4:7-8 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.
John provides several tests so that we may know the
nature and spirit of the teacher coming to us in Christ’s name. Such a teacher
must have a biblical acceptance of the fact that God came in the flesh (1st
John 4:2); they must be willing to hear the biblical admonitions of fellow
Christians (1st John 4:6); and finally, those truly born of God love their
Christian brothers, demonstrated by action, verses 7 and 18.
This kind of love is from God and if you have been born
again through faith in Jesus Christ the new life you have been given as a
result comes with this newfound love for the brethren. Love for God’s saints
was manifest wherever the gospel was preached and men and women believed its
message.
“And my trial that was in my flesh you did
not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ
Jesus. What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if
possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me,”
Galatians 4:14-15.
“Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the
grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of
affliction the abundance of their joy and deep poverty abounded in the riches
of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes,
and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,” 2nd Corinthians
8:1-3.
“Nor was there anyone among them who lacked;
for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds
of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they
distributed to each as anyone had need,” Acts 4:34-35.
The first test John posed appealed to what the supposed
teacher thought of Jesus. The second test appeals to what the teacher thinks
regarding Scripture; do they accept the authority of the Word of God? The third
and final test appeals to the teacher’s outlook concerning the brethren. How do
they conduct themselves toward Christians? Is their love only one of words, or
one of action? Or do they manifest any love at all?
A failure to love in a manner congruent with New
Testament teachings is, for John, a manifestation that this false teacher has
never known God; for God is love. This is the first passage in this epistle
where we find John coining this phrase, often grossly misused to justify all
manner of sinful and lawless behavior. The love of the New Testament, the love
of God, is selfless, charitable, patient, not provoked, is not envious or
egotistical, 1st Corinthians 13:4-7. Love does no wrong to a neighbor, Romans
13:10. If we know love the way God intends for us to know it that means we have
come to know God according to this verse. Only a proper knowledge of God’s
character can clarify for us what the nature of love should look like in our
relationships, toward Him and one another.
Many false teachers deliberately misuse words to conceal what they believe about Christ. Some are able to distort scripture in a way to confuse people, and some fake love to mislead. They cannot maintain all three very long. One or the other nearly always shows shortly. The three ensure that false teachers will not go unnoticed long if we are paying attention.
ReplyDeleteThis is an acid test to subject teachers to, and I fully agree that false teachers will not (long) pass it. It also takes a willingness on our part to actually subject professing teachers to said tests. Thanks for the comment, dfish.
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