1 John – Week 7 – Day 1

READ 

1 John 4:3-4 

3 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. 4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 

This passage reveals the key issue is Jesus. The person who does not believe what the Bible says about Him is “against” Him as the preposition means. In the first century it also meant “instead of” and an individual who does not believe what the Bible says about Jesus is setting himself in a higher authority than the Lord Jesus Himself. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit who lives in believers is greater than Satan and his demons who live in the world. 

REFLECT 

Think how blessed you are to have the four gospel accounts to read about Jesus and His person and work. You may not fully understand some of the accounts, but do you believe them? 

RESPOND 

Encourage your friend with whom you meet to read the gospels. All four present the same the divinity of the Messiah from different perspectives. In general, Matthew presented Jesus to the Jews as the King. Mark presented Him to the Romans as a Servant. Luke presented Him to the Gentiles as the perfect Man. John, writing after the three previous ones, presented Him to the world as Savior. All presented Him as fully Man and fully God.