God is love. Be born of God. See God for Who He is. We shall then be like Him. We will love others.
1 John 4:16 "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." Notice that we can both know and believe the love that God has for us. I believe that this is in inverse order. What happens when we believe the love that God has for us? We are born of God, or born again. What happens when we know the love that God has for us? We love those around us. God is love. When we understand His love for us, we walk in love toward others, and are abiding in Him. He abides in us when we are born of God, or born again.
Vs. 17 "Love has been perfected (brought to completion) among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is (He is love), so are we in this world (we walk in love toward others)." This verse has always been taught that we take on the characteristics or position of God in heaven while we are here on the earth: He is righteous, so we are righteous. He is healed and well, so we are healed. He is prosperous, so we are prosperous. This is all true. But the context of this verse is that God is love, so when we understand His love for us, we will walk in love toward others. Notice the phrase "in this". It refers back to 1 John 4:9-10. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 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." Because of what Jesus did, we have boldness in the day of judgment. When this day arrives, we have nothing to fear. God is satisfied with what Jesus did. That is what propitiation means. The sins of our entire lifetime have been paid for. This is what we are supposed to communicate to others. This circle of love should be perfected or brought to completion in us. God loves us. We receive Him and learn to relax in His love for us. We start communicating that love and grace to others. If we are not walking in love, we either don't understand His love for us, or we have temporarily forgotten who we are.
Vs. 18 "There is no fear (of punishment or judgment) in love; but perfect love (love brought to completion) casts out fear (of punishment or judgment), because fear involves torment (punishment). But he who fears (punishment or judgment) has not been made perfect in love (he or she does not understand the full extent of God's love)." 1 John 4:10 says that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. Again, propitiation means that God is satisfied with what Jesus did. The penalty is paid for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and future. If we believe this, it will cast out all fear of possible judgment or punishment from God. If we still have some fear of punishment, it shows we are not fully trusting in His grace. If we fear, we are still trying to be justified by some mixture of our performance and His grace. How can we communicate the love of God to others if we still fear punishment ourselves? The obvious answer is that we cannot. We can only communicate what we are or what we understand. This explains why we have been predisposed to interpret scripture in a harsh or condemning way. We have been afraid of punishment.
Vs. 19 "We love Him because He first loved us." Our love for Him is a response to the love and grace He has first shown to us. Our faith is a response to His grace.
Vs. 20 "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?" John is saying the same here as he did in 1 John 1:6 "If we say that we have fellowship with Him (share in who God is, or say that we represent Him) and walk in darkness (hate or condemn others), we lie and do not practice the truth (which is grace)." If we judge or condemn others for their actions, we don't understand the grace and love that God has shown us. Our love for God is a response to His love and grace for us. If we don't offer this love and grace to others, it reflects the fact that we don't understand His grace for us.
Do you remember John 8, where Jesus does not condemn the woman caught in adultery, but offers her grace and forgiveness? John 8:12 "I am the light of the world (grace). He who follows me (in offering grace, not judging others) shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." So we know that hating our brother, or walking in darkness, is sitting in judgment or condemning others.
Vs. 21 "And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also." This is presented as a commandment, but it is a natural response to understanding His love for us. Notice the word 'must' is in italics; it was added by the translators. It should really read like this: "he who loves God loves his brother also." When we see God's love for us, we will love our brother also. If we don't love our brother, we are not clearly seeing His love for us.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
1 John 4:1-15
God is love. Be born of God. See God for Who He is. Then we shall be like Him. We will love others.
Vs. 1-3 "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, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." John is refuting the Gnostic idea that Jesus did not have a fleshly body, but that He only appeared as a spirit, or in spiritual form. If He did not have a fleshly body, He could not bear the punishment for our sins in His body, and we cannot be born of God. John keeps going back to his major theme: be born of God, learn that He is love and that He lives in you, and then love others. All false teaching leads us away from this sure foundation of being born of God by trusting in Jesus, and walking in love toward others. All false teaching comes through people who are being motivated by the spirit of the Antichrist.
Vs. 4 "You are of God (born of God), little children, and have overcome them (antichrist or evil spirits), because He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." God has come to live within us when we are born again. He is love. We should be overcoming the lust or selfishness that is in the world through the One Who is love within us.
Vs. 5 "They (false teachers who are motivated by spirit of the antichrist) are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them." What is he referring to as being of the world? 1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world." We are either motivated by love, or by lust and pride, which is basically selfishness.
Vs. 6 "We are of God (born of God). He who knows God (knows that God is love and has learned to walk in love) hears us; he who is not of God (not born of God) does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Again, the spirit of error leads people away from being born again and walking in love toward others.
Vs. 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." He who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God. He who does not love (2) does not know God. It does not say that he is not born of God. He just does not know God, that He is love.
Vs. 9-10 "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live (be born again and learn to love) through Him. 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." Notice that God initiated this great plan of love. It is not that we loved God, or draw close to Him through our own efforts. He loved us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. Propitiation means that God is satisfied with what Jesus did. We merely respond to His love for us.
