As Christians, we often find ourselves facing a dilemma: choosing between what is “right” and what will allow us to relate to people. The right thing sometimes feels like it will make the people we want to reach feel rejected, or pushed away. And we struggle to decide which is more important.
We see this tension play out in everyday decisions, in neighborhoods and workplaces, in friendships and families. We want to stand for truth. But we also want to build relationships. And sometimes those two goals seem to be pulling in opposite directions.
This morning we look at 1 John Chapter 4, where John addresses how we should handle this kind of dilemma. We will see that when it comes to truth and love, the choice is actually quite clear. The subtle part, however, lies in how we go about communicating that choice with people. Whenever possible, like Jesus, we are called to choose relationship over rejection.
Testing the Spirits (vs 1-6)
How do we know when a supposedly spiritual message we hear, or a spiritual claim someone makes to us, is truly from God?
There are multiple ways to test whether a person is speaking God’s truth. In general, their message must be consistent with God’s Word, the Bible. The Bible also tells us that a person who teaches the truth will bear fruit in their ministry. But John cuts right to the heart of the matter. He says start with one central question: Does the person “acknowledge the truth about Jesus” or not? Anyone can talk about Jesus and even believe that he lived on earth, as many religions, cults, and philosophies affirm. But unless the person acknowledges that Jesus is God the Son, who came in a real body (in other words, he is both fully God and fully man, both full deity and full humanity), they are not bearing a true message from God.
Something striking about this chapter, and about John’s letters in general, is the absolute, black-and-white nature of his statements. If one acknowledges the truth about Jesus, he has the Spirit of God. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. There are only two kinds of people: those who belong to God, and those who belong to the world. Those who belong to God know and speak the truth. Those who belong to the world are deceived and speak deception.
Many of us feel uncomfortable when people are this dogmatic, when they describe things in such absolute terms. It feels like they’re overstepping their bounds when it comes to judgment. In fact, that’s one of the major complaints people have against Christians: “They’re too judgmental.” The foundation of Christianity is exclusive. There’s only one way to a relationship with God: Jesus Christ.
This discomfort with absolutes is why so many people turn to advocating for “tolerance.” Tolerance is like an antidote to absolute truth when it feels overwhelmingly judgmental. Tolerance makes room for exceptions. Tolerance waters down, or even eliminates, absolute truth altogether.
So what’s the point? John is speaking in absolute terms for a reason. There really is a clear distinction between God’s truth and the world’s truth, and we must never ratify the world’s truth in order to avoid seeming offensive or judgmental. What does it mean to ratify? It means to approve, or to officially agree with something. What’s right is right. What’s wrong is wrong. And we must not approve of or agree with what’s wrong.
However, the way in which we go about disapproving of or disagreeing with what’s wrong has a dramatic impact on our ability to create and continue relationships with other people. Except in cases where real harm was being done to his mission, Jesus was very careful not to reject people because of disagreement. He always sought to make love prevail over rejection, even when people didn’t know and understand the truth.
Discussion
- How do we know when a spiritual message or claim is truly from God? What is John’s central test?
- Why does John speak in such absolute, black-and-white terms? Does that feel uncomfortable? Why?
- What is the difference between refusing to ratify falsehood and being judgmental toward people?
Key Takeaways
- The central test is the truth about Jesus. Does the person acknowledge that Jesus is fully God and fully man? That is the dividing line.
- We must never ratify the world’s truth. What’s right is right. But the way we communicate it matters.
- Jesus chose relationship over rejection. He held to truth without pushing people away. That’s our model.
God is Love (vs 7-12)
John says “God is love.” Many people in the world today put tremendous value on love, and would even go so far as to say “love is God.” But there is a profound difference between these two expressions.
“God is love” means that God continually gives of himself to others and seeks their benefit. Even though he is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the universe, his fundamental essence is agape love: selfless, unconditional, sacrificial, action-oriented, benevolent love. Since God created us, he is the ultimate source of our ability to love others in the same way. God’s love was demonstrated for us through the sacrifice of his one and only Son, Jesus. Jesus is our example of what it means to love.
Notice that John continues to speak about love in the same absolute, black-and-white manner that we saw in the earlier verses about truth. “Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God.” There is no gray area.
Just as we saw with truth, John claims there is a clear distinction between God’s love and the world’s love, and we must never ratify the world’s love. What does the world’s love look like? Like God’s love, it can involve seeking connection with other people, caring about other people, and doing good things for other people. But unlike God’s love, the world’s love is fundamentally selfish, conditional, and limited. Its motive is to help the lover (not the loved) benefit and feel good first. Therefore it is conditional, dependent on the lover getting what the lover needs. And therefore it is limited, extending only to those words and actions which meet that criterion.
What does it mean to ratify the world’s love? It means to approve of and even embrace the world’s approach to love. We are always called to love. We are never called to love selfishly, conditionally, and with limitations.
And just as we saw with truth, the ultimate goal of holding to God’s truth and God’s love is to build relationship, with God first, and then also with people on this earth, Christians and non-Christians alike.
Discussion
- What is the difference between “God is love” and “love is God”?
- How does the world’s version of love differ from God’s love? Where do you see this distinction play out in everyday life?
- John says “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us.” What does this mean practically?
