Last Sunday we started our conversation about the reality of spiritual world. We discussed how modern notion of science vs spirit influences us to disbelieve into the reality of a spiritual realm. We uncovered that actually science and spirit are not in opposition to each other. And believing in the reality of the spiritual world does not mean the rejection of science, return to a stone age, tribal life in caves and hunting mammoths with handcrafted spears. We learned that the world doesn’t want to believe in reality of the spirit because:
John 4:24
²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
If we believe in God and if we want to worship him in a true way, we have to accept the reality of the spiritual world. We also have to accept that our enemy is real too. One who work against all people in general and against us, as followers of Christ in particular. More specifically we learned that it is not only the Spirit of God that can manifest to us, but there is also spirit of antichrist or spirit of error, as John calls it later.
We talked about the danger of “false prophets” and how to tell whether the word you hear is from God or not.
1 John 4:4-6
⁴Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.⁵ They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.⁶We 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.
Verse 4 says that there is a confrontation of two worlds. There are those who are form God, and those who are from the world. “The world” battle against those who are from God. Remember, not so long ago we discussed that the world that John refers to, is not people, or nature, but ungodly, system, lifestyle that was inspired and crafted by the enemy. We do not fight against people, even though often, not to say always, Satan uses them to bring us troubles.
Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12:
Ephesians 6:12
¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
This is our real enemy, not people. God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth(1 Timothy 2:4).” Let’s remember that.
…you are from God and have overcome them(verse 4)
Yes, there is a confrontation, the battle. But we should not be troubled. Because the winner is already known. Those of God, are on the winning side. It doesn’t mean you never gonna have any problems. Otherwise, it is more probable that your dedication in following Christ will get you in trouble. You will get rejected by this world. You will have issues, and I’m not talking about those that caused by our own foolishness. But, rather confrontation that we experience because of our faith, our believes. This worldly system resist God, and anyone who comes from him is not welcomed.
But he who is in us is greater then he, who is in the world.
No matter what this world throws at us. No matter how hard the enemy tries to suppress us, we can have confidence. Not because of our own strength. Not because enemy is powerless, not at all he have all kinds of power and resources. He manages to keep a lot of people in state of fear and terror. Do not be deceived, our enemy is a real enemy. But our God is greater. We should not fear this world and satan because, the one who is in us is greater then the one who is in the world.
Opposition
God desires all people to be saved and know the truth. But the enemy desires otherwise. Satan hates God. He want’s to hurt God as much as possible. He can’t do it directly, it is not withing his power. So, instead. Enemy targets God’s most loved creation the people. Enemy tries to make people, to ignore, disobey and hate God. Showing God, “Look, they love me, they chose me, they follow me”. He tries to deceive as many people as possible and cause them to die. Not just physically, but eternally. To be forever separated from Creator.
People of this world don’t bother enemy too much. They already under his control. But those who are not of his kingdom is completely different story. Satan fights against us, trying to trick and lead astray. Twisting the truth, as he did from the beginning.
Sometimes enemy comes as a friend, promising things you desire.
Did God really said that you should not date unbelievers? You’re gonna be fine, it only matters whether he/she is a good person… You will never meet another one like she.
Is it really a lie if you just don’t mention problems your car has? You never gonna sell it if you tell everything… Think about it. You need as much as you can get.
Is it really necessary to go to church every week? You need rest, once or twice a month is totally fine. It is not like you have to…
Listen to this guy. He such an amazing speaker. Yeah, he is atheist, but it’s not a big deal. It is only religion, it’s doesn’t really matters.
But his only intention is to make you turn away from God and die.
Other times he tries to scare you, to put you in a state of constant worry and fear. And one of the best ways to do that, is to assure you that God is angry with you. Using his false prophets and false prophesies he creates a fake image of God. And makes you to believe in it.
