1 John 4 (part 3)

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

FAs a token by which we may know that we abide in him and he in us, he has given us "his Spirit"—the Holy Spirit. But how does the presence of the Spirit in us supply evidence of such an abiding presence? The first fruit of the Spirit is love: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control. . . ." (Gal. 5:22, 23.) How may we know that the Spirit dwells in our heart? Because we love God and one another! Why does this love dwell in us? "And hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us." (Rom. 5:5.)—Gospel Advocate Commentaries

FThe Holy Spirit has been given to all Christians. Peter declared to the great crowds of people on the Day of Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). In chapter five (5:6ff), John appeals to three witnesses to the incarnation of Jesus - the Spirit, the water and the blood.. But the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is certifying that we live in him. The Holy Spirit has demonstrated himself to us in a number of ways: the presence of the Spirit with Jesus on earth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit (to the apostles and the household of Cornelius), the laying on of hands, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the “gift” that John is speaking of here. The “gift” is actually the Holy Spirit himself; God gives us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He has given us of his Spirit. He dwells within us, and this testifies that God loves us and that God lives in us. The Spirit has worked in our lives also in the revelation of God to us through his (the Spirit's) work. Paul states that the Holy Spirit was a “deposit” or an “earnest” of what was to come: “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Cor 5:5). I recently bought a new house. When the purchase was agreed upon, I was asked to give a “deposit,” or a down payment to show that I really meant to buy the house. This is what Paul is saying. God has promised us a “heavenly dwelling” (see 2 Corinthians 5:1) and to guarantee that he would give what he has promised, he gave the Holy Spirit as a “deposit.” So, we know that we live in him and he in us because of the deposit God made.

-(College Press Commentaries)

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

F This is another attack on Cerinthus and his gnostic followers. God's incarnate Son, which the Docetics denied, came to earth, suffered, died and arose from the dead to give us forgiveness of sins and eternal life. John repeats what he said at the outset of this letter, we have seen and testify that these things actually happened (see 1:1-2). To what is John testifying? To the fact that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Bear in mind that this attacks Cerinthus and his followers at the very root of their doctrines. If John's statement is true, then the gnostic foundation falls. All of this happened because God loves us and gave his Son as our Savior. - (College Press Commentaries)

Ä Though no one had seen the divine nature, John and the other apostles had beheld (tetheametha, perfect middle or theaomai, to behold with adoring wonder), the Lord in the flesh (1 John 1:1-3), and were thus qualified to bear testimony to the fact that the Father had indeed sent the Son into the world. The perfect tense designates an act that is past the results of which continue to exist; John had, during the public ministry of the Lord, minutely scrutinized him, obtained clear and distinct impressions regarding him and these remained to convince him forevermore of the identity of Jesus as Lord. Such was, in part, the mission of the apostles; and to equip them for this, the Holy Spirit was given them. "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me: and ye also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." (John 15:26, 27).—Gospel Advocate Commentaries

See also John 3:17; John 4:42

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

V Obviously, the apostle is not to be understood here as affirming that deity, actually, literally, and bodily takes up his abode in a human being. One who confesses that Jesus is the Son of God confesses the truth. The truth thus abides in him. Since God is of the essence of truth, God abides in such a one. In similar manner does the Spirit abide. This verse, with many other similar ones in the first Epistle (e.g., 2:23; 3:10; 4:7; 5:18), must be interpreted in the light of conditions then prevailing. Certainly it was not the apostle's intention to teach that one who merely gives lip service to the deity of Jesus abides in God, and God in him. Supercilious believers and indifferent professors concede this without hesitation; and even the demons acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God. (Mark 1:24.) Moreover, the Lord said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt. 7:21-23.) - Gospel Advocate Commentaries

Confess that Jesus is the Son of God ... There is a form of metonymy (synecdoche) in a statement of this kind. The primary pre-requirements of salvation, i.e., the so-called "plan of salvation" is meant by this. The New Testament reveals that "obeying the gospel" as the New Testament writers called it, meant believing in Christ, repenting of one's sins, confessing the Son of God, and being baptized "into Christ." As a consequence of such primary obedience, and subsequently to it, the Holy Spirit was given, not to make men sons of God, but because upon such initial faith and obedience they became sons of God (Gal 4:6). There are two possible meanings of John's words here, and both of them may be correct.

