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Tag: 1 John

No one has seen God

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in 1 John, What’s new?.

What does it mean that no one has seen God (1 John 4:12)?

First John 4:12 says, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” The same assertion that no one has ever seen God can be found in other parts of Scripture, such as John 1:18. But what does this statement signify, especially in light of Moses, Gideon, and others who seem to have seen God?

Scripture proclaims that no one has seen God because God is a spiritual being, and our eyes are limited to perceiving only physical, material objects—and even that has limits. God is invisible. Just as we cannot see the wind, we cannot see God.

Furthermore, it’s important to distinguish between what is possible and what is reasonable. While anything can happen within the realm of possibilities, is it reasonable to expect created beings to be able to see the Creator of the universe? When we factor in the existence of the spiritual realm, it becomes clearer why the idea of seeing God with our limited human eyes is impossible.

So, the skeptic asks, how can we ever come to know God if we can’t see Him? In response, we assert that God took the first step to meet us in the person of Jesus. Therefore, if we seek to know God, we should look at Jesus. John 1:18 states, “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (NLT). The writer of Hebrews also affirms this by stating, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe” (Hebrews 1:1–2). Not only did Jesus redeem us from our sins, but He also made God visible (and approachable) to us.

What about passages in the Old Testament that seem to suggest people met God and even wrestled with Him? For example, Exodus 33 says on one hand that Moses couldn’t see God (verse 20) yet also records that “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” (verse 11). The expression “face to face” seems to be more of a figure of speech, emphasizing the intimacy between God and Moses. Or it could be that Moses saw a theophany—a visible manifestation of God. Other possible theophanies in the Old Testament include Jacob’s wrestling match (Genesis 32:22–30), Abraham’s conversation with God near Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:1–33), the appearance of an angel to Samson’s parents (Judges 13:1–23), and the angel who spoke to Gideon (Judges 6).

Therefore, while no one has ever beheld God in His essence, He has manifested Himself numerous times in human form and engaged in conversation with His people. These theophanies in the Old Testament foreshadow the Incarnation, where God the Son assumes human flesh.

After John states that no one has ever seen God, he writes, “But if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us.” The love Christians demonstrate reflects God’s love. We cannot see God, yet when we exercise love, we know that God is dwelling in us. Christian love serves as tangible evidence of God and the gospel.

If we ask anything according to His will

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in 1 John, What’s new?.

What is the significance of “if we ask anything according to His will” (1 John 5:14)?

In 1 John 5:14, we find a powerful statement, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” This verse, part of John’s closing words in his letter, underscores an unwavering confidence in God’s responsiveness to our prayers. However, there’s a catch. God listens to us if we ask anything according to His will. We shouldn’t anticipate answers that contradict His divine plan, and passages such as John 16:24 cannot be used to demand always getting what we want. But what does it truly mean to align our requests with God’s will?

Much has been said about God’s will, the subject matter in 1 John 5:14. For our purpose, we’ll delve into two facets of His will: His moral will and His sovereign will. God’s sovereign will encompasses His comprehensive plan and purpose for everything in life, including pain and suffering. Much of this plan remains veiled to humanity, as Moses affirmed, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

The “things revealed to us” constitute God’s moral will, also called His revealed or preceptive will. His moral will includes the unchanging guidelines of right and wrong. Even the time-bound ceremonial laws bestowed upon Israel served a moral purpose, separating the Israelites from the pagan customs of the surrounding nations. The command to “repent and believe the good news” can also be seen as a part of God’s moral will, as it remains the sole path for sinful humans to be made perfectly righteous (Romans 3:22). While many might argue for a third facet of God’s will, a personal will—a unique blueprint from God for each individual—even this fits within His sovereign will.

We can apply both dimensions of God’s will to 1 John 5:14. Our prayers should align with God’s moral will, as disclosed in Scripture, and we also pray bearing in mind that God’s sovereign will reigns supreme. Aligning with God’s moral will and submitting to His sovereign will, as Jesus exemplified in the Garden of Gethsemane, strengthens the assurance that God hears us. This alignment also purifies our motivation, eliminating selfish desires. The biblical instruction on prayer is that we pray for the good things that we truly need, according to the will of God, in the authority of Jesus Christ (John 14:14), persistently (see Luke 18:1), unselfishly (see James 4:3), and in faith (see James 1:6).

