1 John 4:1–6

Read the passage.

In the context of loving fellow believers and abiding in Christ Jesus, John takes a hard left turn and gives instructions about discernment. These topics seem unrelated, but remember that John had already established that our love for each other is evidence that the truth is within us. We can use that truth to compare all of the claims we hear in the world to see if they stand up to the light. (“Spirits” in this context are not necessarily external beings like angels are demons, but describe the attitudes and motivations that people have when they speak. Think of the phrases “having a spirit of fear” or “spirit of conviction” and how they correlate to “spirit of the antichrist”. (v. 3)) The best way to spot a counterfeit is to have studied the real thing so well that you can tell when there’s any deviation from it.

The truth that the Bible teaches is that Jesus was fully God and fully man at the same time. (For a fancy theological term, this is called the “hypostatic union”.) In John’s time, there was a movement that taught that Jesus wasn’t really human, for how could God lower Himself to our level? But the gospels report that Jesus got hungry, thirsty, and tired. He felt pain, He bled, and He died.

In our day, it is more common to hear that Jesus wasn’t really God, but merely a man who taught good things. Or maybe he was a spiritual being subordinate to the Creator. But Jesus claimed the covenant name of Yahweh as His own, accepted the worship of the apostles after His resurrection, and was seen by John on the heavenly throne in the very epicenter of worship. No false claim about Jesus can withstand His authority and power, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit&emdash;who is God, too; don’t forget&emdash;we can know the truth.

You have revealed mysteries to Your people because to know You is to love and worship You.