The apostle continues to develop the themes he has mentioned in his second word to the babes in the family of God, in 2:18-27. This chapter contains the expansion of the third and fourth themes.
4:1-6 DEVELOPMENT OF THE THIRD THEME:
“ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things”, 2:20. By the knowledge the Holy Spirit gives, the believer is able to distinguish between truth and error.
Three abilities the believer has because he has the Spirit of God:
| First ability | Verses 1-3 | The Spirit enables the believer to confess Christ, verse 2. |
| Second ability | Verses 4-5 | The Spirit enables the believer to overcome the false prophets, verse 4. |
| Third ability | Verse 6 | The Spirit enables the believer to respond to the teaching of the apostles, verse 6. |
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN CHAPTER 4, VERSES 1 TO 6:
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.
4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
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.
4:4 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.
4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
4:6 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.
First ability verses 1-3 The Spirit enables the believer to confess Christ, verse 2.
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.
Beloved- the apostle again assures his readers of his love for them. This love takes the form of warning, encouraging, and educating them. This expression of affection shows his deep love and concern for them. He does not want his loved ones to be harmed by evil teaching, but rather, desires to encourage them in the knowledge of God and His Son.
Believe not every spirit- John is emphasising that behind the spirit of every teacher there is a motivating and energising spirit. In the case of antichrists, behind their spirit there is the spirit of antichrist, which is the devil himself. Behind the spirit of the believer as he teaches the Scriptures, there is the Holy Spirit. We must not be naïve, and think that because someone reads from the Bible and speaks from it, that they are necessarily of God. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places, Ephesians 6:12. These are satanic forces that are commissioned to lead believers away from the truth if they can.
But try the spirits whether they are of God- the apostle will tell us how to do this in the next verse. Needless to say, he is not advocating that we dabble in the things of the occult. The forces of darkness should not be meddled with. “Try the spirits” means “put the spirits to the test”, not “get involved with spirits”. The prophet Isaiah warned the people against this, saying, “And when they shall say unto you, ‘Seek unto them which have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter:’ Should not a people seek unto their God? For the living to the dead? To the law and the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”, Isaiah 8:19,20.
Because many false prophets are gone out into the world- the Lord Jesus referred to false Christs and false prophets, Matthew 24:24. It is necessary to be discerning in regard to teaching, for there are many who promote evil doctrines. Their sphere of activity is primarily the world, but they will try to infiltrate amongst the saints. Just as the Lord Jesus has said to His messengers “Go ye into all the world”, Mark 16:15, so has Satan sent his messengers out into the world, to try to nullify the effect of the truth of God, which he hates. It is because there are many false prophets that the believer is to be watchful. `
4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God- notice that John wants us to concentrate on the things of the Spirit, hence he puts the knowledge of the work of the Spirit first, even though he is warning of error. It is possible to be obsessed with the study of error, whereas the proper course is to be occupied with the positive and profitable things of the Spirit of God. Paul exhorted the believers at Rome to be “wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil”, Romans 16:19. Once we have become acquainted with the good things of God, we shall have a very simple and straightforward attitude to evil, recognising it for what it is and avoiding it. John is about to tell us how to know whether the spirit that is energising a teacher is the Holy Spirit or not.
Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God- the test is always Christ. He is the truth, as He said, John 14:6, for it is embodied in His person. To deviate from the true knowledge of Him is to be in error. It is one of the ministries of the Spirit of God to glorify Christ, John 16:14. Note that John is as much concerned that confession is made concerning the manhood of Christ, as he is about confession of His Deity. Both truths need to be firmly held, for both are vital.
There were those who denied that the Lord Jesus was really man. They said that He only appeared to be man. John confronts these false teachers, and asserts that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh; that is the character of His coming. He took real manhood at His conception, and He continues to be a man. What He took at His conception He will never give up. It is also true that what He was before His conception He did not give up, nor will He ever do so.
Clearly, this confession is not a flippant uttering of mere words, hence the apostle speaks of spirits confessing. It must be the conviction deep in the spirit of a man that finds its expression in words. Such a confession can only come as the result of the prompting of the Spirit of God. Hence John says, in effect, that when we hear a person confessing Christ like this from his innermost being, then that is the confession of the Spirit of God through that person’s own spirit.
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.
