God Speaks
Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is. For there are many false teachers around, 2 and the way to find out if their message is from the Holy Spirit is to ask: Does it really agree that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, actually became man with a human body? If so, then the message is from God. 3 If not, the message is not from God but from one who is against Christ, like the “Antichrist” you have heard about who is going to come, and his attitude of enmity against Christ is already abroad in the world.
4 Dear young friends, you belong to God and have already won your fight with those who are against Christ because there is someone in your hearts who is stronger than any evil teacher in this wicked world. 5 These men belong to this world, so, quite naturally, they are concerned about worldly affairs and the world pays attention to them. 6 But we are children of God; that is why only those who have walked and talked with God will listen to us. Others won’t. That is another way to know whether a message is really from God; for if it is, the world won’t listen to it.
7 Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God, and that they are getting to know him better. 8 But if a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God—for God is love.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into this wicked world to bring to us eternal life through his death. 10 In this act we see what real love is: it is not our love for God but his love for us when he sent his Son to satisfy God’s anger against our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us as much as that, we surely ought to love each other too. 12 For though we have never yet seen God, when we love each other God lives in us, and his love within us grows ever stronger. 13 And he has put his own Holy Spirit into our hearts as a proof to us that we are living with him and he with us. 14 And furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now tell all the world that God sent his Son to be their Savior. 15 Anyone who believes and says that Jesus is the Son of God has God living in him, and he is living with God.
16 We know how much God loves us because we have felt his love and because we believe him when he tells us that he loves us dearly. God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him. 17 And as we live with Christ, our love grows more perfect and complete; so we will not be ashamed and embarrassed at the day of judgment, but can face him with confidence and joy because he loves us and we love him too.
18 We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; his perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what he might do to us. If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do to us and shows that we are not fully convinced that he really loves us. 19 So you see, our love for him comes as a result of his loving us first.
20 If anyone says “I love God,” but keeps on hating his brother, he is a liar; for if he doesn’t love his brother who is right there in front of him, how can he love God whom he has never seen? 21 And God himself has said that one must love not only God but his brother too.
Source: The Living Bible: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: In this chapter, the Apostle John addresses some basic questions. What is the truth? Where does it come from? Who decides what is true? How can an ordinary person determine what is true? How can we know a message is from God? What is love? Where does it come from? What does it look like? Who is the best example of true love? John answers these questions. Truth is what God says it is because He created and is sovereign over everything. It comes from Him. He is the one who decides what is true. Knowing this foundational truth requires us to ask whether any statement, action, or ideology lines up with the statement that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, actually became a man with a human body? Any person or teaching that does not accept this is against or anti-Christ. They may seem good on the surface or for a time, but they will have no positive, everlasting results. Those who have the Holy Spirit working in them will recognize His voice, know if a message is true to His character and being, and will respond to His message and messengers. Those who don’t won’t. They will reject it instead. God-like love is giving to another for their benefit even at the cost of our own (See John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
Prayer: Dear great God of truth and love, thank You that ultimately all truth and love can be traced back to You. Please help me not to be gullible and naive, accepting everything a supposed “authority” says is true, be they human or spirit. Help me to turn to Your word and Your Holy Spirit for clarification or confirmation. Help me to be diligent in asking, “Does this statement, action or ideology line up with the statement that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, actually became a man with a human body? Does it line up with the ten commandments? Does it promote love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Is it for or against godly living? Is it true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, and/or kind?” Help me to seek after the truth. Thank You that the Holy Spirit who lives in me is stronger that any evil person or teaching. Please use me to spread the truth to others as well. Teach me how to truly love people, like Jesus did, not just think or say that I do. This will prove that I truly know and belong to You. You, Lord God, are love. Your Son voluntarily came into this wicked world to bring us eternal life through His death. That’s real love. It doesn’t begin with human beings. It comes from You, Lord God. Because You loved me in this way, I can and should love others as well. Thank You for putting Your Holy Spirit in me so that I can live in You and know that You live in me. Thank You that I no longer have to cringe in fear of You, but now, I can come to You with confidence knowing that You love me, and I love You. Help me to love others by telling them that Jesus, through all that He is and did, loves them, too. By not telling them, I’m really hating them–I definitely don’t want to do that. May the story of Jesus’s love be so purveyed in this world that millions come to know, love, and be with You forever. AMEN
Action: (Ask the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will pray that God’s truth will be revealed in every area of influence in this country. [Areas of influence: religion, business, government, education, families and sports, entertainment, and the arts.]
- I will search out the truth in the area of influence with which I have the most contact.
- I will quit hating someone and instead seek to love them to Jesus.
- I will spend time with Jesus telling and showing Him how much I love Him and thanking Him for loving me.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.