Study of 1st John - Clint Davison - 12-6-2020
Teacher
Lesson Summary
The class opened with a prayer and a brief overview of the previous lesson on sin and love, then moved into 1 John chapter 4, focusing on verses 1‑6 and verse 23. The teacher explained that believers must not accept every spirit but test them against the confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, identifying true believers by their obedience and love for one another. The discussion highlighted how modern culture’s relativistic view of love—"love is whatever you say it is"—contrasts sharply with John’s declaration that God is love and that love is defined by God’s nature. Using C.S. Lewis’s quotation about the exclusive claims of Christ, the teacher reinforced that there is no middle ground: Jesus is either the Son of God or a liar, and the testimony of the Spirit confirms this truth. The class also examined the concept of the antichrist as a present reality, urging listeners to be sober and discerning. By linking the biblical litmus test (confession of Christ) to daily practice, the session encouraged members to embody love and truth, staying rooted in the commands of Christ and the indwelling Spirit.
Key Scriptures
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. Children, you are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
The one who keeps his command remains in him and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us is from the spirit he has given us.