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God- now we have the exact opposite, the refusal of men to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is a real man. In their innermost being they deny this truth, and it reveals itself by a refusal to support the doctrine of His real manhood. The apostle is decisive- this man is not of God. He is not born of God, is not sent of God, neither does he speak for God. As such, believers should turn away from him.
And this is that spirit of antichrist- just as the teacher who brings the truth is energised in his spirit by the Spirit of God, so the false teacher is energised in his spirit by the same spirit that shall motivate the antichrist. We know from 2 Thessalonians 2:9 that the Wicked One, (another name for antichrist), shall come “after the working of Satan”. Daniel tells us that he will worship the god of forces, Satan himself, Daniel 11:38. So the spirit that works through the antichrist is the same spirit that works through the many antichrists, as they take the form of false prophets.
Whereof ye have heard that it should come- the Lord Jesus warned of false Christs and false prophets, who would deceive men, Matthew 24:24. Paul also wrote of this personage in 2 Thessalonians 2, the passage already referred to.
And even now already is it in the world- believers sometimes speculate whether the antichrist is already alive on earth. No-one knows the answer to that question, but we know from this verse the answer to the questions, “Is the spirit of antichrist in evidence”? and, “Are there many antichrists already”? The answer to both questions is “Yes”. This being the case, we should be alert to the danger, and hold to the truth with firm grasp.
Second ability verses 4-5 The Spirit enables the believer to overcome the false prophets, verse 4.
4:4 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.
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them- John does not encourage his readers to try to overcome the forces of error. He does not need to, for they have already overcome them. The reason being found in the expression, “Ye are of God”; the fact that they were of God shows they had been of God, and therefore had believed. But what had they believed? John had written in his gospel about those who had been born of God, and he defined them as “even to them that believe on His name”, John 1:12. John will develop the truth in chapter 5 that it is our faith that overcomes the world.
Because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world- this follows on from the idea of overcoming the world because we are born of God. Those who are born of God have received the Spirit of God. Paul puts it like this, “ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, “Abba, Father”. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God”, Romans 8:15,16. The Spirit of God is one of the persons of the Godhead. He is, therefore, by definition a far superior power to Satan, who is a created, and fallen being, the spirit that operates in the world to deceive men.
So we have a double resource at our disposal. Being born of God, we have faith in the truth. Being indwelt by the Spirit of God, we are safeguarded from error. In principle, then, we have overcome, but we still need to be vigilant.
4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
They are of the world- the “they” refers to the “them” of the previous verse, the false teachers who are motivated and energised by Satan. Whilst the world has political and financial connotations, primarily the world is a religious place. It is a system organised by Satan, (who is “the god of this world”, 2 Corinthians 4:4), around the central idea of opposition to God and His truth. False teachers are the product of this system.
Therefore speak they of the world- this does not mean they speak about the world as a place. Rather, it means they speak only about things found within the world-system, which is governed by Satan. They cannot rise to think about or teach the things of God, for they are alien to them.
And the world heareth them- because the men of the world likewise are restricted to the things that are in the world, having rejected the truth of God, then their minds are conditioned to receive only the things of error. It is a leading feature of the mind of the sinner that it gravitates towards error, and embraces it, at the same time gravitating away from truth, and rejecting it.
Third ability verse 6 The Spirit enables the believer to respond to the teaching of the apostles, verse 6.
4:6 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.
We are of God- in verse 4 it was “ye are of God”, referring to believers. Here it is “we are of God”, referring to the apostles, on whose behalf the apostle is writing. As those who are of God, they were entrusted with the truth of God to pass on, and this they did faithfully.
He that knoweth God heareth us- it is a leading feature of eternal life that it enables the believer to know God and Jesus Christ, as He Himself said in John 17:3. Those who know God will be sympathetic to the truth about Him, and will wish to know more. They know that by listening to the apostles they will learn more. Paul exhorted us to increase in the knowledge of God, Colossians 1:10, and Peter exhorted us to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”, 2 Peter 3:18.
He that is not of God heareth not us- those who have not eternal life, and are not indwelt by the Spirit of God, have no capacity, and no desire, to hear the apostles with a view to advancing in the knowledge of God.
4:7-21 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FOURTH THEME:
In his word to the little children, John had explained that if they continued in the doctrine regarding the Father and the Son, then “ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father”, 2:24. This is developed in verses 7-21, where the apostle shows how we may know that we dwell in Him. We should be aware that the words “dwell”, “remain”, abide”, and “continue”, are all translations of the same Greek word.
