1 John 4¶
Overview:¶
v.1¶
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.
John warned against believing every spirit; that is, we are never to assume every spiritual experience or every demonstration of spiritual power is from God. We must test spiritual experiences and spiritual phenomenon to see if they are in fact from God.
enduringword¶
Do not confide implicitly in everyone who professes to be under the influences of the Holy Spirit.
barnes¶
v.2-3¶
This is how you recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
v.4¶
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
He who dwells in the hearts of Christians by his Spirit, is infinitely more mighty than Satan, “the ruler of the darkness of this world;” and victory, therefore, over all his arts and temptations may be sure. In his conflicts with sin, temptation, and error, the Christian should never despair, for his God will insure him the victory.
barnes¶
v.7-8¶
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
There is love in many places, like wandering beams of light; but as for the sun, it is in one part of the heavens, and we look at it, and we say, ‘Herein is light.’… He did not look at the Church of God, and say of all the myriads who counted not their lives dear unto them, ‘Herein is love,’ for their love was only the reflected brightness of the great sun of love.
spurgeon¶
v.18¶
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
The completeness of love means we do not cower in fear before God, dreading His judgment, either now or in the day of judgment.
enduringword¶
The fear that sprouts in my heart when I feel the inkling to evangelize to someone reveals that my motive is not rooted in love. It's rooted in doing something godly—without love. Lord, help me get the first things first.
jj¶
If we truly abide in the Father's love, we will be without fear... Love and fear are incompatible. They cannot coexist... The faer spoken of here is not to be confused with reverence for God. Reverence will only deepen through the experience of God's love.
barker¶
v.19¶
We love because he first loved us.
This is a fact for every true follower of Jesus. “There is no exception to this rule; if a man loves not God, neither is he born of God. Show me a fire without heat, then show me regeneration that does not produce love to God.
spurgeon¶
v.20¶
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, who he has not seen.
Similar to Matthew 5:23-24.