Vs. 11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." When we receive His love for us, we can then love others properly. We offer them grace and forgiveness, because we have received grace and forgiveness from God. We tell them that the sins of their entire lifetime have already been paid for. We can also act in love and not act selfishly in our actions toward others.
Vs. 12 "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." If we love one another, we are born of God, and have received His love for us, and His love is flowing through us to others. The circle of love has been brought to completion in us.
Vs. 13 "By this we know that we abide in Him, and He is us, because He has given us of His Spirit." He abides in us when we are born again. We are abiding in Him when we are being led by the Spirit Who teaches us to love.
Vs. 14 "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world." God is the One who initiated this. He showed His love for us through Jesus paying for our sins. He then shows us how to love.
Vs. 15 "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in Him, and he in God." This is our response of faith to His grace and love for us.
Keith Oliver
Vs. 1-3 "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, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." John is refuting the Gnostic idea that Jesus did not have a fleshly body, but that He only appeared as a spirit, or in spiritual form. If He did not have a fleshly body, He could not bear the punishment for our sins in His body, and we cannot be born of God. John keeps going back to his major theme: be born of God, learn that He is love and that He lives in you, and then love others. All false teaching leads us away from this sure foundation of being born of God by trusting in Jesus, and walking in love toward others. All false teaching comes through people who are being motivated by the spirit of the Antichrist.
Vs. 4 "You are of God (born of God), little children, and have overcome them (antichrist or evil spirits), because He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." God has come to live within us when we are born again. He is love. We should be overcoming the lust or selfishness that is in the world through the One Who is love within us.
Vs. 5 "They (false teachers who are motivated by spirit of the antichrist) are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them." What is he referring to as being of the world? 1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world." We are either motivated by love, or by lust and pride, which is basically selfishness.
Vs. 6 "We are of God (born of God). He who knows God (knows that God is love and has learned to walk in love) hears us; he who is not of God (not born of God) does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Again, the spirit of error leads people away from being born again and walking in love toward others.
Vs. 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." He who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God. He who does not love (2) does not know God. It does not say that he is not born of God. He just does not know God, that He is love.
Vs. 9-10 "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live (be born again and learn to love) through Him. 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." Notice that God initiated this great plan of love. It is not that we loved God, or draw close to Him through our own efforts. He loved us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. Propitiation means that God is satisfied with what Jesus did. We merely respond to His love for us.
Vs. 11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." When we receive His love for us, we can then love others properly. We offer them grace and forgiveness, because we have received grace and forgiveness from God. We tell them that the sins of their entire lifetime have already been paid for. We can also act in love and not act selfishly in our actions toward others.
Vs. 12 "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." If we love one another, we are born of God, and have received His love for us, and His love is flowing through us to others. The circle of love has been brought to completion in us.
Vs. 13 "By this we know that we abide in Him, and He is us, because He has given us of His Spirit." He abides in us when we are born again. We are abiding in Him when we are being led by the Spirit Who teaches us to love.
Vs. 14 "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world." God is the One who initiated this. He showed His love for us through Jesus paying for our sins. He then shows us how to love.
Vs. 15 "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in Him, and he in God." This is our response of faith to His grace and love for us.
Keith Oliver
Sunday, February 5, 2012
In the sight of God and men
Two passages of scripture that might seem to contradict one another are Colossians 1:21-23 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Let us look at these passages.
Colossians 1:21-23 "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and UNREPROVABLE (above reproach) in His sight---if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for REPROOF, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Colossians says that we are holy, unblameable and unreprovable IN HIS SIGHT. So before God, we are unreprovable. Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime. It is interesting to note that Colossians says that we are unreprovable in His sight if we continue in the faith, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel. We must continue to trust that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. Moving away from the hope of the gospel means to move back under the Law, or to approach God by our own performance instead of His grace. If we move back under the Law, we will feel condemned. That is the purpose of the Law, to show us that we have a sin problem and need a Savior.
2 Timothy says that the Word is profitable for our reproof or correction. Our good works are done before men. Even though we are declared holy and righteous before God, we must learn to walk in love and good deeds before men. This is where our lives are open for reproof and correction.
Keith Oliver
Colossians 1:21-23 "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and UNREPROVABLE (above reproach) in His sight---if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for REPROOF, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Colossians says that we are holy, unblameable and unreprovable IN HIS SIGHT. So before God, we are unreprovable. Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime. It is interesting to note that Colossians says that we are unreprovable in His sight if we continue in the faith, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel. We must continue to trust that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. Moving away from the hope of the gospel means to move back under the Law, or to approach God by our own performance instead of His grace. If we move back under the Law, we will feel condemned. That is the purpose of the Law, to show us that we have a sin problem and need a Savior.
2 Timothy says that the Word is profitable for our reproof or correction. Our good works are done before men. Even though we are declared holy and righteous before God, we must learn to walk in love and good deeds before men. This is where our lives are open for reproof and correction.
Keith Oliver
1 John 3:14-24
God is love. Be born of God. Receive His love for us. Our love for others is a response to His love for us.
Vs. 14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." No one can see our born again spirit. If we are walking in love, it gives outward proof of the life and love of God within us. If we are not walking in love, we are abiding in death and darkness, even though we are born again. His life and grace is not flowing through us to others. 1 John 2:11.