(1) He refers to the Christian's obedience of the gospel at the time he became a Christian, the confession of faith in Christ, of course, being a prominent part of conversion. If this is what was in the apostle's mind, the meaning of it is almost identical with Peter's words on Pentecost (Acts 2:38 f), Peter's "gift of the Holy Spirit" meaning exactly the same thing in that passage that John meant by "God abideth in him" here. There can be no difference in these.

(2) If, as Roberts thought, John was speaking of a time in the lives of Christians long after their conversion, then he may be "saying that if this confession can be sincerely repeated by the believer, that God abides in him, and he in God."

In either view, it is conversion itself, and primary obedience of the gospel to which this verse undoubtedly refers. This somewhat sudden mention of initial Christian obedience, after all John had been saying, and continued to say about "love," reminds us that:

With John, love always includes obedience to all God's commandments; and where obedience is not manifested, love is not. Even with God, love was not mere sympathy, but sending his Son to be the propitiation.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

u We can know and rely on the love that God has for us.

J John assures us that whenever we practice love for God and for our brothers, we live in God and God lives in us. This is a most sublime thought: to know that God abides in us.

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Ø Only when we put our faith in God, and allow his love to permeate our lives can love be perfected, or made complete. So, God's love can be made complete in us when we love. We can then develop a true confidence in our lives. We can have confidence that God has redeemed us through his Son, for it was his love that sent Jesus to die for us. We can then look to the Day of Judgment with confidence that our eternal life is secure. (College Press)

F This boldness is not egotism, arrogance, or vain conceit but a godly confidence founded upon a right relationship with God, a relationship born of true love.

F (Wayne L. Fussell)

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Ä With this confidence we can then be beyond fear. This is why John assures us that there is no fear in love: because our confidence in our salvation is made secure. He also assures us that fear comes in when punishment is involved, and punishment will not be involved in our lives when we have allowed perfect love to abide in us. He emphatically says, the man who fears is not made perfect in love.What is your level of faith and love? Has it allowed you to develop a confident life? We must all strive for that kind of faith and love that provides us with confidence. (College Press)

Ä There is no fear in love. There may be reverential fear, but there is no terror. Fear of God gives way to love. (PNT)

F This fear that this verse is talking about is not the godly reverential fear that is commanded by God (1 Peter 1:17; Hebrews 12:28). The Christian is to be motivated by a holy fear and dread of displeasing a loving God (2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:21; Philippians 2:12). (Wayne L. Fussell)

Ä We give respect to God by our actions.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Ÿ Since “God is love,” then he is the source of all love. This is in keeping with John's statement that We love because he first loved us. We would not have known love if God had not demonstrated it to us first.(College Press)

Ÿ God is the primary example of love. All love is preceded and engendered by the love of God. It is His love that inspires us to love. Our love is a responding love, awakened by an encounter with His boundless and incalculable love. - Wayne Fussell

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” - Matt 22:37-40 (KJV)

Ÿ We may deceive our fellowmen by claiming to love God without loving our brothers. There are many people in God's church who have terrible attitudes toward each other. They will mistreat a brother, despise a brother, fail to practice brotherly love, and yet sing great praises to God at the same time. John says that this is not possible. We are liars when we make that claim. (College Press)

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

³⁴"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
³⁵"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:34-35 (NASB95)

¹³"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13 (NASB95)

Plummer's summation of John's thoughts here is as follows:

“Here is the Divine command to love, not only the invisible God, but the visible brother in whom the invisible God dwells…”