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1JOHN 4
LESSON #9
JESUS IS GOD COME IN THE FLESH
MEMORY VERSE: 1JOHN 4:1
JOHN IS ABOUT TO TALK AGAIN ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS, GIVING US MORE PROFOUND DETAIL.BEFORE WE RETURN TO THE SUBJECT OF FALSE TEACHERS, LETS REVIEW WHAT WE LEARNEDBEFORE:
THE THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF A FALSE TEACHER:
1. THEY DEPART FROM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP.(2:18-19)
2. THEY DENY THE FAITH (2:20-25; 4:1-6)
3. THEY TRY TO DECEIVE THE FAITHFUL. (2:26-29) (1TIM 4:1)
HOWEVER, BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST HAVE A SPECIAL ANOINTING BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TOREVEAL THE TRUTH TO US.
READ 1JO 4:1-6 THE RED LIGHT OF WARNING OF FALSE TEACHERS
WHAT DID JOHN MEAN WHEN HE SAID WE SHOULD “TEST THE SPIRITS”? (1)
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING THE TRUE FROM THE FALSE. BEHIND EVERY HUMAN SPIRITIS A SPIRIT, EITHER FROM GOD OR FROM SATAN. JUST BECAUSE A PERSON SAYS HE IS A CHRISTIAN,MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE TRUE. GOD LEAVES IT TO THE CHRISTIAN TO DETERMINE TRUTH FROM ERROR.
HOWEVER, GOD DID NOT LEAVE US WITHOUT GUIDELINES TO DETERMINE THE TRUE FROM THE FALSE.
1.WE MUST BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE WORKING AND
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, HOW HE GUIDES US, HOW HE REVEALS TRUTH TO US.
“EVERY SPIRIT THAT CONFESSES THAT JESUS IS COME IN THE FLESH IS OF GOD.” (2)
THE GNOSTICS DID NOT BELIEVE THAT
JESUS WAS GOD BORN AS A BABY IN THE
FLESH.
2. WE MUST PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT ARE A TEACHERS BASIC BELIEFS ABOUT THE NATURE OFJESUS CHRIST THE CONTENT OF THE MESSAGE.
JESUS IS GOD COME IN THE FLESH.
READ ISA 9:6
A CHILD IS BORN, BUT THE SON WAS GIVEN BECAUSE THE SON ALWAYS EXISTED. HE BECAME THECHILD.
FOR EXAMPLE; LETS DO A LITTLE TESTING OF THE SPIRITS::
LETS EXAMINE SOME DOCUMENTED STATEMENTS BY SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR RADIO ANDTELEVISION PREACHERS OF OUR DAY. YOU DETERMINE IF IT IS TRUE OR FALSE:
1. “GOD CANNOT DO ANYTHING FOR YOU APART OR SEPARATE FROM FAITH”. “FAITHIS GODS SOURCE OF POWER.”
2. “WHEN GOD GAVE ADAM DOMINION, THAT MEANT
GOD NO LONGER HAD DOMINION. SO, GOD CANNOT DO ANYTHING IN THIS EARTH UNLESS WE LET HIM.AND THE WAY WE LET HIM OR GIVE HIM PERMISSION IS THROUGH PRAYER.”
3. “GOD, THE FATHER, IS A PERSON, AND HE IS A TRIUNE BEING BY HIMSELF SEPARATEFROM THE SON AND HOLY GHOST…GOD THE FATHER IS A PERSON, GOD THE SON IS A PERSON, GOD THEHOLY GHOST IS A PERSON. BUT EACH ONE OF THEM IS A TRIUNE BEING BY HIMSELF…THERESNINE OF THEM.”
4. “GOD CAME FROM HEAVEN, BECAME A MAN, MADE MAN INTO LITTLE GODS, WENT BACK TOHEAVEN AS A MAN. HE FACES THE FATHER AS A MAN. I FACE DEVILS AS THE SON OF GOD. IS HE GOD?ARE YOU HIS OFFSPRING? ARE YOU HIS CHILDREN? YOU CANT BE HUMAN! GOD DIDNT GIVEBIRTH TO FLESH.”
