Scripture: 1 John 2: 18-21

Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. ¹⁹ These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

²⁰ But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit,^[e] and all of you know the truth. ²¹ So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.

Scripture Commentary:

John is talking about the last days: the time between Christ’s first and second coming. The first-century readers of first John lived in the last days and so do we. The antichrists of John’s day are also here today. They are the false teachers who pretend to be Christians and lure weak members away from Christ.

We do not need to fear these evil people. The Holy Spirit shows us their errors so we won’t be deceived. Remember, these false teachers are not total strangers to the church. They once had been in the church but they did not really belong to it. These people may go to church for social and business contacts or because it’s a long standing habit. But they have never stopped to ask themselves why they do it.

What is your main reason for being a Christian?

Unless it is a Christ-centered reason, you may not really belong.

Become personally acquainted with Jesus Christ. Ask Him to come into your life. Be truthful with Him.

He loved you before you knew Him. He has always loved you.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

1 John Chapter 2

Read Other Commentary from 1 John:

Take My Yoke Upon You

Scripture: 1 John 1: 8-10

If we say that we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. ⁹ But if we confess our sins to him,^[a] he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.* ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we are lying and calling God a liar, for he says we have sinned.

Scripture Commentary: Mirror, mirror on the wall, am I a sinner after all?

We all go through life telling ourselves that we are living a godly life. But honestly, we are only fooling ourselves by refusing to accept the truth.

Don’t lie to yourself. Because you are made in the image of God, lying to yourself is to lie to God. But you may reason and say you weren’t that bad or you didn’t lust after anyone so you didn’t sin.

Confession brings you closer to Jesus.

If you confess your sins, it will free you from your burden and bring you closer to Jesus Christ. True confession is a commitment not to continue in sin.

Each of us is to pray for strength to defeat temptation the next time it enters our lives because we are weak and we need His strength to pull us through.

Jesus did not die for His sins.

Jesus had no sin. He died for your sins and for mine. When you commit your life to Christ and identify yourself with Him, His death becomes yours.

Now look in the mirror and say, “Lord, I am a sinner. Forgive me!”

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

1 John Chapter 1

Read Other Commentary from 1 John:

Know God’s Word So No Man Can Deceive You

Love Is of God; Let Us Love One Another

Scripture: 1 John 1: 4-8

⁴ And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. ⁵ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Scripture Commentary:

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the light to our lives if we let Him dwell in us. If we walk in darkness and do not let God in, we then are living in Satan’s darkness.

If we let our lives – our sinful way of living – into the light of Jesus, we can see who we have become. In doing this, we can let God in and He can forgive and heal us and save us from our sinful ways. His compassion for us lets us enjoy and fellowship with Him.

God wants to fellowship with us.

This is why He sent His Son to die for our sins. When we come to Christ, He forgives all the sins we have committed or will ever commit. We don’t need to confess the sins of the past all over again. We don’t need to fear that God will reject us if we don’t keep our slate perfectly clean.

No one is perfect. All are weak. But we are to try. Our relationship with Christ is secure. We are to pray for His strength to defeat temptation the next time we face it.

We can’t love God and court sin at the same time!

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

1 John Chapter 1

Read Other Commentary from the First Epistle of John:

Love Comes From God Because God Is Love

God Is Light, in Him Is No Darkness

Scripture: 1 John 4: 4-8

 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.   They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.   We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Scripture Commentary: We, who are from God, should love everyone.

How can you say that you hate someone and still consider yourself to be from God?  If we are God’s children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior, we are to love everyone.

If you truly follow Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in you.  And if the Holy Spirit is in you, you will love everyone, even your enemy.  When you choose to love even those who do you wrong, God reveals himself to others through you.

God is love.

John tells us that “God is love,” not that “Love is God.”  Our world, with its shallow and selfish view of love, has turned these words around and has contaminated our understanding of love.

Real love is God, for He gave His only begotten son in order to show us His love for each and every one of us.

How can you say you love God and dislike someone?  If you truly know God, you will love as He loves!

