We Will Overcome! 1 John 4:1-12

There were some people coming up with some pretty ridiculous ideas about Christianity back in the first century. John was responding to these men who were saying they knew God in a special way through the spirit. This led them to believe that the person Jesus was not really God, which means Jesus didn't really die for the sins of mankind.

This is basically the same problem with every cult that arises even today. They will always downplay the significance of Jesus Christ. John calls these types the antichrists, meaning they're against Christ. This is how we can test what these groups say has been revealed to them: do they point toward Jesus Christ (fully God and fully man) as the one who died for the sins of man? If so, then that spirit is of God. If not, count it as evil and shun it. Let us hold fast to the truth of the gospel, not being swayed by new "truths" that downplay the significance of the cross.

1 John 4:1-12
1Dear 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. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but 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.

4You, 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. 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We 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[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Questions
1. What do you like in this passage?
2. What is difficult about this passage?
3. What did you learn about God?
4. What is He leading you to do?
5. What part will you take with you and think about today?

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