February 16, 2023 | Be On Mission
Test The Spirits & Love One Another
Scripture: 1 John 4 (NIV)
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Devotional
Love.
That single word speaks volumes about God and His people. When John wrote his gospel he said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
In 1 John 3:1 he wrote, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” Here is the inescapable truth – God loves you!
Yesterday we saw that John used the word sin about fifteen times in this epistle. But did you know that, in this same little letter, he used the word love twenty five times? In fact, these two themes come together in 1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Love conquers sin!
Go back and read today’s passage again, focusing on the verses that talk about love. If you have time, read chapters 2-4 of this letter for many of the occurrences of the word love in 1 John. As you find the verses, answer some questions:
What does this teach us about God?
What does this teach us about Christians?
What is God saying to me?
Poem
Spirits
1 John 4:1-3
There are goblins and ghosts
Witches, warlocks and hosts
Of all sorts of mists, mythic and true
Which come out to play
Innocents to array
In the darkness a-ready to “Boo!”
The truth now is this
They are not just a myth
Or a mystical play to delight in
For the spirits will haunt
Their great evil to flaunt
Souls wide open will they capture by sin
So, first advice this
Do not play with these wisps
Or invite them to join in your party
Stay away from their games
Do not invoke their names
They wreak havoc for which you’ll be sorry
Rather, heed now you this
Evil spirits resist
And instead test the spirits aright
Ask them not of the future
(For they love The Accuser)
But inquire what they say about Christ
God’s pure Spirit will claim
Jesus Christ by full name
Who was sent by our Father in heaven
There won’t be any doubt
From this life-giving fount
Who proclaims Christ and aces each question
For you see the true Spirit
Will lead you to inherit
Salvation’s full treasure and life
This Paraclete wonder
Your soul will not plunder
But instead put all chaos aright
