The Strand Study Bible

I JOHN 3:14

JOHN 4:12

2119

Why do Christians doubt their salvation? #2) They fail to love the brethren

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but 12 try the spirits whether they are of God: 13 because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that 14 confesseth that 15 Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ 16 is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard 17 that it should come; and even now already is 18 it in the world. P 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is 19 HE that is in you, than 20 he that is in the world. 5 21 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 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. God’s greatest moral attribute is love 7 Beloved, let us 22 love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the 3 love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the 23 PROPITIATION for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 24 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

1. Mt 5:21-22 2. Gal 5:17-21 3. Jn 3:16 & 15:13 & Rom 5:8

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the breth- ren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 1 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that 2 no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the 3 love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have 4 need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, 5 let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And 6 whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, 7 because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 8 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as 9 he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his command- ments dwelleth in him, and 10 he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the 11 SPIRIT which he hath given us. I John 4 Beware of those who deny the Deity of CHRIST Date Written - c. AD 90

4. Deut 15:7-11 5. Jms 2:14-20 6. Prov 15:29 & I Jn 5:14-15 7. Jn 15:7,16 & Psa 34:15 8. Jn 6:29

9. Jn 13:34 10. Jn 14:23 11. Jn 14:17 & Rom 5:5 & 8:14- 16 & I Jn 4:13 12. Rev 2:2 13. Mt 24:5 14. Rom 10:9-10 & I Cor 12:3 & I Jn 5:1 15. that is, “Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh” - Mt 1:23 & Jn 1:14 & I Tim 3:16 & Phil 2:6-8 16. II Jn 7-10 17. Fulfilled - Rev 6:1-2 & 13:1-6 (Antichrist) 18. that is, “it’s influence” 19. or, “Holy Spirit” - I Jn 3:24 20. or, “the Devil” - Mt 4:8-9 & Jn 12:31 & 14:30 & 16:11 & Eph 2:2 21. Jn 15:19 22. I Thess 4:9 23. or,

“atonement; mercy seat”- Rom 3:25 & I Jn 2:2 24. Jn 1:18

3:14 Assurance of one’s salvation ( We know that we have passed from death unto life ) is the result of being involved in some local church where brethren assemble ( because we love the brethren ). Broken fellowship with God, due to not being actively involved in a local church, results in quieting the voice of the HOLY SPIRIT within us, loneliness, and the lack of assurance that we are saved (Rom 8:16 and I Jn 3:24). 4:3 M.R. De Haan II in What Can We Learn From The Angels? notes:

Evil spirits are always at work trying to distort the biblical portrayal of Jesus Christ. They probably think the best way to do so is to speak well of Him but to come short of the full truth. For example, Muslims speak of Him as a great prophet. New Agers refer to Him as an Enlightened One in the spirit realm. Jews refer to Him as a great teacher. Jehovah’s Witnesses call Him a son of God, and Mormons see Him as a Savior and Revealer. But you won’t hear them confessing Jesus to be the God-man, the incarnate Deity who came to reveal God and provide salvation for sinful mankind. It is therefore important that we “test the spirits” as we listen to religious teachers. If they deny Jesus Christ as the eternal God-man, they are receiving their instructions from evil spirits, not from God. 1

1 De Haan II, M.R. What Can We Learn From The Angels?, Grand Rapids, MI, RBC Ministries. Print