(Chapter 2:29–4:6)
(Chap. 2:29)
This verse begins a new paragraph which extends into chapter 3. It would have been better if those who have set the divisions of the chapters and verses in our Bibles had placed it in the third chapter; it belongs to the subject developed there.
Various Moral Attributes of the Divine Nature
At this point, John resumes his proofs and counter-proofs regarding those who are the children of God and those who are not. The next thing that he holds up are the moral features in the divine nature. Hence, being “born of God,” which is the means by which we receive divine life, is fittingly alluded to several times in the latter part of the epistle (chaps. 2:29; 3:9 twice; 5:1, 4, 18 twice). The characteristic features of the divine nature were manifested perfectly in Christ when He was here and can be seen in the children of God now, though sometimes obscured in us.
J. N. Darby states that there are three such proofs of a person’s possession of divine life in this passage (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, pp. 508-515). These are:
The Proof of Practising Righteousness
(Chaps. 2:29–3:10)
The first proof of divine life that John touches on is righteousness. He says: “If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth [practices] righteousness is born of Him.” Righteousness is “doing what is right.” Unrighteousness is “doing what is not right.” It is beyond question that God is absolutely righteous. Nevertheless, John states this obvious fact and uses it as the test of a person’s profession. His point here is that since God is righteous, all who have His life will also be righteous, because they are “born of Him.” Hence, the children of God will manifest themselves as such by their practice of righteousness, for the moral characteristics of the Father will be seen in them. This, then, can be used as a benchmark to test every person who professes to be a child of God. Simply put, a child of God will practice righteousness and one who is not a true child of God will not.
John uses the word “practice” repeatedly in these verses in connection with righteousness (doing what is right) and lawlessness (doing our own will in independence of God). He is speaking of the over-all tenor of a person’s life—something that is habitual and characteristic of him—not what he may do that is out of character. Thus, the children of God, though not perfect in their ways, practice righteousness characteristically. It is the same with those who are unbelievers; their life is characterized by practicing lawlessness. They may do something, now and then, that seems to be righteous, but what characterizes them is the pursuit of the things of the world; it is the habit of their life.
Loved of the Father
(Chap. 3:1)
John digresses slightly to explain where the children of God get the moral power to practice righteousness—it is produced through contemplation of the Father’s love. Hence, he says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons [children] of God.” (The KJV says “sons,” but it should be translated “children.” Sonship, which is Paul’s distinctive line of truth, is not the subject here.)
In John 3:16, John dwells on the measure of God’s love to the lost; here in 1 John 3:1, he dwells on the manner of the Father’s love to His children. We are the objects of His love! He wants us to not only know this wonderful fact, but to live in the enjoyment of it. Living in the conscious sense that we are loved perfectly and eternally by the Father is a strong motivation for practicing righteousness. In fact, He loves us just as much as He loves His own Son! (John 17:23).
So dear, so very dear to God,
More dear I cannot be;
The love wherewith He loves the Son,
Such is His love to me!
L. F. #27 App.
Having this connection with the Father and the Son through the possession of life eternal, disconnects us morally from the world—for the two are diametrically opposed to one another (chap. 2:15-16). The world did not know Christ when He was here (John 1:10); so blinded were they that they thought He had a demon! (John 8:48) And, the world does not know the children of God either. John emphasizes this, stating: “Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” This means that we cannot expect the people of this world to understand our inner springs and motives for living for Christ and practicing righteousness. To be guided and controlled by the unseen heavenly realities which have captured our hearts’ affections is a complete mystery to the man of the world. All such realities are hidden from him, for the springs of our life are “hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).
(Vs. 2)
John adds, “Beloved, now are we the sons [children] of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” Thus, our relationship with God as His “children” is not something that we are waiting for—we are that “now.” Physically we don’t look any different from the people of this world because we are still in our bodies of “humiliation” which show the signs of aging, sickness, pain, sorrow, etc., as do all in the human race (Phil. 3:21). But when Christ appears out of heaven to judge this world in righteousness (Psa. 97:13; Acts 17:31), we will come with Him (Zech. 14:5; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; Jude 14; Rev. 19:14), and will be manifested “like Him” in glory (Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:4; 2 Thess. 1:10). The world will know then that we are the children of God and that we are loved of the Father! (John 17:23)
John says that our assurance of this reality is in the fact that “we shall see Him as He is.” This will occur at the Rapture, some seven years before the Appearing of Christ. Note: he doesn’t say that we are going to see Him as He was, but as He is. Thus, we will see Him as a glorified Man, and at that very moment, we will be transformed instantly into His likeness in glory! The Apostle Paul said, “As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Cor. 15:49). This wonderful transformation will take place “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16). What a moment that will be!