Vs. 15 "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." Is this saying that if we hate our brother, we are not born again? No. It is saying that God's life, which is love, is not abiding or flowing through us to others. Remember 1 John 2:23-25. We are born of God in verse 23. Then we walk in love toward others in verse 24. When we do these two things, God has promised that His eternal life will be ours, or will be flowing through us to others.
Vs. 16 "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." Jesus acted unselfishly for us. He demonstrated His love for us with action. We should set aside our selfish desires and demonstrate our love for others also. He laid down His life to give us grace and forgiveness. We offer grace and forgiveness to others.
Vs. 17 "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" The obvious answer is that it doesn't. Our love must be demonstrated in action, or it is not really love. When he asks, "does the love of God abide in him?" he is not asking if he is born of God. But he is questioning whether this Christian is motivated by God's love or his own selfish interests.
Vs. 18 "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth." Love must be demonstrated through action, not just words alone.
Vs. 19 "And by this (loving in deed and truth, not just words) we know that we are of the truth (we have received the Word: we are born of God) and shall assure our hearts before Him." If we walk in love, we are giving an outward demonstration of the love of God which came to us when we were born again. Our heart (the spirit and soul together) is in unison. Our conscience is clear when we walk in love.
Vs. 20 "If our heart condemns us (our conscience will condemn us when we do not walk in love), God is greater than our hearts and knows all things." Even when we fail to walk in love and our conscience condemns us, God has already forgiven us for the sins of our entire lifetime.
Vs. 21 "Beloved, if our heart (or conscience in this instance) does not condemn us, we have confidence before God." As we learn to walk in love, our conscience will not condemn us, and we will have confidence before the Lord because His love will be flowing through us to others. This is similar to 1 John 2:28 and 1 John 4:17.
Vs. 22 "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." On the surface, this verse can appear to say that God is responding to us based on our performance. But the only reason God answers prayer is because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. This verse is talking about our response of faith to His gift of grace. The key word is RECEIVE from Him. When we keep His commandments (Vs. 23 believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another), we are responding in faith to the gift of God's grace through Jesus. We are also allowing that grace to flow to others.
An answer to prayer is receiving part of the grace that He has provided for us.
Vs. 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."
Vs. 24 "Now he who keeps His commandments (both believing on Jesus, or being born again, and loving one another) abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." When we are born again, God comes to live in us, or abide in us, through His Spirit. When we walk in love, we are abiding in Him, or living in love.
Keith Oliver
Vs. 14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." No one can see our born again spirit. If we are walking in love, it gives outward proof of the life and love of God within us. If we are not walking in love, we are abiding in death and darkness, even though we are born again. His life and grace is not flowing through us to others. 1 John 2:11.
Vs. 15 "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." Is this saying that if we hate our brother, we are not born again? No. It is saying that God's life, which is love, is not abiding or flowing through us to others. Remember 1 John 2:23-25. We are born of God in verse 23. Then we walk in love toward others in verse 24. When we do these two things, God has promised that His eternal life will be ours, or will be flowing through us to others.
Vs. 16 "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." Jesus acted unselfishly for us. He demonstrated His love for us with action. We should set aside our selfish desires and demonstrate our love for others also. He laid down His life to give us grace and forgiveness. We offer grace and forgiveness to others.
Vs. 17 "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" The obvious answer is that it doesn't. Our love must be demonstrated in action, or it is not really love. When he asks, "does the love of God abide in him?" he is not asking if he is born of God. But he is questioning whether this Christian is motivated by God's love or his own selfish interests.
Vs. 18 "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth." Love must be demonstrated through action, not just words alone.
Vs. 19 "And by this (loving in deed and truth, not just words) we know that we are of the truth (we have received the Word: we are born of God) and shall assure our hearts before Him." If we walk in love, we are giving an outward demonstration of the love of God which came to us when we were born again. Our heart (the spirit and soul together) is in unison. Our conscience is clear when we walk in love.
Vs. 20 "If our heart condemns us (our conscience will condemn us when we do not walk in love), God is greater than our hearts and knows all things." Even when we fail to walk in love and our conscience condemns us, God has already forgiven us for the sins of our entire lifetime.
Vs. 21 "Beloved, if our heart (or conscience in this instance) does not condemn us, we have confidence before God." As we learn to walk in love, our conscience will not condemn us, and we will have confidence before the Lord because His love will be flowing through us to others. This is similar to 1 John 2:28 and 1 John 4:17.
Vs. 22 "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." On the surface, this verse can appear to say that God is responding to us based on our performance. But the only reason God answers prayer is because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. This verse is talking about our response of faith to His gift of grace. The key word is RECEIVE from Him. When we keep His commandments (Vs. 23 believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another), we are responding in faith to the gift of God's grace through Jesus. We are also allowing that grace to flow to others.
An answer to prayer is receiving part of the grace that He has provided for us.
Vs. 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."
Vs. 24 "Now he who keeps His commandments (both believing on Jesus, or being born again, and loving one another) abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." When we are born again, God comes to live in us, or abide in us, through His Spirit. When we walk in love, we are abiding in Him, or living in love.
Keith Oliver
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