Beloved, do not believe every spirit,

but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,

because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

How many books, devotionals, blogs, or podcasts, for that matter, begin with the notion that one should test the spirit that provides its origin?

John is issuing an invitation for you to engage in that very pursuit.  And that includes what you are hearing or reading right now.

On the subject of assurance of salvation, R. C. Sproul, in his book Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, points out four possibilities.

The Apostle appears to address the second group—those who are saved, but have doubts—whether due to actual failings, or owing to a hyperactive concern about the quantity or quality of their deeds.

John wants his readers to know the basis and the blessings of true assurance.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us,

that we would be called children of God;

and such we are.

For this reason the world does not know us,

because it did not know Him.

Beloved, now we are children of God,

and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.

We know that when He appears,

we will be like Him,

because we will see Him just as He is.

John has just drawn a clear distinction between the antichrists and followers of Jesus Christ. There is no middle ground. Darkness—siding with Satan and his followers—is defined by denial…denying The Truth…denying Jesus as Messiah…even denying the Father.

As for you, let that abide in you

which you heard from the beginning.

If what you heard from the beginning abides in you,

you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

Here, the Apostle clearly defines the opposing side to denial—abiding.

Children, it is the last hour;

and just as you heard that antichrist is coming,

even now many antichrists have appeared;

from this we know that it is the last hour.

They went out from us,

but they were not really of us;

for if they had been of us,

they would have remained with us;

but they went out,

so that it would be shown

that they all are not of us.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world,

the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh

and the lust of the eyes

and the boastful pride of life,

is not from the Father,

but is from the world.

The world is passing away,

and also its lusts;

but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

The one who says he is in the Light

and yet hates his brother

is in the darkness until now.

The one who loves his brother

abides in the Light

and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

But the one who hates his brother

is in the darkness

and walks in the darkness,

and does not know where he is going

because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

By this we know that we have come to know Him,

if we keep His commandments.

The one who says,

“I have come to know Him,”

and does not keep His commandments,

is a liar,

and the truth is not in him;

but whoever keeps His word,

in him the love of God has truly been perfected.

If you’re like me, you may have had some difficulty with the word “propitiation”. There are only four times it is used in the entire Bible: Once by Paul, in his letter to the Romans, once by the author of the letter to the Hebrews, and twice by John in his first letter to the churches in Asia.

The fact of the matter is this: Propitiation is the divine work that occurred at the cross.

Before Calvary, mankind was guilty of sin. Because God is completely righteous, and perfectly applies his justice, he was fully justified in demanding punishment from every man, woman and child alive and dead, born and unborn.

Have you ever stopped to consider The Creation?

God did the things Moses described in Genesis not because the objects of Creation were beneficial to Him. The Creation was for us, though we had to wait until the 26th verse before we were brought into being.

And, the very first object of God’s Creation was light.