1 Peter 1:10-12 - The Prophets Spoke of Salvation

10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

vs. 10-11 - "this salvation" - Peter speaks of this in the previous paragraph - the salvation of your souls.
"prophets who prophesied of the grace... " The prophets told of the grace of God that was to come, but they did not know who the Christ was to be, or when He would come. The Holy Spirit was guiding them in their prophecy. They predicted the sufferings of Christ (see Isa. 53), and the glory of His return. You can bet that these prophets spent time with God, asking to understand what they were saying. We are the beneficiaries of their prophecies. The prophecies did not make it happen; they did tell us it would. Christ's arrival in the world turns out to not be a surprise after all.
If a person shows up unannounced and proclaims to be one with God, and to be a savior, most of us would be skeptical. And well we should. The Jews, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees, were unsure that Jesus was the One. When they became stubborn, they convinced themselves He was wrong. But they were incorrect. This shows two things - ideology trumps evidence, personal arrogance or self-aggrandizement overpower the call to belief. It also shows that we, you and I, can choose to believe. "God does not overwhelm, He can only woo." Screwtape ("Screwtape Letters", C.S. Lewis).

vs. 12 - "...they were not serving themselves..." - The prophets did not predict for themselves but for a later time, for you and me. Their predictions were fulfilled in the gospel. See 1 Cor. 15:3-4 - For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. The real mystery of Christianity is the death and resurrection of Christ. If you accept and believe the fact of Christ's resurrection there is no argument against committing, nor any reason to not commit your life to the Lord.
A book review in 'The Weekly Standard' magazine of the "The Crucifixion" by Fleming Rutledge, noted the 'death of Jesus generates more material every decade and has for centuries' than any subject of any study in a well stocked university library. Why? Because the subject of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection goes to the core of our being - what is the meaning of life? How do we regulate our lives? Is there life after death? How do we know where we'll be when we die?
These questions must be answered. Where else do you find the answers to these questions?

"the gospel" - That is where you get the answers. The prophets did not know the gospel. They did not know the meaning of the resurrection. They knew God and believed Him. They spoke the words He told them to speak.

"by the Holy Spirit" - In our time, the time of the church, the gospel is preached by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has been given to us to help and teach. See John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 Spiritual questions are answered in the Bible. I was going to say "All spiritual questions..." On the other hand, I suspect there are lots of questions that may have no direct scriptural reference answer. Some will need to wait until we see Jesus face to face. Some of those questions will then appear to be silly, and part of our passive rebellion against giving all to Him. There are lots of questions about how we direct our lives that also have no specific answer in the scripture. These questions are answered "obliquely". There is no scripture that says, "Don't smoke cigarettes." There is no scripture that says, "Don't beat your wife," nor "don't nag your husband incessantly." Instead we are given, "Love one another, as I have loved you", and "Love your neighbor as yourself."

"angels long to look" - that little phrase causes me to stagger a bit. Angels in the presence of our Lord don't understand some of things He has planned for us. They stand agape. As it says in 1 Corinthians 2:9,10 But just as it is written, "Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him." God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. Wow! Think about that. God has given us everything. His life is ours. His love is ours. His Holy Spirit lives within us to guide, teach, direct us. Are we willing? Will we commit? He has done His all, and awaits our response. Like salvation being our voluntary decision, so living the Christian life is our decision.
You know you are His child. Consider this fact in making your life decisions. Yield to Him as He directs you each day. Be obedient to His calling. See Rom. 6:6, 11, 13, 16.

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1 Pet. 1:6-9 - Trials serve to prove faith

6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls..

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vs. 6 - "... rejoice... " - Praise the Lord, that he provided that we may be as He is, through faith. The phrase "In this ..." seems to refer to the salvation given to us and will be revealed later mentioned in verse 5. See 1 John 3:1,2 Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.