Three ways we show we abide in Him and He in us:
| First evidence we abide. | Verses 7-12 | Abiding is shown by our love, as we note God’s example. |
| Second evidence we abide. | Verses 13-16 | Abiding is shown by our knowledge, as we listen to the testimony of the apostle by the Spirit. |
| Third evidence we abide | Verses 17-21 | Abiding is shown by our boldness, as perfect love casts out fear. |
Each of these sections contains the same Greek expression. It is translated “in this” in verse 9. As “hereby” in verse 13, and as “herein” in verse 17.
So in verse 9 John is telling us in what God’s love was manifested, namely, by His sending of His only begotten Son into the world.
In verse 13 he is telling us what it is that tells us we abide in Him, namely, by the Spirit.
In verse 17 he is telling us in what way our love is perfected, namely by the things mentioned in verse 13-16.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN CHAPTER 4, VERSES 7 TO 12:
4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
4:9 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.
4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.
Verses 7-12 First evidence that we abide
Abiding is shown by our love, as we note God’s example.
4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Beloved, let us love one another- the apostle does not need to embark on a lengthy explanation of the relationship between the Father and the Son, for he has already done that in his gospel, as he recorded the words of the Lord Jesus Himself in John 5. In that passage we are informed about the relationship between the Father and the Son from the lips of the Son Himself, so John does not need to repeat that. He wrote to the babes, “I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth”, 1 John 2:21. So they did not need to be taught about the Father and the Son in the initial sense, but they did need to work out the implications of that relationship. For since they have eternal life, the life of God, and since that life is the life of Persons who are in essence love, then they should live a life of love too. In this way they would do the reverse of denying the Father and the Son, by confessing in the best way possible, that is, by their practice, that they acknowledge the truth about the Persons of the Godhead. So it is that the apostle exhorts love one to another, and includes himself in the exhortation also.
For love is of God- he is writing about that which is love in the truest sense, and not what passes for love amongst the men of the world. God is the source and the standard of true love.
And every one that loveth is born of God- clearly the apostle is not suggesting, for instance, that every mother who loves her child is born of God. He is limiting himself to a very strict definition of love, that is, love as God expresses it.
And knoweth God- the Lord Jesus Himself said that those who possess eternal life know God, John 17:3. This means that the believer knows, amongst many other things, that God is love. This verse tells us he is able to go further than simply knowing, for he is able to demonstrate it in his relationship with believers.
4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
He that loveth not knoweth not God- it is expected that every believer will love. If a person does not love with the sort of love God shows, he is not a believer. The unbeliever has not eternal life, and therefore does not know God.
For God is love- because he does not know God in any meaningful way, the unbeliever is unaware that God is love. As a consequence he does not love believers.
4:9 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.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us- Divine love is energetic love, and John now reminds us of the way that love was demonstrated. God’s love had been shown in Old Testament times in various ways, but now it finds its fullest possible expression.
Because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world- when we consider what sort of world it is into which God sent His Son, we are truly amazed. We might think that His love for His Son would shield Him from contact with this world of sin. But there was another consideration, even His great desire for the blessing of men.
That we might live through Him- not only does this mean that we might have eternal life, but that we might live that life in love. God’s love is our incentive to love.
4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Herein is love- having spoken of love as manifested in the sending of God’s Son into this hostile, polluted world, John now probes deeper, and tells us where the love of God is found in its highest expression. To send His Son into the world is one thing, to require Him to go to Calvary is on a different level altogether.
Not that we loved God, but that He loved us- we shall look in vain for this highest expression in the hearts of believers as they show love to God. It will have to be found in the heart of God.
And sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins- John is not so much concerned here with the doctrine of propitiation, for he has thought of that in 2:2 in relation to the fact that God is Light. Here it is in connection with the fact that God is Love. When we consider what is involved in propitiation, namely the taking account of, and giving an answer for, the sin of the world in aggregate; the exposure to the full force and fury of God’s wrath; the being made sin; the abandonment during those dreadful hours of darkness on the cross. When we contemplate these things, as they affected the Son, and as they must have affected the Father, then we are surely thinking of that which only a love that is Divine could endure, and only a love that is Divine could expect of another.
4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Beloved- as he makes application of what he has just written, John reminds his readers that they have been the objects of the love he has been describing, and therefore there should be a response to it.