(Vs. 3)
John goes on to speak of the practical effect that this hope (of seeing Christ as He is) has on the children of God. He says, “And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” Thus, knowing that we are shortly going to be made like Christ (morally and physically) produces an exercise in us to be morally like Him now while we wait for Him to come. Every true believer who has this hope before him “purifies himself” by removing things from his life that are inconsistent with the holiness of God (2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Peter 1:15-16). The standard at which we aim in this practical purification of our lives is Christ’s own purity—“even as He is pure.” He “knew no sin” (2 Cor. 5:21), He “did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22), and “in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Note: John doesn’t say that we purify ourselves as Christ purified Himself, because Christ never needed purification—He is pure and could not be purer! Hence, this hope, if held rightly, has a sanctifying effect on the believer.
Righteousness and Lawlessness
(Vs. 4)
While the true child of God will be known by “perfecting holiness” in his life as he waits for the Lord to come, one who merely professes to be a child of God will have no concern for such a thing. It will be evident in his life. This was the case with the Gnostic teachers. They made great pretention to having higher spiritual knowledge but were quite careless in personal holiness. John, therefore, proceeds to define the true nature of sin, and in doing so, he exposes these charlatans. He says, “Every one that practices sin practices also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” In stating this, John is not speaking of a failing believer committing a sin, but of a person who “practices” sin as a characteristic thing in his life. His over-all character proves that he is not a real child of God at all, even though he may profess to be one.
The KJV incorrectly renders this verse: “Sin is the transgression of the Law.” If this were true, then we would have to say that there was no sin in the world until God gave Moses the Law! This couldn’t be true; it contradicts Romans 5:12-14, which states that sin was in the world before the Law. The J. N Darby Translation footnote says, “To translate this ‘sin is the transgression of the Law,’ as in the A. V. [Authorized Version — the KJV] is wrong, and gives a false definition of sin, for sin was in the world, and death as a consequence, before the giving of the Law.” It should be rendered: “Sin is lawlessness.” Lawlessness is doing our own will in independence of God. It is the exercise of self-will.
(Vs. 5)
John adds the happy antidote that even though we have sinned and have come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), Christ was “manifested to take away our sins,” and to bring us into a relationship with God. He came to settle the question of sin for the glory of God and for the blessing of mankind. His work of atonement on the cross has put away sin before God judicially (Heb. 9:26), and in a coming day, He is going to take away every effect of sin from this world literally and bring in an eternal state of sinlessness (John 1:29; Rev. 21:1-8). In the meanwhile, He is taking away the guilt of sin from those who believe by saving their souls and purging their consciences (Heb. 9:14). In speaking of Christ as the great Sin-bearer, John is careful to distinguish Him from all other men, stating: “And in Him is no sin.” This means that He didn’t have a fallen sin-nature as other men do; His nature was (and is) holy (Luke 1:35).
(Vs. 6)
Having had our sins taken away when we received Christ as our Saviour, John gives God’s simple way by which we are kept from sinning thereafter. He says, “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.” Abiding in Christ is to live in constant communion with Him (John 15:4). We will not sin when we are in the Lord’s presence in communion with Him. In keeping with his style, he speaks in absolutes—stating the normal state of the children of God. (Sad to say, it’s when we get out of communion with Him that we sin.) On the other hand, “Whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.” John speaks here of a person who lives in a continual state of lawlessness, which is the normal state of unbelievers. He says that such a person really doesn’t know the Lord at all. Note: John does not say, “Whosoever committeth a sin...” because he is not speaking of individual acts of sin, but of the over-all tenor of a person’s life.
