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The book of First John A Verse by Verse Study A. V. 4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome
them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1. The first thing
John says here is very propounding, “Little children, ye are of God” This is
something we all need to be constantly reminded of, we are of God. a. The word
“of” means that of an origin, meaning we were begat of Him, this reminding us
our status as His children. b. Since we
are the children of God then we should be under Divine influence. His Spirit
indwells us and therefore we should be able to separate between what is of
God and what is not. c. Since we
are the children of God then we should be able to resist the evil of Satan. d. Since we
are the children of God then we should be able to differ between what is of
God (that is truth) and what is error (that is Satan). 2. John goes on
“have overcome them:” a. The word
“them” refers to the false prophets or teachers. b. There is
no excuse for the Christian to fall into the temptations of the false
teachers. c. “because
greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Greater is God
than Satan. d. We fall
to temptation because we are weak in faith and rely not on the strength of
the Lord. e. Satan is
limited in his power, God is greater and therefore we will resist the
temptations if we lean on the Lord. f. Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you
power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” g. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no
temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but
will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to
bear it.” h. James 4:7 “Submit yourselves
therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” B. V. 5 “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth
them.” 1. “They are of
the world:” This is the false prophets or teachers. Everything about them is
worldly. a. This is
one of the greatest marks on them to recognize. Everything is about and
involves man. b. They are
like their father a great deceiver and liar. John 8:47-50 “He that is of God heareth
God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
(48.) Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou
art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? (49.) Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my
Father, and ye do dishonour me. (50.) And I seek
not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. c. Deuteronomy 32:5 “They have
corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his
children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.” 2. They love the
world and hold to it. They love self recognition; they love the world’s
music, they love money, and they trust God for nothing. a. They
will never be anything except what this world is, controlled by Satan. 2 Corinthians 4:4 “In whom the god
of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the
light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine
unto them.” b. We as
believers cannot allow ourselves to be entwined with them. We and they are
not the same nor do we think the same nor do we worship the same. 3. “and the world heareth them” Just
as God’s people hear the Sheppard, they hear their own and follow their own. a. God calls
Satan their father, John 8:44 “Ye
are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,
he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the
father of it.” b. The love
the systemized standing of the world because it is controlled by Satan and
they will love the tribulation period because their father will be in control
of it. c. They
love liberalism and socialism because it is all Anti-God. d. John
8:41a sums this up. “Ye do the deeds of your father.” C. V. 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.” 1. “We are of
God:” He is our Father and therefore we are like Him. John 8:42 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye
would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of
myself, but he sent me.” a. We are
of God born by His Spirit, led by His Spirit, taught by His Spirit. b. We have
been sanctified (set aside to be Holy) to be holy is to be like our Father. c. We know
truth just as the lost follow lies we follow the teachings of the Holy
Spirit. d. We
follow the same teachings that the Apostles followed. John 21:24 “This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and
we know that his testimony is true.” Because we are of God. 2. “he that knoweth God heareth us;” We do not speak to deaf ears, there are
people to hear the message, Gods words never go in vain. Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be
that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not
return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it
shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” a. People
hear however some may ignore because they are seeking to please their itchy
ears. b. Those
that hear and stand on truth will be blessed. c. We know
God’s men because we hear them, they preach truth and this is how we tell the
difference between the spirits. “Hereby know we the
spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” d. Isaiah 8:20 “To
the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it
is because there is no light in them.” |