Many individuals grapple with the idea of praying according to the will of God because they struggle with understanding God’s sovereign will, especially in the face of tragedy. It may seem more comforting to believe that God had no control over the pain we endured. However, this perspective is bleak. If God relinquishes control in our dark moments, what hope do we have?

Here are some points to consider:

  • Given the enigmatic nature of God’s sovereign will and our human limitation, it is natural to struggle with comprehending God’s purpose for suffering and evil. Many Bible characters like David, Jeremiah, Job, Solomon (the Preacher), and Habakkuk grappled with the same questions, doubts, and emotional turmoil. If the Holy Spirit included those passages in Scripture, it suggests that God anticipates our emotional reaction and confusion.
  • Although we may not fully grasp God’s purpose behind evil and suffering, we can look at the cross as evidence that God harbors no malicious intentions. Christianity is the only religion with a God, in the Person of Jesus, who suffered on a cross—the ultimate picture of love.
  • If God is the ultimate Source of goodness, then He seeks to create a world where all forms of virtue can be developed in His creation, including compassion, discipline, forgiveness, and sacrifice. These virtues cannot logically exist without the backdrop of suffering and evil, at least at some level. Furthermore, our appreciation for the new earth may be heightened by experiencing the trials of the old one.
  • If God desires to reveal His attributes to His creation, suffering and evil are necessary. For example, we understand God’s holiness because He is distinct from evil. We recognize His justice in the face of injustice. And we cherish His grace due to the reality of sin.
  • God exercises control over suffering and evil, but that doesn’t imply that God compels people to commit evil acts. James affirms that “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone” (James 1:13–14). By analogy, a king can control the actions of rebels in his kingdom by withholding intervention until the opportune moment, yet that does not mean he instigated the rebellion.
  • Love inherently requires free will, and if God desires a loving relationship with us, then it’s reasonable for Him to bestow free will upon us. However, the freedom to choose God also encompasses the freedom to reject Him, which leads to evil.

These points underscore that, if humans can formulate reasons for God allowing evil while remaining in control, then He possesses a more profound understanding than we can fathom. How should we cope with disappointment when God denies something we desperately desire? The psalmist offers insight: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11). And we have the promise that we can have confidence in approaching God: “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).

Greater is He that is in me

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What does it mean that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)?

In writing to his “dear children” in the Lord, the apostle John tells them that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The contrast here is between the Spirit of Christ and the spirit of antichrist; in short, God is greater than Satan.

First John 4 begins with an exhortation for believers to test the spirits of prophets or teachers: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). What a prophet or teacher proclaims reveals whether he is of God or a false prophet of the world. John tells us how to recognize a false prophet: “Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist” (verse 3). Anyone who teaches or proclaims falsehood about Jesus, such as denying His divinity, is a false prophet. These false prophets are actually speaking in the spirit of the antichrist on behalf of “the one who is in the world,” Satan.

The word antichrist means “against Christ.” Satan is the ultimate spirit against Christ. He is the father of lies and is against truth (John 8:44). He is called “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) and “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is “the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:2). Satan uses false prophets to lead people away from Christ by deceiving them with a false view of Jesus. Twisting who Jesus is perverts the gospel. It keeps people in the bondage of sin and in darkness. Yet Satan is not as powerful as God, and John reminds the believers in 1 John 4:4 that greater is He that is in believers than he that is in the world.

The bodies of believers are the temples of the Holy Spirit who dwells within them (1 Corinthians 6:19). John encourages those in whom God lives: “You are from God” (1 John 4:4, ESV). They are not of the world. John reassures them that they have “overcome” those who teach false doctrine and who can rightly be called “antichrists.”

John uses the concept of “overcoming” five other times in 1 John: believers have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:13, 14) and have overcome the world (three times in 1 John 5:4–5). The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now indwells believers in Christ (Romans 8:11). The Holy Spirit is far stronger than Satan or any of his minions, the Spirit’s wisdom is greater than any of Satan’s schemes, and the Spirit’s protection is more than enough to thwart any of Satan’s attacks. Because he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world, we have confidence in God and at the same time put no confidence in the flesh. The power is not ours but the Holy Spirit’s.

By these encouragements believers can have peace and rejoice because Jesus has “overcome the world” (John 16:33). Believers need not fear Satan; rather, they trust in the Lord and obey Him. By the living Spirit of God within them, believers can overcome the lies and temptations of the powers of darkness. Those who are of God can boldly say, “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.”