The Two Natures Contrasted
(Vss. 7-10)
On account of the presence of sin and sinful men in this world, John goes on to exhort the children of God to be on their guard against the deceptions of false teachers who were looking for opportunities to slip in among the saints and “lead” them “astray.” To help them identify these false workers, John gives a short dissertation on the basic characteristics of the two natures—the old nature inherited in natural birth through our parents (Psa. 51:5) and the new nature imparted by God in new birth (John 3:3-8). He does not view these two natures in one person (i.e. a believer), but abstractly—by what characterizes believers and unbelievers.
He gives us a simple test by which all pretention to having the divine nature can be tried. He says, “He that doeth [practices] righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that committeth [practices] sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning” (vss. 7-8). Thus, those who are real can be distinguished from those who are false by looking at the general practice of their lives, for a man’s “practice” will indicate his character. The real will practice righteousness and the false professor will practice sin (lawlessness); by this their true character will be manifested. This shows that the possession of the new nature is not proved by the profession a man makes, but by the way he acts as a matter of practice. Hence, we mustn’t be naïve and be deceived by an off-handed comment that a person might make that sounds like he has faith in Christ. His real identity will be known by the character of his life.
If a person characteristically practices sin, it is clear that he is “of the devil.” The devil is characterized by lawless rebellion against God and has practiced sin “from the beginning.” The beginning that John is speaking of here couldn’t be Satan’s beginning as a creature. If that were the case, then God could be charged with creating an evil creature, which is not true. God did not create Satan as the devil; he became that through rebellion. John is referring to the beginning (the origin) of sin in the moral universe, which began with Satan’s revolt against God (Ezek. 28:11-19). Some think that sin had its beginning in Adam’s fall (Gen. 3) because Romans 5:12 says, “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.” However, that verse is not referring to sin and death entering the primeval creation, but to sin and death entering the human race (the Adamic world). It is a mistake to think that sin did not exist until Adam fell. Satan and his angels fell before Adam fell and are clearly the first sinners. That Satan was a sinner before Adam can be seen in the fact that he was working sinfully in the garden of Eden, lying and deceiving the woman before she and her husband had sinned. In Romans 5:12, Paul traces sin’s entrance into the human race, whereas John takes us all the way back to the origin of sin.
(Vs. 8b)
He adds, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy [undo] the works of the devil” (vs. 8b). The devil has worked in the hearts of men through the old sin-nature, filling men with unbelief and lawlessness. The Lord has come to “undo” those evil works in the hearts of men by giving life eternal to those who believe on Him (John 10:10).
(Vs. 9)
Those who believe can live a sinless life above the evil influence of the devil, because “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit [practice] sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (vs. 9). Many sincere believers have been troubled by this verse. They have not understood John’s abstract style of writing and have concluded that they must not be born again, as they thought they were, because they have sinned after they received Christ. However, this verse does not mean that a believer cannot sin. John’s word in chapter 2:1 would be pointless if that were the case. He indicates there that a believer can sin if he is not careful. John’s point here is that the new nature in a believer, received in new birth, cannot sin. This means that if we live after the appetites and desires of our new nature, we will not sin. Thus, he views the believer as wholly identified with the new nature.
(Vs. 10)
John then sums up the basic characteristics of the two natures. He says, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth [practices] not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” From a moral and spiritual perspective, John traces two seeds among men: those who are “children of God” (John 1:12-13) and those who are “children of the devil” (Matt. 13:25; John 8:44; Acts 13:10). These are two distinct families, each having a character that bears a moral resemblance to their father. One is “of” God, and the other is “of” the devil. Having stated in verse 7 that a person who habitually practices righteousness shows clearly that he is righteous, John concludes with the converse here in verse 10. A person who habitually “does not practice righteousness” manifests that he is not of God. Morally, he has the same nature as the devil, and in that sense, is a child of the devil. Many such persons may not live outrageously wicked lives, but they do not “practice righteousness,” nor do they have divine “love” in them.
