1 John 4

Every spiritual "experience" is not necessarily of God, which is why they must be tested. Verses 1-2, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.”  True prophesy will point to the Jesus of the Bible. Any deviation on this would be a new Jesus; a false Jesus. Satan will not care if you worship a false Jesus either, because you are still rendered ineffective for the kingdom and will end up in hell; which is probably why there are so many being preached today. How about modern Jesus who has changed with the times to accept female pastors, drinking, fornication, homosexuality, etc? Then there's lenient Jesus who lets you live however you please (contrary to the commandments), and covers it all with grace. There is no regeneration...you just add fake Jesus to your current life. You may also have heard of ecumenical Jesus who builds bridges with false religions, focusing on what they have in common to achieve some perceived greater good. But there is only one way to have eternal life, and that is through the TRUE Jesus. Following His way will not be easy either, and only a few will be traveling on this path. Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” The majority, sadly, will be following the spirit of antichrist, who has influential power in this world and sways them to do his will.

Verse 4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”  True believers have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and have no cause to fear this enemy. We know what to do: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:7-8). Verses 5-6, “They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”  How will we know who has the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error? Those who speak like the world and are received by the world will not hear the things of God. If the world hears you and receives you, you are not being an effective witness for Jesus, and should examine yourself to see if you are even in the faith. We know that even the desire to be part of the world is evil, and is hatred toward God. Consider that Lots wife didn't go back...she just looked back.  2 Corinthians 2:15-16, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?”  If you are actually giving off the aroma of death to those who are perishing, you will certainly not be received by them.

We are called to love our brothers and sisters, which leaves no room for envy, bitterness, and backbiting, which are all evil. When those in the church behave this way, they look just like the unsaved, and demonstrate by their works that they really do not know God. Verses 7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”  You cannot claim to love God and act this way toward His people. It reveals who you really are...an imposter. Verse 12, “...If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” Jesus set the example of love for us on the cross. Verses 10-11, “In this 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 also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”  It is impossible to love God, yet hate His people. Just as it is impossible to love God, but refuse to obey His commands. Verses 20-21, “If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”

We know that the whole world will be judged one day, but mature Christians have no cause for fear. They can have boldness in Jesus Christ. Verses 17-19, “Love has been perfected among us in this: 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 casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”  The absence of God's presence and peace is tormenting. It should be the very thing that motivates people to repent, yet they harden their heart and continue in their sin instead, often suffering from anxiety and depression. But those who know God have His presence and peace, even in the worst times. They understand that the trials we experience on earth only work to perfect our faith and the resulting love, that we should have a completeness. This is precisely why we can rejoice in the midst them.  James 1:2-4, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”  By the trials, we also will know where our faith falls short, even though God already knows. What a blessing it is to know where we lack beforehand, so it can be rectified before that Day. 1 Peter 1:6-7, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”