Draw Me Close: Podcast - A Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, with Pastor Bob Lawrenz DRAW ME CLOSE - Whitestone CF

This week we come to the fourth chapter of John's first epistle.  Pastor Bob shares some insight from the writing of the epistles to first couple of chapters in the book of Revelation.  It was written about 6 years after John's epistles. When looking at John's epistles, we can easily see why there was a need for Revelation 2 and 3. The Holy Spirit had been showing John exactly what needed to take place, what needed to be done, and what needed to be written in order to restore true faith to the Christian churches, the churches of Jesus Christ.

John turns from the importance of love to the importance of belief in god's truth in the previous chapters. 


In this epistle here in chapter 4, John commands believers to test the spirits. This is necessary if you’re going to discern between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. You have to know whatever information is coming to you by its source.  Error is not benign; it is malignant. It is not human; it is demonic. Spiritual truth comes from the Holy Spirit and it is life-giving, life-sustaining, life-producing, God-glorifying, or it comes from demons. It is either the doctrine of God or the doctrine of demons. It is either that word which is sent and energized by the Holy Spirit, or it is that which comes from seducing spirits. And teachers are either the true teachers of God or hypocritical liars, espousing the doctrine of demons fostered by seducing spirits. We must know the difference because of the malignancy of error, because of the power of truth. The truth gives life; error kills.

In the second division of this chapter (4:7-21), John is true to his pattern of developing the same subjects, each time broadening, expanding, and expounding their significance.  John returns once again to the moral test of love.  These verses constitute one long unit describing what perfect love is and that it is available to us.  
Since God's nature is love, whoever is born of God loves. John makes the point that in the new birth, this aspect of the divine nature becomes part of who you are. The new birth is the imparting to you of divine life, and an indispensable part of that life is love. God’s nature is love, and in the new birth that nature becomes part of who you are. Love is, and love starts with God. Any love that we have is because we are connected with God by the new birth.  We are born again into His family, as sons and daughters, and we have been given the Holy Spirit's abiding presence in our lives.

In the Book of Revelation, John proved to us that he was an obedient servant in chapter 1:19. When told to “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;” that is what he did, and with precision. He had seen all of Jesus’ Earthly ministry, and the first century of church history. He recorded all of it: the good, the bad, and the ugly. From the blessings of Christian brotherhood to the errors of doctrine that gained a foothold in one church or another, John made sure he wrote of it.


But because of what John had seen during that first century, his First Epistle introduces the need for Revelation 2 & 3. False doctrines, false teachers, and false prophets had quietly snuck into Jesus’ Church, lest any forget Whose Churches these are!Hence the subject matter of the Epistle we are going through now. 

This week we'll finish up 1 John 3, from verses 10-24.  Throughout his letter, John has been giving us tests to see if we’ve been truly changed by Jesus, tests of a true Christian. As we finish chapter three, here’s another one: do you love the brethren? If you don’t love others, there’s a problem.Christians are to be people of love. Love is a gift from God, love is who God is, and love is who we are to be as followers of God.

This message is foundational and fundamental. It’s one of the oldest messages for the followers of God.John focuses on love for one another (1 John 3:11). This passage consists of three main parts. Verses 11 through 15 focus on the love believers should have for one another. Verses 16 through 18 describe loving one another by our actions. Verses 19 through 24 discuss whether our hearts condemn us or not. First John 3:21 notes, "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." When we have confessed our sins and abide (remain) in Christ, we can ask for anything according to His will and receive it (1 John 3:22).The final two verses also offer an important reminder. John again focuses on love for God through Jesus as well as loving one another, offering teaching closely similar to the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:37–40.These verses also highlight the triune nature of God. John mentions God twice in verse 24, the Son Jesus Christ in verse 23, and the Spirit in verse 24. All three persons of the triune Godhead are distinct, yet serve in perfect community as the one true God.

True Christians are to Love One Another because in Christ we have been given the capacity to love. It is the characteristic of God, and therefore because we have been born of His Spirit, and have His abiding presence in our lives, we bear the same characteristics as our Savior. Loving others is evidence of a true believer.

As we begin our study today, starting in 1 John 2:26, John continues to contrast the differences between false and true Christians, false and true teachers, the spirit of antichrists, and the Holy Spirit. For the young believer, some who have not yet been taught much, it is many times difficult for them to sort out the differences.  John wants to make those distinctions clear, to know the truth from lies, true believers from heretics.  As he has already given them several doctrinal and moral tests of a true believer. John then builds up their faith, by defining the Spirit that indwells every believer.

This section also deals with the "purifying hope" of every Christian--the return of Christ. John uses this hope to elaborate on the love and obedience of the believer. The hope of Christ's return has a sanctifying effect on our behavior.

Conviction is for the Holy Spirit to bring through the Word, and teachers are to supply encouragement from the scriptures.

God’s program of “Doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16) never includes humiliation but is uplifting to the goal of a closer walk with Jesus.