Identifying Traits of the Believers
I John 4:1-21
KJV 7/18/08
Beloved: to….
The Saints, the Believers, the Church, the Loved ones is who John is writing to, to those that know Christ as there Saviour.
It is important too understand who the writer is writing to, and how to apply the message that is written. He makes the “beloved statement three (3) times in this chapter with three (3) different sections to address. Let’s look at the context of those three (3) statements.
1. BELOVED…..BELIEVE NOT…..Vv. 1-6
Just because you see certain people doing things on TV that seem right, does not make it right.
The word “try” in Vv. 1 is a Greek word meaning to (test)
John closes verse 1 with (test) “because many false prophets are gone out into the world”
>>So we are NOT to believe every spirit, but he says in Vv. 2 to know the Spirit.
The Bible says in Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
John gives us the identifying trait that we know
John 4:2 says…
…every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is cometh in the flesh is of God.
John is saying…..every spirit inspiring any teacher to deny the incarnation, His passion, His death, His bodily resurrection, and His bodily ascension to Heaven is not of God, and is of the antichrist. (Finis Dakes Notes on I John 4:2e)
He goes on to tell the believers in Vv. 4….
….Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them.
>>Overcome who? The spirit of antichrist. How do they?
….Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Vv. 5 says…They are of the World
Vv. 6 says…We are of God
2. BELOVED….LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER…. Vv. 7-10
Again John the writer is speaking to The church. The Saints, The Believers, The Loved ones of God.
~He is directing us to ‘let us love one another’
…let who? The Beloved.
~By loving we are showing that we are born again, and that we know God.
~It makes it easy to identify who is and who is not.
>>Those that show the Love of God and those that do not Love God.
Here John takes a turn from our love to the Love of God.
Vv. 9 says…
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
>>”In this”…..In What?
In the giving of Jesus Christ as our sacrifice, he has shown his love toward us.
The key word in Vv.9 is (toward) which means lit. “in regard to us”
The key phrase in Vv.9 is “that we might live through him”
>>It’s not our life, but Christ living in us.
>>Witness Lee writes…”we the fallen people are not only sinful in nature and conduct,
but also dead in our spirit”. “But we can live now through him”
(Witness Lee Commentary on Vv.9b)
John closes out this section out with the powerful Vv 10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
>>Our love to God did not induce God to give his son to die for us. It was God’s love ,
not our merit. (Finis Dakes note John 4:10 o)
3. BELOVED….IF GOD LOVES Vv. 11-21
Vv. 11 says…
If God loves we ought to Love one another.
Vv. 12 says…
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
The Key word to Vs 12 is “perfected”
>>it is a Greek word meaning to (complete….accomplish….or to finish)
Philippians 1:6 says…
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Vv. 13-14 says…
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
There is a key word in these two (2) verses that we can’t pass up “GIVEN”
Vv. 15-16 says…
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Again, John appeals to the saints of God,
By our confession 15
By our dwelling and 15-16
By our believing 16
Vv. 17-18 says…
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Vv. 19-21 says…
We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Vv. 19 shows us the proof of love
…we love him because he first loved us
How do you know you posses this love?
…Vv. 21 says…we love the brother
CLOSING
When we abide in the Lord, we abide in both the divine Love and the divine light; we do not hate the brothers but love them, living in the divine life in the divine light, and in the divine love of God.
For the Cause
Bro. Stepp
