What I Noticed Today (1 John 4-5)
1 John 4
In verses 1-6, John continues what he started in 1 John 3:24 discussing the Spirit:
- Do not believe every spirit (false prophet) but test them to see if they are from God because there are many false prophets in the world.
- This is how you know the Spirit of God: 1) they confess Jesus Christ, 2) He came in the flesh, and 3) was sent by God.
- Every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist who is in the world now (Satan).
- The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
- They (the antichrists) are from the world, what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them.
- We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to Him.
- From this, we know the Spirit of truth.
In verses 7-21, John discusses how Christians should reflect the character of God.
- Love one another. Love is from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
- The one who does not love does not know God because God is love.
Note: Love is an attribute of God. Those who love share this attribute with God.
- The proof of God’s love is He sent His One and Only Son into the world that we might have eternal life through Him.
- God loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins.
Note: “Propitiation” means to appease God’s wrath for our sin.
- If we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.
Note: “Remains in us” (or depending on translation “lives in us”) carries the idea of abiding; God’s spirit lives in us.
- Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.
- God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God and God in him.
- Love is perfected in us, so we have confidence in the day of judgment.
- There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out all fear because fear involves punishment.
- The one who fears has not reached perfection in love.
Note: Meaning fear brings with it its own brand of punishment.
- We love because He first loved us.
- Anyone who says he loves God yet hates his brother is a liar. The one who loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 5
In verses 1-5, John continues the command from 1 John 4:21 to love our brothers:
- Everyone who believes Jesus is Messiah has been born of God. Everyone who loves the Father also loves the Son.
- We show we love God’s children by obeying His commands.
- God’s commands are not a burden.
- Whatever has been born of God conquers the world.
- The one who conquers the world is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
In verses 6-13, John proves God’s love through the testimony of His Son, Jesus:
- Jesus Christ came by water and blood.
Note: Water is represented in Jesus’ baptism and blood by His death on the cross.
- The Holy Spirit testifies because the Spirit is truth.
- The water, blood, and Spirit testify and are in agreement.
Note: The Spirit testifying is all the prophets who prophesied about the coming of the Lord, His work, and His death.
- The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar because he did not believe God’s testimony about His Son.
- The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son does not have life.
- I have written this, so you will know you have eternal life.
Note: Verses 12-13 are confirmation to believers that they have eternal life regardless of what the false prophets might tell them.
In verses 14-17, John speaks to the importance of prayer:
- We are confident that anything we ask in the will of God. He hears us. And if He hears us, we know we will receive what we have asked for.
Note: God hears and grants prayers that are in His will.
- If anyone sees a brother committing a sin that does not bring (spiritual) death, he should ask, and God will bring him life.
- You do not have to pray about sin that brings death (eternal separation from God).
Note: John is saying the person who rejects God completely commits a sin that brings spiritual death. Leave this person’s fate in God’s hands. For those who commit other sins, we should pray for them to bring restoration to their relationship with God.
In verses 18-21, John summarizes and concludes the letter:
- Everyone born of God does not continually sin.
Note: John is not saying the believer never sins but that the believer does not sin continually.
- The evil one (Satan) does not touch the believer who is born of God.
Note: Some translations capitalize “One” in verse 18, meaning it refers to Jesus Christ. However, John is talking about believers before and after this section, so the reference is most likely to believers.
- We know that we are of God, and the world is under the influence of the evil one (Satan).
- We know that the Son of God has come and given us understanding, so we know God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
- Avoid idols.
Some additional thoughts for consideration:
- As a child of God, we should reflect God’s love to our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we do that, we are a witness to others in a way that allows people to experience God’s love through us.
- God will keep us safe from the evil one. But we must abide in Him, and He is us!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