Read the Entire Chapter:
1 John Chapter 4

Scripture: 1 John 4: 4-8

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 

Scripture Commentary: Love is of God

Is there a person in your life whom you hate; someone who has done wrong by you either in actions or words? Do you consider yourself a child of God? If you answer yes to both, then think about this scripture.  We are of God, and love is of God.

To be a child of God means to love as he loves.

God’s love knows no bounds. Walking in God’s image means you cannot hate another person and call yourself a child of God. If Jesus Christ is your savior, you are to love everyone.

If you truly follow Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in you. With the Holy Spirit in you, you will love everyone, including your enemies. God reveals himself to others through our acts of love.

John tells you that “God is love” not “Love is God.”

The world has shallow and selfish views of love; it has turned these words around and contaminated the understanding of love.

Real love is God, for he gave his only begotten son to us and for you, to show you his love for you. How can you say you love God and dislike someone? If you truly know God, you will love as he loves.

Read the Entire Chapter:
1 John Chapter 4

Scripture: 1 John 4: 1-3

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. 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. 

Scripture Commentary: Do not  believe every spirit as all is not from God. Be discerning.

“Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits…” This excerpt warns us against believing everything we hear. Just because someone tells you their message is inspired by God does not mean you should trust them.

There are many impersonators, pretending to be people of God. Question them, question their words, and find the truth. Christians should have faith, but they shouldn’t be gullible. If a message is truly from God, it will be consistent with Christ’s teachings.

We live in a world that increasingly embraces evil because it knows no better.

The antichrist epitomizes all evil, and the increasingly evil world we live in will receive him well. The wickedness around us is frightening, and the problems we face seem insurmountable.

Evil’s strength is greater than ours, but not greater than God’s. God conquers all evil.

His love for us is stronger than the work of evil.

Read the entire chapter:
1 John Chapter 4

Scripture: 1 John 3: 7-9

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Scripture Commentary: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin.”  Let no man deceive you in this!

There is a difference between committing a sin and continuing to sin. The most faithful believers commit sins. What distinguishes them from sinners is their response to sin. Believers repent, confess, and ask forgiveness from God. They acknowledge that they have sinned, that they have done something wrong, and they strive to better themselves by not committing the action again.

Sinners are deceived for they do not recognize their error.  They believe they are doing nothing wrong. . This is when the Christian community is valuable. We should help each other to stay on God’s path. Do not reject someone for stumbling in their error.  Be a help to guide them to the walk of righteousness.

We all have areas in our lives where temptation is strong and habits are hard to conquer. Weaknesses give the devil an opening to interrupt our walk with God. We must deal with our areas of vulnerability.

Seek the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to gain victory over prevailing sin. Stay away from tempting situations. Let Jesus Christ take you through trying times, and put yourself in God’s hands and believe in him.

Read the Entire Chapter:
1 John Chapter 3
1 John Chapter 1

 

Scripture: 1 John 1: 5,7

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.(5) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.(7)

Scripture Commentary: God is light that brings us out of darkness

Light represents what is good and pure. God is light because he is perfect, holy, and true. Darkness represents sin and evil. God alone can guide us through darkness and out of sin.

Truth is like light. Sometimes the truth is good, and sometimes it is bad. Similarly, light exposes both what is pretty and ugly. In the light, good and evil are easily distinguishable. The dark is deceiving because good and evil look alike.

The light exposes the darkness in our soul

Darkness cannot exist in the presence of light, and sin cannot exist in the presence of God. If we want to have a relationship with God, we must put aside our sinful ways of living. If we claim to walk with Jesus, but then set out on our own paths, we are hypocrites. Christ will expose and judge such deceit.

Walk in God’s light … do not be blinded by darkness

The soul has your record. The soul is God’s gift to  you. You cannot be a christian and still live in evil and immorality. We have a choice of living in sin or living in our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Lamb of God who died for our sins. You can either walk in the light and recognize the truth, or be blind in the darkness.

Read the Entire Chapter:
1 John Chapter 1