If God so loved us- as we have seen, Divine love has been shown to us in three ways. First, we have been born of the God who is essentially love, verses 7 and 8. Second, that God has sent His Son into this hostile world for our spiritual benefit, verse 9. Third, that He sent Him to Calvary to bear the wrath due to our sins, verse 10. This is love without compare, and of the greatest intensity, (hence the “so”), and surely demands response from our hearts.
We ought also to love one another- the response God is looking for here is not so much that we love Him directly, but that we love Him indirectly by loving our fellow-believers. This is a very high standard of love, for what love can be stronger than that which sent His Son to the cross? Yet we have been assured that we, as those born of God, have the capacity to love. We shall never attain to the degree of the love, but we are to strive for the character of the love which will allow no obstacle to its exercise. We should remember that we are here exhorted to love those who have the capacity to return that love, being likewise born of God. God, however, loved those who had no such capacity. In fact, Romans 1:30 tells us that sinners hate God, but Divine love overcame that obstacle. We should be able to overcome lesser ones.
4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.
No man hath seen God at any time- this is a repeat of what John had already written in his gospel, John 1:18. There, he had gone on to tell us how God may be “seen”, even through the declaration that His Son gave of Him. Here, the declaration is to be done by His people. God is a spirit, John 4:24, so is only known by the expression of Himself in spiritual ways, whether by Himself, or through His people, as in this verse. John will refer to this again in verse 20.
If we love one another- that is, if we love one another with the sort of love detailed in verses 7-11. John is not speaking of any sort of natural love. Love of fellow-believers results in two things, as the apostle now shows.
God dwelleth in us- those who love with true Christian love thereby show that they have God indwelling them, for they could not show that love without Divine life within. It is not that He comes to dwell if we love, but that our loving shows He is dwelling. The idea behind God dwelling is that He makes His presence felt in us, and expresses Himself. There is more to dwelling than just being in a place. A man may put up for the night in a hotel, but he does not dwell there. He dwells where he is at home. So too with God. He only dwells where He is comfortable, in the heart of a believer.
And His love is perfected in us- this is the second consequence if we love one another. Not only does God dwell in us, but His love reaches its goal in us. We should be aware that God has ambitions for us as His children, and one of them is that His love should be duplicated by us. When it is, God’s purpose is worked out.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN CHAPTER 4, VERSES 13 TO 16:
4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit.
4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
4:16 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.
Verses 13-16 Second evidence we abide.
Abiding is shown by our knowledge, as we listen to the testimony of the apostles by the Spirit.
4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit.
Hereby know we that we dwell in Him- John is very concerned that we know things. The world says that “ignorance is bliss”, but this is not appropriate in relation to the things of God. He wants us to be intelligent in Divine things, so that we may respond to Him in a meaningful way.
And He in us- this indwelling is mutual. Up to the end of chapter 4 it had been us abiding in Him, 2:25, 27; 3:24. But in the latter verse the apostle adds, “and He in us”. He is developing this here, for when we love with love that is modelled on God’s, then God is expressing Himself in us.
Because He hath given us of His Spirit- John had introduced the idea of the gift of the Spirit in 3:24, using words that are virtually repeated here. He wrote before, “And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us”. He was preparing us then for the onslaught of the false teachers, who would contradict what the Spirit would tell us. As we listen to Him, we abide in the doctrine of the Father and the Son, which is the same as abiding in the Father and the Son, as he explained in 2:24. Here the presence of the Spirit assures our hearts of the indwelling of God within us.
Notice it is not so much the initial gift of the Spirit at conversion that is in view, but the ongoing giving of His Spirit. That is, as we show love to others, we do so because we are being constantly enlightened by the Spirit as to how we should show that love. It is not that we are given the Spirit piece by piece, so that on one occasion we receive some of the Spirit, and on another occasion some more of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is a Divine Person, and therefore cannot be divided up. The idea is of receiving “of” in the sense of “out of”. He is the source of the intelligence we need. So God gives to us out of the resources that He himself has, and the Spirit is the One who dispenses this needed help.
This is similar to what Paul was praying the believers at Ephesus would know. He desired that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, that they might know certain things which he specifies in Ephesians 1:18,19. But he has just assured them that when they believed they were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, verse 13. So it is not that he was praying they would receive the Spirit, but that they might know and respond to His ministry. So it is here. John wants his readers to know that the Spirit is their resource as they seek to obey the command to love. The Spirit not only gives strength so that love can be shown, but also shows the ways in which it should be shown so that God is glorified the most, and His goal in our hearts is furthered the best.
