Mon Oct 6 19:48:47 PDT 2003
Bible Study Notes for 1st John 3:19-4:6
v19-20 We know our thoughts and motives, our hearts are often impure. And God, who can see our hearts is great enough to forgive us when our hearts do indeed condemn us.
v21-22 When we are in a right relationship with God and in alignment with his will, we can ask things of Him that are in his will and he will give them to us. John 9:31, 15:7
v23-24 By "name" he doesn’t just mean the word, he means the nature and character of the person, Jesus. Look at Psalm124:8 "Our help is in the name of the Lord".
"We cannot begin the Christian life until we accept Jesus Christ for what he is; and we have not accepted him in any real sense of the term until our attitude to men is the same as his own attitude of love." – William Barclay
In v.24 he once again admonishes us to keep abiding in Christ and keep his commandments. He reminds us we know God loves us and cares for us and shows us this by giving us the Holy Spirit. As a comforter, to guide us, teaching us, and interceding for us.
Chapter 4:1-6
John is addressing a 1st century problem that we aren’t as familiar with here in the 21st century. There were many spiritual manifestations taking place at this time. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 points out that there are signs and wonders that aren’t from God. But there’s some clear guidance that I think we can use to keep our hearts and minds right with God.
In v.1 he tells us to be careful, and not trust every spirit or prophet who comes to them. In v.2 and 3, John tells us how to test who is from God and who is not.
If they confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is important because if Jesus didn’t become a human, then he couldn’t be our example, he couldn’t be our high priest, interceding for us, and understanding our problems (Hebrews 4:14-15), to save us (without his incarnation we have no evidence that our bodies can become the temple of the Holy Spirit), and is our salvation and bridge to God.
In v4-6 John lays out the good news that Christians don’t need to fear heretics. Christ has victory over all the powers of evil. But the problem is that false teachers will neither listen to or accept the truth that Christ offers in his word. They will remain opposed to the truth.