1John 4:7

1 John 4:7 says, Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  John then calls on us to love one another if we are followers of Christ.  This is not just a good feeling we have about other people, but a willingness to lay down our life for them, even if they don't like or even hate us.  This is the love that Jesus Christ displayed on the cross.  He loved sinners enough to die for them, and this includes you and me.  John said that people who truly love other people with this type of love are born of God.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we are born of God.  

Verse eight adds, He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  John then said the opposite is true.  If we don't have this type of love for others, then we are not of God.  We cannot profess to be a Chrisitan and at the same time display hatred toward anyone.  

Verse nine continues, In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  John said that we could know God's love is manifested toward us because He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so that we might live spiritually through Him.  If we are born again Christians, which is the only way to be a Chrisitan, then we should live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.   

Verse ten states, Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  John said that love is not known by the fact that we love God, but that He loved us enough to send His only begotten Son to die for our sins.  Love comes down from God to us by faith in the Son.  

Verse eleven adds, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.  John then says that if God loved us this much, then if we have accepted His gift of salvation, then we should love everyone the same way.  Yet, too often we don't even love our fellow believers. 

1 John 4:1

1 John 4:1 says, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  John tells us that there are many false spirits in the world and people who would lead us to believe in them.  Anytime we are led to do something that opposes what God's word teaches us, we are led by a false spirit.  I believe that this can be either a spirit of desire that lives in us or a false spirit found in the world and proclaimed by some individual under the leadership of a false spirit.  

Verse two adds, Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  John then tells us how to know that we are led by the Holy Spirit and not a false spirit.  He said that we can know this if we confess that Jesus came in the flesh and was sent by God to be the Redeemer of all.  Of course, we must confess that Jesus Christ is not only a Man sent from God but is Himself God.  Also, even though He died for everyone, we must personally accept Him as our Savior and Lord.  

Verse three continues, And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.  The opposite is also true.  If anyone doesn't acknowledge Jesus Christ came in the flesh as their personal Savior and Lord, they are not of God, but of the antichrist.  He added that people had heard that the antichrist was to come and that he was already in the world.  As long as we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we don't have to worry about the antichrist.

Verse four states, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  John then referred to those he was writing to as little children and said they had overcome the world because the Holy Spirit that lived in them is greater than anything in the world.  As followers of Christ, we aren't secure spiritually because of anything we have done, but we are spiritually secure because of what Jesus did.  He paid the penalty for our sins, once and forever.  

Verse five adds, They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.  John said that those who were of the world and not of God spoke of things of the world and the unsaved people of the world heard them and believed them.  We as Christians may hear unsaved people talk, but we should never believe them if what they are saying opposes the word of God.  

Verse six continues, We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.  John added that if we are of God that those who are also of God will hear us.  He then said that those who were not of God would not hear us.  I believe this means hearing and understanding what we speak about God.  He concluded by saying this is the way we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.     

1 John 3:18

1 John 3:18 says, My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.  John again referred to those he was writing to as little children, and sometimes we need to have a childlike faith.  He said they should show their love by their actions and the truth of God and not just by what they said.  Empty words, those not spoken with the love of God behind them, mean nothing to those we speak to nor to the person speaking them.  

Verse nineteen adds, And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.   John said if we live our lives by doing what we know God would have us do and not just speaking empty words that have no effect on those around us or on us, then we can know that we live by the truth of God.  When we do, our hearts can be assured before God.  

Verse twenty continues, For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.  John said if our heart condemns us that God is greater than our heart. He added that God knows all things.  We may fool the world with a false faith, but we will never fool God.  

Verse twenty-one concludes, Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.  John then stated if our heart, or our thoughts, do not condemn us, then then we can have confidence before God.  If we are a follower of Christ, I believe we will always know when  we are not living in accordance with His will.  

Verse twenty-two states, And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.  John said that whatever we ask from God we will receive because we keep God's commandments.  I believe this means anything we need to in accordance with our calling from God and not just anything we desire in the world; though many people profess that God will give us anything we desire.  

Verse twenty-three adds, And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.  John then states that the commandment we should believe is that we believe on the name of Jesus Christ and love one another.  I believe this means that we are to have a Godlike love for everyone, even people that we do not like.  

Verse twenty-four continues, And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.  John said when we keep God's commandments and dwell in His love that we can know that God lives in us as well.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and we need to live by His direction.  If we do, we can know that we are saved.