Needless to say, this is far removed from the false idea of some, that the believer is not necessarily indwelt by the Spirit at conversion, and must strive to obtain some supposed “second blessing”. This is error, and should be turned from, for it dishonours God and denies His word.
4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son- this verse might seem to be standing alone, with no relevance to the context. But that cannot be. John is preparing us for what he will write in verse 15, where he resumes the subject of “abiding”.
We should notice that the pronoun “we” is emphatic, telling us it refers to particular people, and does not refer to believers in general. As in other instances in the epistle, the reference is to John and his fellow-apostles. It was they who had “seen with their eyes”, as John put it in the very first verse of the epistle. They had the immense privilege of being with the Lord Jesus during His public ministry, and are justified in saying “we have seen”. What they saw was the working of miracles, and these were powerful indications of the fact that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He could say, “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works’ sake”, John 14:11. The Lord is not presenting these things as alternatives, as if they could believe in the works but not in Him. Rather, He means that if they were not ready to believe Him when He claimed to be the Son of the Father, then they should realise that the works He did made that same claim; they should come by means of the works.
So it was that John saw that it was His Son that God had sent into the world, for the proofs were undeniable. But he not only saw, but testified, stating faithfully what he saw, and the implications thereof.
To be the Saviour of the world- John is very interested in God’s attitude to the world, and because of this he not only writes for believers, but for unbelievers also. We see this from the fact that he wrote at the end of his gospel, “these are written, that ye might believe”, in John 20:31.
To John, the idea of Christ being Saviour of the world is very precious. The title had first been used by the men of Samaria, as they came out to Christ after they had listened to the testimony of the woman who met Him at the well, John 4:39-42. They realised that He was not just a Messiah for the Jews, but had an interest in Gentiles too. This prepares us for the next verse which begins with “whosoever”.
Needless to say, this title does not say, or imply, that all the world is saved or, indeed, will be saved. It tells us the potential in the work of Christ, when He was the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. If the whole world came for forgiveness, it would be available to them. But as the next verse tells us, it is those who confess that receive the blessing; it is not universal.
4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God- having told us of his special task of testifying as to what he and fellow-apostles had seen, John now turns to those who have believed his testimony. As a result of learning what to us is the content of John’s gospel, they had confessed that Jesus, the man from Nazareth, is the Son of God, the one sent by the Father into the world.
God dwelleth in him- the Father is graciously pleased to associate with those who confess His Son. He dwells within by His Spirit. John has returned to the theme of the section, the believer abiding in God and He in him. This safeguards the thoughts from being led astray by false teachers. In this way Christ’s Saviour-hood is made good to us as believers, just as it was made good to us as sinners at conversion. He saves from sin and He saves from error.
And he in God- there is a mutual indwelling, as the truth of God fills the mind, and it becomes absorbed in what and who God is.
4:16 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.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us- John now associates himself with us, rather than with the other apostles as in verse 14. He has written about “whosoever shall confess”, in verse 15, and he now joins himself with these. Having known the facts about God sending His Son in love, and Him going to Calvary to make propitiation, we have gone further and have believed that those things were indeed the expression of Divine love, and that they were for us personally.
And he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him- this is the second thing we have known and believed. Not only is God’s love expressed, but it is enjoyed, as we dwell in it, surrounded by it, so to speak. But that love in which we dwell is Divine love, and since God not only shows love but is love, then to dwell in His love is to dwell in Himself. This is proof that God abides within us, for we could not have any enjoyment of Divine love whilst in unbelief.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN CHAPTER 4, VERSES 17 TO 21:
4:17 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.
4:18 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.
4:19 We love him, because He first loved us.
4:20 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?
4:21 And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Verses 17-21 Third evidence of abiding.
Abiding is shown by our boldness, as perfect love casts out fear.
4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as He is, so are we in this world.
Herein is our love made perfect- our love to God reaches its goal when, (a) we know that the Spirit is within us, verse 13; (b) we have listened to the testimony of the apostles when they tell of the Father sending the Son to be the Saviour; (c) we confess that Jesus is the Son of God.
