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DECEMBER 6

4:1 do not believe every spirit. The mention 4:17 Love…perfected among us. John is not
of the Holy Spirit in 3:24 prompts John to suggesting sinless perfection, but rather
inform his readers that those other spirits mature love marked by confidence in the face
exist, i.e., demonic spirits, who produce false of judgment. Confidence is a sign that love is
prophets and false teachers to propagate mature. as He is, so are we. Jesus was God’s
their false doctrine (1 Tim.4:1,2).Christians are Son in whom He was well pleased on earth.
to have a healthy skepticism regarding any We also are God’s children (3:11) and the
teaching, unlike some among John’s congre- objects of His gracious goodness. If Jesus
gations who were too open-minded to any- called God Father, so may we, since we are
one claiming a new teaching regarding the accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6). In v. 18, the
faith. test. The word “test” is a metallurgist’s same truth is stated negatively. The love that
term used for assaying metals to determine builds confidence also banishes fears.We love
their purity and value.Christians must test any God and reverence Him, but we do not love
teaching with a view to approving or disap- God and come to Him in love and at the same
proving it, rigorously comparing any teaching time hide from Him in terror (Rom. 8:14,15;
to the Scripture. the spirits,…many false 2 Tim. 1:7). Fear involves torment or punish-
prophets. By juxtaposing “spirits” with “false ment, a reality the sons of God will never
prophets,” John reminds his readers that experience, because they are forgiven.
behind human teachers who propagate false
doctrine and error are demons inspired by sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever
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Satan. Human false prophets and teachers are confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God
the physical expressions of demonic, spiritual 16
sources (Matt. 7:15; Mark 13:22). abides in him, and he in God. And we have
known and believed the love that God has for
us. God is love, and he who abides in love
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does not know God, for God is love. In this abides in God, and God in him.
the love of God was manifested toward us, that 17 Love has been perfected among us in this:
God has sent His only begotten Son into the that we may have boldness in the day of judg-
world, that we might live through Him. In ment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
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this is love, not that we loved God, but that He 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts
loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation out fear, because fear involves torment. But he
for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we who fears has not been made perfect in love.
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also ought to love one another. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates
love one another, God abides in us, and His his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not
love has been perfected in us. By this we love his brother whom he has seen, how can
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know that we abide in Him, and He in us, he love God whom he has not seen? And this
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because He has given us of His Spirit. And commandment we have from Him: that he
we have seen and testify that the Father has who loves God must love his brother also.
DAY 6:What are the 5 reasons that John gives us for why believers love?
In stark contrast to the self-centered and destructive philosophies and practices of the false
teachers, John unfolds the powerful reasons why Christians practice love. In 1 John 4:7–21, the
apostle includes 5 such reasons:
1. Christians habitually practice love because God, who indwells them, is the essence of love.
The Gnostics believed that God was immaterial spirit and light,but never defined the source of love
as coming from His inmost being.As God is Spirit (John 4:24),light (1:5),and a consuming fire (Heb.
12:9), so He is love (4:7,8). Love is inherent in all He is and does. Even His judgment and wrath are
perfectly harmonized with His love.
2. Christians habitually practice love because they desire to imitate the supreme example of
God’s sacrificial love in sending His Son for us (4:9).
3. Christians habitually practice love because love is the heart of Christian witness (4:12).
Nobody can see God loving since He is invisible.Jesus no longer is in the world to manifest the love
of God. The only demonstration of God’s love in this age is the church. That testimony is critical
(John 13:35; 2 Cor. 5:18–20).

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