1 John 4-5 Tested and Approved

In 1 John 4-5, our teacher John Mathews highlights the importance

of distinguishing between truth and falsehood, light and darkness.

He presents us with tests to determine what comes from God

and what belongs to the devil. A key test is to confess that Jesus

Christ came in the flesh, an affirmation against the false ideas of

the time. John emphasizes God’s nature as love and the necessity

of loving one another as a reflection of our relationship with God.

He assures us that fear has no place in perfect love and that true

believers have the Holy Spirit as a guide. Obedience to God’s

commands, which are not burdensome, is a sign of overcoming the

world through faith. Moreover, believers have eternal life in Jesus,

and we are encouraged to keep ourselves from idols and to love

one another deeply.