifice and love others.
7. Have other Christians over for meals.
Jesus incarnated. We can have people over to eat food. There's just something about it. Christians have broken bread as a way to interact with each other and fellowship about God for centuries now. Join them.
8. Spend time in God's presence.
Since John expected love to flow from the knowledge of who God is, that God is love, we should spend time with God. He will alter us.