Key Takeaways
- God is love, not the other way around. God defines what love is. We don’t get to redefine love apart from him.
- God’s love is selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial. The world’s love is selfish, conditional, and limited.
- Loving each other is how the invisible God becomes visible. When we love as God loves, his presence is made real in the world.
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear (vs 13-21)
At first it might appear that John is repeating a lot of what he already said in verses 7-12. To some extent he is. But remember, John’s writing style is not linear. Some have described it as “symphonic.” Like a musical symphony, he often states a theme, moves away from it, and then revisits it with a variation.
In this case the variation is a very important one. It has to do with assurance, the certainty with which we can know that we are God’s children, we are saved, we are destined to spend eternity with him.
Verses 13-15 describe the reasons for our assurance. In verse 13, the gift of the Holy Spirit which indwells us when we choose to believe is itself a form of proof. In verse 14, John emphasizes the power of eyewitness accounts of Jesus, clear evidence not only for the apostles but also for all future believers who can trust the validity of these many eyewitness accounts. And in verse 15, all believers have their own eyewitness accounts of changed lives that result from “God living in them, and they living in God.”
What is the result of all this evidence? In verse 16: “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.” We can be certain. We can be assured. And then in verse 17: “We will not be afraid on the day of judgment.” Why not? Because we know with certainty that we will be judged as innocent, despite our guilt, because Jesus paid the price for our sin. “We can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”
Then comes that remarkable statement in verse 18: “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.” How does love cast out fear? Fear is rooted in the expectation of punishment, in uncertainty about our standing before God. But when we truly grasp how much God loves us, when we experience that love in our daily walk, fear loses its grip. We are not waiting to find out if we’re accepted. We already know.
Discussion
- John makes a connection between love and fear, saying the kind of love he describes “has no fear.” How does love expel fear?
- What are the three reasons for assurance that John gives in verses 13-15?
- Why does John say “If someone says ‘I love God’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar”? Why is that so strong?
Key Takeaways
- Assurance comes from the Spirit, the testimony, and changed lives. We are not guessing about our salvation. We have evidence.
- Perfect love casts out fear. Fear is rooted in uncertainty about punishment. God’s love removes that uncertainty.
- Loving God and loving people are inseparable. You cannot claim to love a God you cannot see while hating people you can see.
Something to Sit With
Here is what John is teaching us in 1 John Chapter 4:
God’s truth is the only truth. God’s love is the only love. We must choose God’s truth and God’s love, and we must never ratify the world’s truth or the world’s love. But the way we communicate our disagreement with the world’s truth and love should avoid rejection and enable relationship. And when we choose God’s truth and God’s love, we can have complete assurance of our eternal destiny. We don’t have to live in fear of our future.
This is the heart of the chapter. Relationship, not ratification. We hold to the truth. We refuse to endorse what is false. But we do it in a way that opens doors rather than slamming them shut. We do it the way Jesus did, with love leading the way.
- Am I more concerned with being right, or with building relationship? Can I do both?
- Where am I tempted to ratify the world’s version of truth or love just to avoid conflict?
- Do I live with the assurance that God’s perfect love has cast out fear? Or do I still carry fear of judgment?
God’s truth. God’s love. Hold to both. And let relationship, not ratification, be the way forward.
“There 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.” (1 John 4:18, ESV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “test the spirits” mean in 1 John 4?
Testing the spirits means evaluating spiritual messages and claims to determine whether they come from God. John’s central test is whether the person acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in the flesh as both fully God and fully man. Messages that deny Christ’s true nature are not from God, regardless of how spiritual or appealing they may sound.
What is the difference between “God is love” and “love is God”?
“God is love” means that selfless, unconditional, sacrificial love is central to God’s very nature. He defines what love is. “Love is God” inverts this, making a human concept of love the highest authority. This inversion allows people to redefine love on their own terms, often in ways that are selfish, conditional, or limited. John insists that love comes from God and is defined by him.
What does it mean that perfect love casts out fear in 1 John 4:18?
Fear, in this context, is the dread of judgment and punishment. When believers truly grasp how fully God loves them and how secure they are in Christ, that fear dissolves. It is not that believers never experience anxiety, but that the fear of eternal condemnation is removed by the certainty of God’s love and the assurance of salvation.
How can Christians hold to absolute truth without being judgmental?
John teaches that truth is non-negotiable. We must never ratify or endorse what is false. But the way we communicate truth matters. Jesus himself was the model: he held to truth perfectly while consistently choosing relationship over rejection. The goal is not to water down the truth to avoid offense, but to deliver it with love, patience, and a genuine desire for the other person’s good.
What does 1 John 4 teach about assurance of salvation?
John gives three foundations for assurance: the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (v. 13), the eyewitness testimony of the apostles about Jesus (v. 14), and the changed lives of believers who experience God living in them (v. 15). Together, these give believers confidence that they belong to God and need not fear the day of judgment.
What does “ratify” mean in the context of 1 John 4?
To ratify means to approve, endorse, or officially agree with something. In the context of John’s letter, ratifying the world’s truth or the world’s love means accepting and endorsing the world’s standards as valid alternatives to God’s truth and God’s love. John insists that we must not do this. God’s truth and God’s love are the only standard, and we must hold to them even when the world pressures us to compromise.
This lesson is part of the Abiding in Christ series.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.