1 John 4

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.

• Discrimination of spirits
• Test the spirits
• Try = test, prove = By the word of God
• Whether = if
• Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
• 2 Thessalonians 2 , it says because they believe not the truth, God has sent them strong delusions.
• More or less says, as they rejected God, then God in turn rejected them.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own country men, even as they have of the Jews:
• You have followed the example of the churches in Judea and have suffered of your people the same as those in Jerusalem suffered of the Jews, meaning the Kenites and Paul identifies them in the next verse.
15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
• Paul is talking about the Kenites here directly and pretty strongly.
• He's blaming the death of Christ upon them and accuses them of ungodliness.
Romans 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
• We see that 1 Thessalonians 2, certainly speaks the truth in those 14th and 15th verses.
31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

• Is come = to have come
• Psalms 22 - It was written1000 years = before Jesus was born
• Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel
• Immanuel = God with us

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.

• Know the differences between God's spirit and Satan's spirit
• How?
• God's spirit = They will have compassion, Love in their heart
• Satan's spirit = wickedness and hate in their heart - it's about them = pride was Satan's fall
• Example = most news tries to bring out hate = brother against brother
• Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
• Their task will be to set up their own nations (all races) throughout the millennium.
• There will be a place for the multitudes, in the millennium template, with the Lord. Part of the multitude are their people.
• Who wore the white robes and were before the throne?
• In Revelation 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.  John, etc...
• Revelation 11 tells us, Satan will kill the two witnesses three and one half days, before Christ's return here on earth.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

• Who's the prince of the world now?
• Satan is the prince of this world at this time
• Matthews 10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
  16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
  17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
  18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
  19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
  20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
  21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
  22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
  23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
•  Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
• Satan's comes saying he is Christ
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
• I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions
• Have you read Revelation 9?

5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

• These are = street smart = they do as the world

6 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.

• Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
• Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
• Question of Disciples
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
• The Mysteries, the secrets or the things hither to kept secret.
• Because it is given unto, "those that will be doer", "those that will act on it", and  teach the word.
• It is given to them that want to study and teach God's word
• If you can just get one to hears God's word and the seed will grow, it is important to God.

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

• Call to love of the brethren
• Born = begotten
• These have ears to hear and eyes to see
• Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
• Question of Disciples, Answered and the condition of the people
• Therefore = On this account
• You can see the sun come up, but you will not hear God's word every day.
• Speak I to them in parables; Why, Because they seeing see not
• Hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
• Because they care more about this world age, things are more important and what people say.
• 2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 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.

• Proof of God's love to us
• God is the Father of life
• Only God can give you peace of mind
• Sent = Hath sent: John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
• Only begotten: John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
• That = in order that =  live

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.

• God's love first
• Herein = In this is love
• Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
• For = concerning

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

• Love perfected
• Ought also = also ought to love one another

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

• If we love one another, God dwelleth in us
• God's Love = touches you
• Hate is of Satan
• No man = no one
• Seen = beheld
• Perfected = made perfect

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

• Hereby = because
• God has given us, if you keep His commandments
• Spirit = the gifts from God

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

• Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
• Why did Jesus come to this earth age?
• That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil
• Testify = bear witness

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

• God's indwelling
• You believe that Jesus came and bought forgiveness to all
• Confess: Matthew 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

16 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.

• Dwellings in God
• Jesus taught truth, and they wanted to kill him
• Believed = have believed
• To = in

17 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.

• Herby = because
• You are born a babe, God has given us the Bible to follow
• Our love = love with us

18 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.

• Perfected in love
• Fear shows weakness
• No = not
• Torment = punishment
• Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

• God's love first

20 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?

• Proof of our love to God
• Brother = Christian brother
• Verse 21 = He who loveth God love his brother also
• 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
• This word "disorderly" in the Greek indicates laziness.
• Withdraw from one who walks lazily in contradiction to teaching he received of us who work hard or serve with diligence.
• A man = any one
• Read all of Revelation 7
• Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
• The word ''after this'' are important to note.
• He sees this vision after the sealing of the 144,000.
• Evidently when the 7,000 are delivered up before the synagogue
• There will also be many Gentiles converted.
• Their task will be to set up their own nations (all races) throughout the millennium.
• There will be a place for the multitudes, in the millennium template, with the Lord. Part of the multitude are their people.
• Who wore the white robes and were before the throne?
• In Revelation 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.  John, etc...
• Revelation 11 tells us, Satan will kill the two witnesses three and one half days, before Christ's return here on earth.

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

• Command to love the brethren
• Brother = Christian brother
• 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
• This word "disorderly" in the Greek indicates laziness.
• Withdraw from one who walks lazily in contradiction to teaching he received of us who work hard or serve with diligence.

• Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.

 

•  The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.

 

• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25