The Proof of Love
(Chap. 3:11-23)
Having mentioned “love” in verse 10, John expands on this essential characteristic of the divine nature in this next series of verses. It is the second great proof that a person possesses divine life. He says: “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”
Love For the Brethren
The old commandment, which in a sense is new (chap. 2:7-8), which is to “love one another,” is revisited as evidence of divine life. As was the case with practical righteousness, love was perfectly manifested in the life of the Lord Jesus. Cain is brought forward as the antithesis of these two things. He manifested lawlessness and hatred—the two opposite characteristics of righteousness and love. He killed his brother because his brother’s sacrifice was accepted by God and his was not. God’s approval of Abel stirred up jealous hatred in Cain’s heart which led him to murder him. This shows what unchecked hatred can lead to.
(Vs. 13)
John then reminds us that in manifesting these two characteristics of the divine nature—which we will do if we truly are children of God—we will have the world’s hatred vented upon us. He says: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” This should be of no surprise to any child of God; the Lord forewarned the disciples of it (John 15:18–16:4). The evil principles that were first manifested in Cain have marked the course of the world ever since.
(Vs. 14)
In the presence of the world’s hatred, we know that we have “passed from death unto life” (John 5:24) because we love the brethren. The activity of divine love is the practical proof of divine life. On the other hand, if a person who professes to be a child of God does not love his fellow brethren, he proves that he is not a child of God at all—in actuality, he “abides in (moral) death.”
(Vss. 15-16)
John then contrasts the extreme example of hatred with the greatest example of love. He says: “Every one that hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath life eternal abiding in him. Herein we know love, because He laid down His life for us; and we ought for the brethren to lay down our lives” (W. Kelly Translation). Hatred leads to murder, but love leads to self-sacrifice for the good of others. Christ’s sacrifice is the perfect example of the latter—“He laid down His life for us” (John 10:11). Both acts of extreme hatred and of extreme love led to death! But it was for entirely different reasons—one was on account of violence and the other was pure submission. John says that this same expression of love should be seen in the children of God because they have that same divine life. If we are real believers, our love will express itself in activity. We will “by love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13) and will “lay down our lives” in service for our brethren. Practical love is a genuine proof that we are real.
(Vs. 17)
In contrast, he says: “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” Someone who professes to have divine life but does not manifest love and compassion toward his brother—if it is the habitual practice of his life—proves that he is not a real child of God.
(Vs. 18)
Knowing the deceptiveness of the human heart (Jer. 17:9), John cautions us about having mere superficial expressions of love. (Compare James 2:15-16.) He says: “Children, let us not love with word, nor with tongue, but in deed and in truth.” The Apostles Paul and Peter exhort the saints to this end as well (Rom. 12:9; 1 Peter 1:22). This shows that God wants reality in His people.
Confidence in Prayer
(Vss. 19-22)
John adds: “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence [boldness] toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of [from] Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” Speaking strictly of believers here, he shows that by having genuine love for our brethren, we have a personal confirmation in our souls that we are “of the truth.” And since this is so, we have confidence in the presence of God to make bold requests in prayer. The assurance that John speaks of here is not the assurance of our soul’s eternal salvation, but the assurance of having our prayer requests granted.
He adds an important condition that mustn’t be overlooked—“if our heart condemn us not.” This shows that when approaching God in prayer, we need to have a good conscience. This is achieved by judging ourselves and confessing our sins (1 Cor. 11:31; 1 John 1:9). If we have something on our conscience that we haven’t confessed, our heart will condemn us, and we will not have this confidence. Assuming that we have judged ourselves, which is the normal Christian state, we are assured that we will “receive of Him” all that we ask for. This is the result of walking in fellowship with Him as a habitual thing. Our hearts’ desires are formed by His blessed influence and the enjoyment of the things which He enjoys (Psa. 36:8), and thus, our requests are only for those things that work toward the accomplishment of those divine desires. Living in His presence, He lays on our hearts the things that He is about to do, and we ask for those things, and they are granted. We receive “whatsoever we ask” because we ask according to the will of God (chap. 5:14-15). Our confidence in His presence is a result of our obedience—we “keep His commandments” and “do the things that are pleasing in His sight.” Christ, as a dependent Man on earth, is a living example of this. He always did those things which pleased His Father (John 8:29), and He always prayed in concert with the will of God, and He was “heard because of His piety” (Heb. 5:7).