He first loved us

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What does it mean that we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19)?

John makes the powerful assertion that “we love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19) in a section in which he is writing about how we should be expressing the love of God to others. He says a bit earlier in the letter that, “if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). John explains that we have come to know (experientially) and believe the agape love that God has for us (1 John 4:16), and because of that there is an expectation that we should act on that love. If love originates with God, then the one who is walking with God should be demonstrating love (1 John 4:17).

But what kind of love should we be expressing, and with what kind of love do “we love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19)? His love is completed (or perfected) in us, in that we have confidence in the day of judgment. His love has kept us (by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ) from condemnation—that kind of life-saving love is what He has showed us and is what we are expected to show each other. That kind of love is free from fear, because there is no punishment in our futures (1 John 4:18). His love has given us great confidence, because He has removed our fear.

“We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Love made the first move; our love for God is simply a response to His love for us. We have the capacity to love, now understanding what love really is and how we can express that without fear because He first loved us—because He modeled for us what love looks like. As John said a bit earlier, we have come to know and believe His love (1 John 4:16), so we are neither ignorant nor incapable of showing His kind of love to others. In fact, loving our brother is not only an expectation; it is an imperative.

“We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), and because He first loved us, we can and must love others. If someone claims to love God whom we have not seen but doesn’t love his brother whom we have seen, then John says that person is lying (1 John 4:20). If we aren’t loving our brother, we aren’t loving God. John goes further, reminding his readers of Jesus’ commandment that we love our brother (1 John 4:21). John adds to the logic of love when he asserts that the believer in Jesus is born of God, and anyone who loves the Father should obviously love the child born of the Father (1 John 5:1). It would be nonsensical for a believer, then, not to love his brother in Christ. John explains it from a different angle as well: when we are loving God and observing His commandments, we can know we are loving the brethren (1 John 5:2).

To love God means to obey Him, especially considering that His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). John reminds us that our love should be a sincere love—like the love the Father has for us. We should not love simply with words, but with sincerity in our deeds (1 John 3:18). Loving in truth and sincerity is so important that John lists it as a logical next step after believing in Jesus—“This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us” (1 John 3:23, ESV). But God hasn’t simply told us to do something He wasn’t willing to do first, instead, “we love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

The wicked one

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

Who is the wicked one (1 John 5:19)?

In the apostle John’s first letter, John discusses a number of characters. Of course, he talks about God and about believers—especially referring to them as brethren, little children, children, young men, and fathers. But John also makes repeated mention of the evil one or the wicked one (1 John 5:19).

John explains that the young men he was writing to have overcome the wicked one (1 John 2:13–14). John observes that Cain was “of the evil one” or the wicked one (1 John 3:12). John encourages his readers by explaining that those who are born of God are not touched by the wicked one (1 John 5:18), and he reminds them that this world is “in” the wicked one; that is, the world is in the power of the wicked one or under his control (1 John 5:19). Still, with all these cautions, John doesn’t directly identify the wicked one in his first letter. He writes as if his readers are already familiar with the identity of this wicked one.

In John’s Gospel, John recorded a prayer of Jesus in which He asks the Father to protect His disciples from the evil one, or the wicked one (John 17:15). Matthew also recorded Jesus as explaining that the wicked one snatches away the word of the kingdom (Matthew 13:19) and that those who choke the growth of the sons of the kingdom are the sons of the wicked one (Matthew 13:38). Paul adds that the wicked one attacks believers with flaming arrows (Ephesians 6:16), that the Lord will strengthen and protect His believers from the wicked one (2 Thessalonians 3:3), and that the flaming arrows of the wicked one can be extinguished by the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).

While it may be curious that in these contexts the wicked one is not directly named, it seems clear that this is indeed Satan. Note Paul’s description of believers being rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13). Because of that transfer, believers should be focused not on the things of earth but on the things above where Christ is (Colossians 3:1–4). This world is still part of the domain of darkness, and it is governed by a prince (Ephesians 2:2) who is an enemy of believers. In Paul’s defense of the gospel before King Agrippa, he recounted his conversion, saying that Jesus had sent Paul to Jews and Gentiles “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18). Further, in Revelation 12:11 John again records that “the brethren” overcame the accuser—specifically identified as Satan (Revelation 12:9). This corresponds with 1 John 2:13–14, which says that believers have overcome the wicked one. The one believing in Jesus overcomes the world (1 John 5:4–5), because Jesus has overcome (Revelation 5:5). Based on these contrasts of light and darkness and God’s kingdom and Satan’s dominion; and based on Jesus’ overcoming and His believers’ overcoming of Satan, it is evident that the wicked one is another title for Satan.

