February 3, 2016
Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:4-6; John 16:33
4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Questions for Reflection:
How does John reference his readers in verse 4? Seven times throughout the letter, John calls his audience “dear children.” It is as if he is reminding them of their relationship, how he has loved them like a father. Why is it important to John to remind them of his concern and care for them? John illustrates a powerful principle through the way he addresses his people. Leadership expert John Maxwell calls this the Law of Connection. Maxwell writes, “You develop credibility with people when you connect with them and show that you genuinely care and want to help them.” How can you as a leader and as a follower of Jesus get better at connecting with others?
John continues by telling them that they “are from God and have overcome them.” Who is the “them” that they have overcome? What parallels exist between this verse and John 16:33? What started as Jesus acting to overcome the world is continued by the power of the Holy Spirit in His people extending His grace toward others. The early church was following the example of their teacher.
In this passage, John goes to great lengths to differentiate between those who are from God and those who are in the world. What is one of the key delineating factors for John? How could you tell who was from God? How can you tells that are from the world? Colin Kruse notes his commentary on the Epistles of John that one of the defining differences was their view of Jesus. He writes, “their teaching about the person of Christ is shaped, not by the original gospel message, but by worldly (albeit religious and philosophical) categories.” One of the best ways to test messages that you are hearing (whether from a pastor or from someone else who claims to be hearing from God) is first: what do they say about Jesus? and second: How do they respond to those who teach the gospel? In order to be able to understand good theology and the person of Jesus and the doctrine surrounding the church, we must be familiar with what the Scripture texts say. In what ways have you personally grown closer to God through your study of the Bible in the last four weeks? Feel free to share your growth and what God is teaching you in the comments below.