(Vs. 23)
John has spoken of the Lord’s commandments (plural), now he speaks of God’s “commandment” (singular). It is to “believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He (Christ) gave us commandment.” We see here two essential elements of the new nature—faith and love. These things will be seen in every believer, though sometimes only faintly. One who is not a real child of God will not manifest these things.
The Proof of Having the Indwelling Holy Spirit
(Chaps. 3:24–4:6)
As a third proof of one possessing the divine nature, John goes on to speak of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer by which God Himself dwells in us. He says: “He that keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He is in him. And hereby we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given to us.” There are two abidings here:
• Our abiding in Him—This is a practical thing, having to do with holding intimate communion with Him. As John indicates here, this is the result of personal obedience—the keeping of His commandments (John 14:21, 23; 15:4).
• His abiding in us—This is a permanent thing resulting from our having the divine nature (John 14:20).
Both aspects of abiding are a result of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. This, then, is another proof by which all pretention to being a child of God can be tested. A person who is not a real child of God will not have the indwelling presence of the Spirit. Consequently, he will not abide in communion with the Lord, nor will he have God’s abiding presence in him. This will be evident in his actions.
False Teachers
(Chap. 4:1)
Having introduced the subject of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the children of God in chapter 3:24, John hastens to caution us in this 4th chapter about the many false spirits that are abroad in the world who are attempting to imitate the Spirit of God. He says: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” His point here is that since it is “the last hour” and many antichrists are at work (chap. 2:18), we need to be careful who we listen to. We are not to “believe every spirit.” This means that we mustn’t be naïve and think that just because a man speaks from the Bible that he is necessarily speaking the truth. It is one thing to speak from the Scriptures and another thing to speak according to the Scriptures. Satan is never more satanic in his activity than when he uses the Scriptures to deceive people. He is well able to quote from the Word of God and to wrongly apply it to achieve his end in leading people astray (Matt. 4:6). The Apostle Paul warned: “No marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:13-15).
With this in mind, John exhorts us to “try the spirits.” He does not use the word “spirits” to denote the teachers’ attitude or demeanor (Dan. 5:12; 6:3), but rather, to indicate that behind every teacher is an actual spirit—either the Spirit of God (Acts 2:4) or an evil spirit (2 Chron. 18:21). Paul foretold that in “the latter times” there would be “seducing spirits” in the house of God who would introduce doctrinal error, and that false teachers would imbibe and propagate these erroneous doctrines and lead many astray (1 Tim. 4:1). These teachers often have a pleasant exterior with which people get enamored and are thereby deceived (Rom. 16:18). They may look like sheep, but they are really “wolves” in “sheep’s clothing.” The Lord forewarned us of these evil workers (Matt. 7:15). Thus, it is not only their manner that we are to test (which John has done in his previous proofs and counter-proofs), but also their message. This is especially so when it comes to “the doctrine of Christ” (2 John 9), for this is where the evil spirits that animate these false prophets expose themselves. The moment they open their mouths and teach on the subject of the Person of Christ, they betray their true character.
Three Tests for Detecting False Teachers
John goes on to give three tests by which every teacher can be checked. These tests will manifest those who are true, and will also expose those who are false, for a man’s doctrine will reveal what spirit is energizing him. Note: this is not done by delving into the false doctrines that are afoot in Christendom. Such an occupation will only defile us, and we could be stumbled in the process. (Compare Deuteronomy 12:29-32.) Likewise, we don’t find out whether a dozen bottles contain poison by taking a drink from each one!
(Vss. 2-3)
The first and greatest test has to do with what the teacher holds on the Person of Christ. As mentioned, this is where these seducing spirits expose themselves, for they cannot bring themselves to speak well of Christ and to exalt Him (1 Cor. 12:3). John says: “Hereby ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ come in flesh is of God.” Thus, the distinguishing mark of ministry that emanates from the Holy Spirit is that Christ will be exalted.
