More Than Words (1 John 4:1-3)

1 John 1:4:1-3 states, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 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.”

While the Greek word for “confess” essentially means “saying the same thing,” and in our above passage that would be saying the same thing as the whole counsel of God says, it also denotes to declare openly. Prior to Christ’s resurrection and just after His crucifixion we find the Apostles cowering behind closed doors, fearing certain Jews who would kill them too. However, after Pentecost, they were bold, having been filled to overflowing by the Holy Spirit. Despite beatings, imprisonment and more, they continued to proclaim the Gospel. Not only did they profess Christ with their mouths, but they professed Him by their lives.

To profess Christ had come in the flesh placed many in peril. Stephen (Acts 7) is an example. While some non-Jews might have thought such a statement was foolishness, there were certain Jews that considered blasphemy worthy of death. As you might know, this murderous spirit exists today. True Christians face the same things, and perhaps even worse, by some, for example, who sadly say “God has no Son.”

Other facets are seen as we consider “is come in the flesh.” Besides persecution, the young Church was confronted with erroneous teachings about Christ. Gnosticism was prevalent. One aspect of that teaching presented a pure God as separate and above His creation, especially sinful man. There could be no direct link. and one intermediate connection was not enough. There had to be a number of steps between man and God. Some gnostics considered Christ as only one of those steps. And, if so, He had to be a phantom, not having a body. One can clearly see in the first four verses of 1 John that, by the Holy Spirit, John made it clear they not only saw Christ but were able to touch Him.

More than that is the point that confessing He came in the flesh would mean living without sin and in obedience to the Father as He did. The despicable belief of cheap grace was also circulating (Jude 4). Even today there are some who orally profess Christ but never deal with their sins. Some think praying the “sinner’s prayer” seals forever their eternal destiny, but there is ample Scripture, like Revelation 3:5, to show  we need to strive against sin and embrace the holiness of God, without which we will not see God (Hebrews 12:14). It is true we are not saved by our works, but we are saved by Christ Himself as He dwells within. And if Christ dwells within, we, having died to sin, will by faith do His works as recorded in His Word and empowered by His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).

Though some disciples who read this might not face physical persecution, all disciples face satanic challenges where we are tantalized to not walk after the Spirit but after the flesh (Romans 8). Let us, by the grace of God through Christ within, always confess not only in word but in deed, not only in public but private, that Christ is indeed come in the flesh and dwells within us.

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This article will be part of my Bible GemLight series as jasper017.

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