1 John 4:1. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
If John had need to say that in the early morning of Christianity, I am sure we ought to say it with greater emphasis today. It is certainly true in these days that «many false prophets are gone out into the world,» therefore we also must «try the spirits whether they are of God.»
1 John 4:2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
If the doctrine of the incarnation of God in Christ is denied, as it was by the first heretics, we may conclude that the Spirit of God is not in such teaching. Any doctrine which dishonours Christ,-whether in his person, or his offices, or his atonement, or in any other way,-you may at once conclude is not of God, for that which comes from the Spirit of God glorifies Christ. Did not our Lord himself say, concerning the Holy Spirit, «He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall skew it unto you»?
1 John 4:3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
The devil is up early at his evil work; we may sleep, but he never does.
This is that spirit of antichrist, whereof «ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.»
1 John 4:4. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them:
How? By argument? No; but-
1 John 4:4. Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
If God's own Spirit be in you, ye need not fear any of these enemies «Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.» If it were a conflict between you and others who had the Spirit of God within them, the conflict would be grievous, and the issue of it would be doubtful; but now that the struggle is between the Spirit of God who is in you and the spirit of error that is in the world, you need have no question about the ultimate result of the battle.
1 John 4:5-6. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
If apostolic teaching be denied, those who deny it are not of God, for the Spirit of God was in the apostles, as he is also in all the Lord's true children. By this test we may try many of the spirits of the present day: «He that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.» The apostle now gives us another infallible test by which we may «try the spirits.»
1 John 4:7-8. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Where there is the spirit of enmity, of envy, of pride, of contention, there is not the Spirit of God. That which makes towards love, we may depend upon it came forth from love; but that which makes towards division, contention, emulation, and strife, is not of God, «for God is love.»
1 John 4:9-12. in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that some might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
We cannot see God, but we can love God; and love, therefore, takes the place of eyes to us. When we love God, it is because he dwells in us. That is better than seeing him,-to have him resident within our spirit, although he is not discernible by these mortal eyes.
1 John 4:13-16. Hereby know see 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. 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.
These words are very simple, but the lesson they convey is a very deep one. Most of them are monosyllables; but, oh, what marvels of meaning the Holy Spirit enabled the apostle John to put into them!
1 John 4:17-18. 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.
That is a servile fear, of course, for there is a fear which has no torment in it, that holy fear which even angels feel when they veil their faces in the presence of the Most high. There is no torment in that reverent awe; and the more we have of love towards God, the more of that filial fear shall we have; but that slavish dread, that awful terror which begets within itself dislike, cannot live where true love is planted within the soul: «Perfect love casteth out fear.»
1 John 4:18-20. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 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
God looked upon us with an eye that saw all our sin and misery, yet he loved us; and he wants us to have a love which, while it sees all the imperfection and all the undesert in our fellow men, yet loves them notwithstanding all. If we do not love those whom we see, the apostle says that we do but lie when we talk of loving God whom we have not seen.
1 John 4:21. And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Now let us read what another apostle has to say, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, upon this subject of Christian love. Turn to Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, the fourth chapter.
This exposition consisted of readings from 1 John 4:1 and Philippians 4:1-9.