FAKE NEWS AND TRUE LOVE (1 JOHN 4)
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Have you heard of the term “fake news,” which was popularized by Donald Trump in 2016 to describe the negative press coverage of himself. Fake news (also known as junk news, pseudo-news, or hoax news) is a type of propaganda that consists of deliberate disinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional news media (print and broadcast) or online social media. An analysis by BuzzFeed found that the top 20 fake news stories about the 2016 U.S. presidential election received more engagement on Facebook than the top 20 election stories from 19 major media outlets. According to Craig McClain, over 66% of Facebook users obtain news from the site. Research from Northwestern University concluded that 30% of all fake news traffic, as opposed to only 8% of real news traffic, could be linked back to Facebook. (Wikipedia: Fake news)
A 2019 study by researchers at Princeton and New York University found that a person's likelihood of sharing fake-news articles correlated more strongly with age than it did education, sex, or political views. 11% of users older than 65 shared an article consistent with the study's definition of fake news. Just 3% of users ages 18 to 29 did the same. Additionally, 23% of those polled admitted they had personally shared fake news, whether knowingly or not. A situation study by The New York Times shows how a tweet by a person with no more than 40 followers went viral and was shared 16,000 times on Twitter. A June 2018 poll by Axios and Survey Monkey found that 72% of Americans believe "traditional news outlets knowingly report false or misleading stories at least sometimes. (Wikipedia: Fake news)
The early church had her fair share of fake news and false doctrine from cults such as Gnostics. Gnosis refers to knowledge base don personal experience or perception. Wikipedia notes: “In a religious context, gnosis is mystical or esoteric knowledge based on direct participation with the divine (Wikipedia: Gnostics).” The Gnostics had a dichotomy of life. They favored the spiritual experience with God versus the daily grind of life. To them, matter or the flesh is evil, and spirit is good. Gnosis or spiritual knowledge by direct experience Their spirituality is somewhat like Christian spirituality today, spirituality without Christ.
Be Assured of Victory
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. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but 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. 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. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 1-6
This has been said about “The Devil’s Math”:
1. He ADDS extra biblical sources of authority.
2. He SUBTRACTS from the person and work of Christ.
3. He MULTIPLIES the requirements for salvation.
4. He DIVIDES your loyalty from God and Christ by emphasizing the importance of another “religious figure.”
Here is how our faith has changed, from my viewpoint:
Christ + Pentateuch
Christ + Papacy
Christ + Psychology
Christ + Positivity
Christ + Prosperity
Christ + Popularity
Christ + Professionalism
Christ + Patriotism
Christ + Progressivism
Christ + Pluralism
Christ + Pragmatism
The devil works in three ways: deny Christ, discredit truth or dilute the gospel. The imperative “believe” occurs 16 times in the Bible, of which only three of the 16 times are “believe not,” including Mark 13:21 (If any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not) and John 10:37 (If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not), so the negative warning “believe not” is meant for false Christ and disobedient).
The verb “test” (dokimazo) in verse 1 is translated as discern (Luke 12:56), prove (Luke 14:19), approve (Rom 2:18), allow (Rom 14:22), try (1 Cor 3:13) and examine (1 Cor 11:28).
What is the litmus test of orthodoxy and authenticity?
Believe not every spirit Test the Spirits
Spirit of God (v 2) Spirits (v 1)
Acknowledges Jesus Christ antichrist
Of God (v 4) Of the world (v 5)
whoever knows God listens to us (v 6) whoever is not from God does not listen to us (v 6)
Spirit of truth (v 6) Spirit of error (v 6)
There are three counterfeits in the passage: false prophets, spirit of anti-Christ and spirit of error. “False prophets” is bad enough in plural, but “many false prophets” is even worse. Many false prophets have come, not come – perfect tense. Jesus warned of false prophets, who are ravening wolves in sheep's clothing (Matt 7:15), shew great signs and wonders (Matt 24:24) denying the Lord 92 Peter 2:1) coming to deceive many (Matt 24:11).
Second, the anti-Christ’s main opposition is Christ. Cults and counterfeiters deny the Atonement of Christ, Birth of Christ, the Coming of Christ and the Deity of Christ and the Exaltation of Christ. They deny Christ, the son of David (Matt 1:1). Christ is sufficient, superior and sovereign.
Third is the spirit of error. Their methods are through doubt, disobedience and discord, making you suspect, second-guess, sway and stumble. The methods they use are mix and match, bend and blend, and imitate and infiltrate. We cannot accept, accommodate or associate with them.