Spirit of the antichrist

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Revelation, What’s new?.

What is the spirit of the antichrist?

The phrase spirit of the antichrist is found in 1 John 4:2–3: “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, 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.”

It’s vital to understand the context of John’s statements. A predominant worldview when he wrote this letter suggested that diverse spirits were at work in the world. Many false teachings, mystery religions, spiritual experiences, and variations of Christianity were emerging at the time. The spiritual atmosphere was not unlike the one present in our world today. People entertained countless views regarding truth.

John presented a definitive solution for wading through this variety of beliefs and teachings. He instructed his readers to pay attention and test the spirits: “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” (1 John 4:1).

But how do we test the spirits? How can we discern which teachers are imparting truth? How do we recognize the spirit of the antichrist?

These “spirits” John spoke of were not merely disembodied, supernatural beings. John taught that a prophet or teacher was the actual mouthpiece for a spirit. Spiritual doctrines are promulgated through human spokespersons. Teachers of truth are filled with the Spirit of God and thus are agents who speak for God. Teachers of falsehood are spreading the “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1, NASB).

So, the first test relates to theology or doctrine: “Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1 John 4:2). We can ask, does the content of the person’s teaching acknowledge that Jesus Christ—fully God and fully human—has come in the flesh? If the answer is yes, then we know the Spirit of God inspires that person. If not, his entire teaching ought to be rejected. This particular test was especially apropos in John’s day, as the heresy of Gnosticism was becoming prevalent; Gnosticism taught that Jesus only appeared to have a human body but was not actually a flesh-and-blood person.

Next, John says, “But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist” (1 John 4:3). Anyone who does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Bible presents Him is inspired by the spirit of the antichrist.

The word antichrist means “against Christ.” People who say that Jesus is not from God are controlled by the spirit of the antichrist. Satan opposes Christ, and he desires to deceive people into a false view of who Jesus is. The spirit of the antichrist teaches against Christ. To twist the truth about Jesus Christ is to pervert the gospel. Satan works to spread lies about Christ and keep people in the dark: “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist” (2 John 1:7).

The spirit of the antichrist is the birds that eat the seeds along the path in Jesus’ parable (Mark 4:4, 15). It is “the god of this age” who blinds the minds of unbelievers, keeping them from seeing “the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). The spirit of the antichrist is “the great dragon . . . who leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9).

The Bible teaches that the world will eventually produce a world ruler, called “the beast” in Revelation, who will wield great power and demand worship of himself. He will have “a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies” (Revelation 13:5) and is empowered by Satan (Revelation 13:2). He is called “the man of lawlessness . . . the man doomed to destruction” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. This final Antichrist will be the culmination of the evil workings of Satan throughout the centuries. The Antichrist of the end times will embody all the deception and perversion of truth that the spirit of the antichrist has always promoted. Today, “the secret power of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). The same spirit that will empower the Antichrist of the last days is currently operating in the world to bring confusion and deception to the issue of Jesus Christ’s person and work. “This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world” (1 John 4:3).

Even given the pervasive influence of the spirit of the antichrist, there is no need to fear. As John reminds us, the Spirit of truth indwells all believers and provides protection from the spirit of the antichrist: “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” (1 John 4:4).

We have some practical ways to distinguish the false spirit of the antichrist from the true Spirit of God: “[False prophets] are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 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” (1 John 4:5–6). Those who are influenced by the spirit of the antichrist are of the world. They have the same values as the world; therefore, the world listens to them. Those who acknowledge Christ have His Spirit of truth, and they embrace the apostles’ message. The gospel the apostles preached is never popular in the world, but it is that very gospel that holds the power to save, through God’s Spirit of truth (Romans 1:16).

The believer’s job is to test the spirits carefully (1 John 4:1). We must be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16, ESV). We should not automatically embrace the message of any preacher or teacher simply because of his or her reputation or credentials; rather, we must listen cautiously to their Christology. What they say about Jesus is of utmost importance.