Back in the day, when mobile phones were just taking off. First iPhones just started to get imported and sold where I lived. Many people heard about them, that they are good phones, wanted to try them out. They also saw the images. But hardly anyone actually held them in their hands. And you know what, there were a ton of scammy companies who sold low quality replicas that looked like the real thing on the first glance, but of course was not iPhone by any stretch of imagination. But people bought them, thinking it a legit one.
So, companies who sold real iPhones. Would write articles on how to spot fake. How to avoid scam. What to look for. What are the differences are. Because, unless you know how that phone feels, you’re not going be able to spot a fake.
In the same way a lot of people promote fake salvation, fake Jesus, fake faith. Or all together attempt to convince you that it all doesn’t matter, and you can replace faith with philosophy. People on the internet talk about good, moral concepts. Some of them even pretend to be Christians. They avoid any scriptures that would be problematic for the people in the modern world. And they are listened to, they are fallowed, acknowledged. Millions upon millions listen to them. Do you what to know the key to their success?
1 John 4:5,6
⁵ They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.⁶We 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.
they are from the world, they speak from the world => world listens to them…(verse 5)
People of this world doesn’t want to submit their way of thinking to God’s truth. They will happily accept the fake of the enemy which perfectly fit’s their worldview.
1 John 4:6
⁶We 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.
Who John refers to when he says “WE”? Of course he talks about himself, but also Peter, Mark, Matthew, Luke, Paul, and about all those who follow true Jesus. Those who holds on to the original good news, that they received. Those who let God to transform their mind with a new way of thinking. Instead of twisting the bible to fit their worldview.
If you didn’t submit your life, your heart and your mind to God. If you don’t care, if you do not agree with bible. If the word of God is not your ultimate source of truth. Your life is under the power of the spirit of error. And in the end, it is gonna take you places you do not want to be in.
1 John 4:7-12
⁷Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.¹⁰In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
There is a lot in this scriptures. We probably will come back to some of it later. But today I want us to notice the pattern that John follows in his letter. Every time he touches specific topic, giving a word of warning, and/or providing directions and instructions, then comes back to love. You know why? Because love is probably single most important principle. Pretty much the whole entire bible can be summarized to love. No one ever seen God, but one thing we know about Him is that He is love. And we can be sure that we are in God if his love abides in us.
Jesus says:
John 13:35
³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
We, as followers of Chris, not gonna be known by the power that we have. Not by the great music we play. Not by the way we look, or language we talk. But by our love for one another. We are called to love one another in a very radical way, we are called to mimic the way God loved us. Our love should be very real, very practical.
1 John 4:13-19
¹³ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.¹⁴And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.¹⁶So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.¹⁷By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.
It’s a great summary of everything we’ve been talking about for last two weeks.
- God gave us His spirit. God’s seed abides in us, because we have been born of God.
- God sent his Son into the world. Jesus came as a 100% human and 100% God. This is a true Jesus we believe and follow. And anyone who teaches otherwise doesn’t have truth in him.
- We believe that God loves us. That He is for us, he is on our side. He did everything that was required and even more to save us from eternal death.
- We know that we were born of God if His love abides in us.
- And love of God gives us confidence for the day of judgment, because we follow and reflect God in this world.
- God doesn’t operate though fear. If your life under control of fear and worry, they do not come from God. You need to stop believing lies of the enemy and come to the truth.
- We don’t have to do anything to earn God love. God loved us first. He loved us while we were still sinners, while we still ignored and hated Him. We need to humble ourselves and accept that God loves as we are. And once we born again and his love, his seed starts to abide in us, we get transformed.
God is love and God loves this people. He is still on our side, always will be. So, if you find yourself today constantly troubled, restless, depressed. Maybe you’ve been exposed to the “false” prophets, and that word put you in the state of confusion and worry. Or maybe you never actually repent before God. Maybe you never experienced that transformation of being born again. Come, and we will pray. We will pray for love of God to cast out all fear. We will pray for God’s peace.