5. “DO YOU THINK THAT THE PUNISHMENT FOR OUR SIN WAS TO DIE ON A CROSS? IF THATWERE THE CASE, THE TWO THIEVES COULD HAVE PAID YOUR PRICE. NO, THE PUNISHMENT WAS TO GOINTO HELL ITSELF AND TO SERVE TIME IN HELL SEPARATED FROM GOD…SATAN AND ALL THE DEMONSOF HELL THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD HIM BOUND AND THEY THREW A NET OVER JESUS AND THEY DRAGGEDHIM DOWN TO THE VERY PIT OF HELL ITSELF TO SERVE OUR SENTENCE.”
6. “JESUS WAS BORN AGAIN IN THE PIT OF HELL. HE WAS
THE FIRSTBORN, THE FIRST BEGOTTEN, FROM THE DEAD. HE STARTED THE CHURCH OF THEFIRSTBORN IN THE GATES OF HELL. THE CHURCH STARTED WHEN JESUS WAS BORN AGAIN IN THE GATESOF HELL.”
7. “JESUS WAS CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN. HIS BODY WAS
NOT MORTAL. HIS BODY DID NOT BECOME MORTAL UNTIL THE FATHER LAID OUR SIN NATURE UPONHIM WHEN HE HUNG ON THE CROSS. THE MOMENT THAT HE BECAME SIN, HIS BODY BECAME MORTAL, ONLYTHEN COULD HE DIE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, SPIRITUAL DEATH, THE NATURE OF SATAN, TOOKPOSSESSION OF HIS SPIRIT…”
ALL SEVEN OF THESE STATEMENTS HAVE SOME TRUTH MIXED WITH ERROR. COULD YOU EASILY SEETHE ERROR? IF YOU HAD TROUBLE, PERHAPS YOU NEED TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD MORE.
THE SPIRIT OF ANTI-CHRIST (EITHER AGAINST CHRIST OR SEEKS TO REPLACE CHRIST) IS IN THEWORLD.
IT IS EASY TO DETECT THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST CHRIST. IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO DETECT THOSEWHO SEEK TO REPLACE CHRIST.
HOW DO THEY DO THIS:
1. THEY MAKE GOD LESS THAN HE IS.
2. THEY MAKE MAN MORE THAN HE IS.
3. THEY MAKE SATAN MORE POWERFUL THAN HE IS.
4. THEY MAKE JESUS LESS POWERFUL THAN HE IS. .
4:4WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN DEFENSE FOR FALSE TEACHERS AND FALSE DOCTRINE?
THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE TRUTH FROM FALSE IS ON THE HEARERS.
1. WE HAVE THE GREATER POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US TO TEACH US THE TRUTH. (4).
THEN, WHAT IS THE CHRISTIANS BIGGEST PROBLEM REGARDING FALSE TEACHINGS?
WE DONT TEST THE SPIRITS.
ROM 8:14-16 TELLS US THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT AUTHENTICATES THE MESSAGE BY BEARING WITNESSWITH OUR SPIRIT.
2. WE HAVE BIBLICAL WARNINGS:
WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF FALSE TEACHERS DOES JOHN GIVE HERE?
1. THEY DENY JESUS IS GOD COME IN THE FLESH. (4:3)
YOU CANNOT DENY THE VIRGIN BIRTH AND BE A CHRISTIAN
2. THEY ARE POPULAR WITH WORLDLY PEOPLE. (4:5)
A CHURCH THAT REMAINS TRUE TO THE WORD OF GOD WILL REMAIN FREE OF FALSE TEACHERSBECAUSE THEY WONT STAY AROUND.
3. WE HAVE THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD.
HOW DOES JOHN SAY WE CAN KNOW WE HAVE THE TRUTH? (6)
IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE SAME GOSPEL THAT THE DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES PREACHED, YOU HAVETHE TRUTH. THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN KNOW IF YOU BELIEVE IN THAT SAME GOSPEL IS TO STUDY THEWORD OF GOD TO DETERMINE WHAT THE DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES PREACHED.
HOMEWORK
1JOHN 4 — continued
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION FOR 1JO 4:1-6
WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU THINK ARE THE MAJOR DOCTRINES WITH WHICH CULTS USUALLY CONFUSEPEOPLE.
FOR EXAMPLE: WE TALKED ABOUT THE VIRGIN BIRTH.
PREPARATION FOR 1JO 4:7-21
READ 1JO 4:7-21 LOVE
WHAT DID JOHN MEAN WHEN HE SAID GODS LOVE IS MADE “COMPLETE IN US”?(17)
WHY DOES FEAR INTERFERE WITH THIS “PERFECT LOVE”? (18)
MEMORY VERSE: 1JOHN 4:8