That we may have boldness in the day of judgement- God has a purpose in view when He causes our love to reach its goal, (which is what “made perfect” means). He desires that we be rid of any fear of being judged in the day when He judges sinners for their sins.
Because as He is, so are we in this world- if we had asked John how it is that we can be bold in the day of judgement, he would have said, “Because as He is, so are we in this world”. He has already told us at least three times that God’s Son is righteous, in 2:1; 2:29; 3:7. He has told us also that “he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous”, 3:7. So the secret of boldness is the fact that the righteousness of God has been imputed to us, so that we are as He is, in this respect. But this is not only true in the day of judgement, it is true now, “in this world”. We do not have to wait until judgement day to know whether it is appropriate for us to have boldness; it is to be enjoyed now.
4:18 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.
There is no fear in love- Divine love has nothing about it to make us fear, (the word carries the idea of being scared and frightened), for Divine Love and Divine Light have dealt with our sins.
But perfect love casteth out fear- whilst it is true that we have no real reason to fear the judgement of God due to our sins, the fact is that we sometimes have doubts about it and lack assurance that all is really settled. This is where the perfect love of verse 17 comes in, for as we realise that those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God are in-dwelt by God Himself, we are greatly encouraged. How could such people ever be brought into judgement? The love of God has reached its goal when we not only believe on His Son, but believe the love He has for us, as shown by the things He has done for us. Which things are described in verses 9-14. Divine love is perfected in us, according to verse 12, and this casts out all fear.
Because fear hath torment- we should realise the true character of the fear John is referring to. It is the sort of fear that is terrified of God. And this sort of fear is accompanied by torment, as Divine anger and judgement is expected.
He that feareth is not made perfect in love- the one who fears with a terror of God is an unbeliever, and the love of God has not reached his heart so that it may be perfected there. This being the case, the fear that hath torment is not appropriate for a believer.
4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us.
We love Him, because He first loved us- lest we begin to look to ourselves to settle our fears, John assures us that God first loved us, and that is the reason we love Him. It is not that our love brought forth His love, but the reverse. In this way John assures us that it is Divine working that is the secret of full assurance with regard to sins. If we start to measure our level of assurance by the quality of our love, we shall be disappointed and fearful. The fact that God loved us when we were still in our sins tells us that He will not stop loving us, and start judging us, now that we have been forgiven.
4:20 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?
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar- John is using the word brother in the sense that a man, (he does not call him a believer), professes to love God and therefore can call any one of the children of God his brother. Yet he hates him. Such an one’s profession is false, and the believer is not in fact his brother, and when he says he loves God he is lying.
For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? We need to notice two words in particular here. First, the word “see”. It means to see clearly, either physically or mentally. But since it is used of seeing God, it must be the latter sense that is relevant here. (The Lord Jesus used this word when He said to Philip, “He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father”, John 14:9). So John is telling us of a professed believer who has seen clearly, with mental insight, certain features displayed in a believer which, because they are spiritual features, are expressed only by those who have life from God. The man’s reaction to this is to not love him, for those spiritual features are a rebuke to him, just as the life of Christ is a rebuke to men, whether when He was upon earth, or currently, as the gospel records are read.
Now we come to the word “can”. It means to have the power to do something. John is emphasising, not that this man is unwilling to love God, although that is no doubt true of him, but that he cannot love God. And why cannot he love God? The answer is that he does not love the one he claims is his brother, and therefore he is not a believer. As such he has no power to love God, for he does not have eternal life, and that life enables a man to know God in a spiritual way, and to love Him.
4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
And this commandment have we from him- the fact that to love is a commandment shows the seriousness of not obeying.
That he who loveth God love his brother also- these words do not occur elsewhere in exactly the form John gives them here, but they give us the essence of what the Lord Jesus said to His own in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another”. John has referred to that commandment in 1 John 2:7, when he wrote, “Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning”. Then again, in 3:23, “And this is His commandment. “That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another”, as He gave us commandment”. So the commandment to love is from God the Father, (since it involves believing on His Son), but it is also from the Lord Jesus, who is referred to in the last phrase “as He gave us commandment”. Divine Persons are uniting in their command to love.
John had also heard the Lord Jesus say, in the middle of His exhortations to them to abide in Him, “As My Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you; continue ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love”, John 15:9,10. This is significant, because the passage we are now at the end of has been an enlargement of the need to abide in God. So the idea of loving God and abiding are linked, both in John 15 and here.