Confessing “Jesus Christ come in flesh” is more than a mere confession of words from our lips; demons can confess Christ as the Son of God in that way (Matt. 8:29). The confession of which John speaks indicates that the person is sound in his doctrine regarding Christ’s deity and His perfect humanity. To “come in flesh” means that He pre-existed His incarnation, and thus, is an eternal Person. The word “come” implies that He was somewhere else before He was here in this world as a Man (1 Tim. 1:15, etc.). Scripture teaches that He was with the Father in heaven before His incarnation (John 8:42; 13:3; 16:28). In fact, John’s Gospel portrays Him as the “Sent” One of God (John 3:17; 4:34; 5:23, etc.). “Come in flesh” is something that could not be said of us, for we did not pre-exist our conception and birth. However, at the incarnation of Christ, He took humanity into union with His Person and became a Man (John 1:14). There was a union of the divine and human natures that is inscrutable to the human mind (Matt. 11:27). To “come in flesh” indicates that when the Lord Jesus became a Man, He did not have the fallen sin-nature. “Flesh,” without the definite article “the” refers to humanity, without the implications of the sin-nature. The article “the” before “flesh,” in the KJV, is not in the text in the J. N. Darby Translation. This helps to guard against any inference that the Lord partook of the fallen sin-nature when He became a Man. He had a holy human nature, not a fallen human nature (Luke 1:35).
John then gives the opposite side: “Every spirit which does not confess Jesus Christ come in flesh is not of God: and this is that power [spirit] of the antichrist, of which ye have heard that it comes, and now it is already in the world.” If a man professes to be a Christian but does not believe in the deity and/or the full humanity of Christ, he is giving a clear indication that he is not a real believer. He preaches “another Jesus” (2 Cor. 11:4). That is, the Jesus which he presents is not the same Jesus that the Bible presents. Hence, the question to ask which will reveal a person’s true colors is: “What does he hold concerning the Person of Christ?” All such false teaching will be immediately exposed as being the “spirit [power] of Antichrist” by this simple test.
(Vss. 4-5)
The second test by which all prophets and teachers can be checked has to do with how the lost and lifeless people of the world treat their message. John says: “Ye are of God, 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; for this reason they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.” The children of God “overcome” these teachers and their false doctrines through the indwelling Holy Spirit. “He” (the Spirit) who is “in” us is “greater” than “he (Satan) that is in the world.” John has already spoken of how this is done in chapter 2:20-27. The unction of the Spirit gives us discernment to know that what these false teachers are putting forth is spurious, and consequently, we reject it, and are thereby preserved. In that way, we are victorious over the enemy’s ruses.
On the other hand, if the teachings of these men are received by religious people of this world who are not born of God, it is clear that their message is false. The things which they teach under the banner of Christianity agree with the outlook of the natural man of the world, because they are founded on worldly principles that worldly people understand. Therefore, they receive them. Thus, a couple of simple questions will reveal all that we need to know about these false teachers—“Are they popular with the world? And, do the natural men of the world receive their teaching?” If they do, then what is being taught could not be the truth of God, because “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).
(Vs. 6)
The third test by which all teachers can be checked has to do with where they stand in relation to the teachings of the apostles. John says, “We are of God; he that knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” The “we” and the “us” in this verse are the apostles. John includes himself in their collective voice. They are “of God,” and every true child of God will receive their teachings as being that which comes from God. This, then, is a benchmark by which all who profess to teach the truth can be tested. The great question here is: “Does their teaching coincide with the teaching of the apostles?”
Having in our hands the divinely inspired epistles of the New Testament wherein the apostles’ doctrine is carefully unfolded, we can “judge” the source of all ministry as to whether it is from God or not (1 Cor. 10:15; 14:29). We have to be careful here because the enemy (Satan) is very subtle. His false ministers will use the Scriptures to propound their errors, and we could be deceived by their clever misinterpretations. It is, therefore, important to have “good teaching” on which we have “fully followed up” in a thorough study of all Biblical subjects (1 Tim. 4:6; 2 Tim. 2:15).
In conclusion, if the Spirit of God truly dwells in a person, he will be sound in his doctrine as to the Person of Christ (vss. 2-3). Also, he will not be deceived by the antichristian teachings by virtue of the unction of the Spirit (vss. 4-5). And, he will hear and receive the apostles’ doctrine (vs. 6).
Summary of the Proofs of Having the New Life and Nature
• We practice righteousness (chaps. 2:29–3:10).
• We love the brethren (chap. 3:11-23).
• We have the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God (chap. 3:24–4:6).