Our enemies are doomed from the start. We have overcome (nikao) them (v 4). The verb “nikao,” from the noun “nike.” 1 John tells us (1) because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome (perfect tense) the wicked one (2:14), (2) because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (4:4-5). The verb “overcome/conquer” is always in the present tense and perfect tense in John’s gospel (16:33) and letters (1 John 2:13, 14, 4:4). The believers’ conquest is in the perfect or past to present tense, which means current, continuous and consistent.
Be Abundant in Love
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 7-12
Do you have a dog or a pet? Why do you like them? Which is harder to get to reciprocate your affection and attention?
An internet image says it aptly:
How dogs think: You love me, you pet me, you fed me, you must be God!
How dogs think: You love me, you pet me, you fed me, I must be God!
Another image has a dog’s head and paws on the floor while moody, the dog looking down forlorn when anxious, and the animal’s eyes looking up, ears flapping and mouth drooling if excited, but the cat is always with cool, piercing eyes staring at you if moody, anxious or sad.
There are three things about love. First, love is more as a verb than a noun in the Bible. The verb occurs 143 times in the New Testament – 37 times in John’s gospel and 31 times in the letters of John – 45% of 143 times. Love as a verb is to be acknowledged, activated and applied.
There is one love that is greater than love, which is to love one another. The clause “love one another” is a purpose clause, never an imperative to John. Surprisingly “love one another” sounds like a command, but none of the clauses are imperatives, but seven of the occurrences are “hina subjunctive” or purpose clause– “TO love one another.” It occurs ten times in the Bible – except once by Paul (Thess 4:9), all are from John – twice from his gospel (John 13:34 twice, 15:12, 17), four times from 1 John (1 John 3:11, 23, 4:7, 12) and once in 2 John (2 John 1:5). There are 100 occurrences of “one another” in the Bible. The other weak three occurrence are greet one another (1 Peter 5:14, 1 Cor 16:20, 2 Cor 13:12), and twice for exhort one another (Heb 3:13, 10:25), forgive one another (Eph 4:32, Col 3:13) and forbear one another (Eph 4:2, Col 3:13).
Love one another is never a commandment according to John, not because is unimportant, unnecessary or undeserved, but it must be unselfish, unforced and unending. Love that is lasting not labored, offered not obligated, presented not performed. Love one another is love that is compatible, continuous and consistent constructive. It is mature not manipulative love, giving and not taking love, interdependent and not co-dependent.
Be Approved by God
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 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. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. 13-21
I love you but I love myself more
I love you but I’m not in love with you
I love you but I’m busy
I love you but I’ve chosen coffee (fishing)
I love you so much except when you snore. Then I want to suffocate you
I love you except for when you think you need the entire bed. War will be declared if it happens again.
I love you more than anything except my dog
I love you except during football season. During football season you kind of annoy me
I love you like a fat kid loves cake
As long as there is love, there is hope
The key verb is “dwell” (vv 12, 13, 15, 16 thrice). The verb “dwell” occurs 118 times in the New Testament – more than half of them are from John, 26 times in the Epistles of John and 40 times in John’s gospel. The structure for verses 12-13 is the plural “God dwells in us” and the structure for verses 14-15 is God dwells in him,” except the last verse (v 16) John meant to “dwell in love.” For chiasm purpose and emphasis, love begins (v 12, twice) and ends (v 16, four times) the section. The five basic translations for “live’ are abide (Matt 10:11), remain (Matt 11:23), tarry (Matt 26:38), endure (John 6:27) and continue (John 8:31). It is your house, home and habitat.
There are three negative words to end chapter 4: judgment (v 17), fear (v 18) and hate (v 20). For the day of judgement, because of love we can have confidence (v 17). Confidence is also translated as openly (Mark 8:32), boldly (John 7:26) and plainly (John 10:24). Confidence in 1 John is always in the context of a relationship with God (1 John 2:28, 3:21, 4:17, 5:14). There will be honor not humiliation, satisfaction and not shame, exaltation and not embarrassment. We don’t have to shiver and shake, stammer and sweat before the Lord.
For fear, perfect love casts put fear. What is perfect love (v 20)? Perfect (teleios) means complete – not short of patience, positivity and practice. Complete means not sidestepped, shortened or suspended.
For hate (v 20), the key is to see the person as your “his brother,” three times altogether in verse 20 and 21. The phrase “his brother” (singular) occurs 12 times in John (1 John 2:9, 10, 11, 3:10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 4:20 twice, 21, 5:16) in contrast to once in James (James 4:11) and twice in Pauline epistles (1 Cor 6:5, 1 Thess 4:6).
There is one “for” in the chapter in verse 20, which is the crux of the matter, ending the chapter: “For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
Conclusion: Is your faith and love without content? Are you blind in faith or blinded in love? Do you love people for who they are or for what they do? Do you say one thing and do another?