"... distressed by various trials ... " - Trial serve to prove our faith. "Prove" can have a couple of directions it can go -

1. To confirm as real and true, such as proving a theorem, to determine if it is correct, if it works as proposed.
2. To test and make mature and complete. Trials are also of little consequence, considering the glory we have in store. This could seem to be a glib statement considering the trials you may face in your lifetime - loss of a spouse, or child, a tragedy which might include a senseless death or incomprehensible injury or disease. Trials are of consequence in this lifetime, in that we may learn to trust in the Lord in any and all circumstances. You would think it would be easy to trust in the Lord when things are going well. Somehow, it doesn't always work out that way. Living good seems to dull my 'need' to depend on the Lord for everything. It is during dire circumstances that we truly lean on Jesus. C.S. Lewis said in "Screwtape Letters" that any faith that folds up under duress is not worth much. See: 2 Cor. 4:17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory; James 1:2-4.

Side note: Are all trials that we encounter for our benefit? Or are some of our trials simply the result of a fallen, sinful world? Or are some trials the result of poor decisions on our own part? Can any trial be used to make us a better believer?

vs. 7 - "proof of faith may result... " - He is not speaking of salvation, but the rewards after salvation. See: 2 Tim. 4:7,8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.; See also Heb. 4:1; 1 Cor. 3:13-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; James 1:2-4.

"...more precious than gold ..." - Gold, and all other metals (solid at normal temperatures) are purified by heat. The longer the heat is applied, and the hotter, the more pure the final result. The impurities (called dross) are burned off, or sometimes float to the top and are skimmed off. But no matter how pure the final product, for example gold, the result is not permanent. It is perishable; it can be lost, stolen, or just wear away. See: Job 23:10 - ...when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold; See also Prov. 17:3; Isa. 48:10; Zech. 13:9; see also, Matt. 6:19-21.

vs. 8 - "...have not seen Him, You love Him... believe in Him... " We can love the Lord by faith, and need not have every thing proved to us ("Unless I handle it with my own hands, I will not believe..."). We need not doubt the Lord. Because we can trust the Lord to keep us safe, we know that He loves us, and we can love Him. See John 20:29; Acts 1:9-11.
At the same time, God does not condemn us if we have questions. I believe God would rather have us our brains, challenge, search, seek for the answers. Thoughtless acceptance give us no means of defense when our faith is challenged. "Always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in you." 1 Pet. 3:15.

vs. 9 - "... outcome of faith is salvation..." We often think of 'salvation' as the end of things, being in heaven with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And this is true. But Jesus came that we might be free here on earth. The final outcome is eternal life. In reality, eternal life seems ethereal, beyond understanding. I think it would be hard to remain faithful simply for that alone. We can believe God, He does not lie. He has promised this. Wrapping your 'head around' that concept is not easy. God has given us freedom from sin, freedom from shame and guilt, power to live a sanctified life. He has given us peace. He has given us power, through the Holy Spirit, to overcome our pet sins, our favorite failures. See Rom. 6:22 - But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life; and see Rom.1:16,17; Rom.10:9-10. See also: Eph. 2:8,9; John 3:16.

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1 Pet. 1:3-5 - Our Inheritance

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

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vs. 3 - "according to His great mercy" - we are saved by mercy and grace, no more. It is not that God is condemning those who deserve salvation, but that God is saving those who deserve condemnation. See John 3:36 - The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him; Titus 3:5 - He saved us —not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Rom. 9:16 - So then it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.; See also: Gal. 6:16; Eph. 2:4,5; Eph. 7-9; Rom. 5:8.

"caused us to be born again" - God does not try to rebuild our old selves which are the old nature. We are given a completely new self, a new creature. The old self died with Christ, the new self rose with Christ. If you watch the 'Home & Garden' channel on cable TV, you will see people buying houses and remodeling them. Quite often, if the house is old, they end up gutting the house, tearing down walls, ripping off sheet rock or lathe-and-plaster, tearing up floors. After the work is done, the house appears new. But it still has the same 'bones', same foundation and wall structure. A lot of the original house is still there. You just don't see it. New paint, new flooring, some new appliances and hardware, but the original house is still there.
Our salvation does not happen that way. We will receive a new unblemished body to go with our new spirit when Christ returns before we die, or at resurrection. This is not a cosmetic make-over, nor a remodel job. While we still live on earth, we have our old natural body, our old natural self. The spiritual war that goes on within us is the battle between the old nature and the new. God does not force us to live in any certain way. Our salvation is totally voluntary - "God does not overpower, He can only woo." (The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis). The same is true of living out our salvation - we must give control to the Holy Spirit. He does not wrest it from us. The fascinating aspect of our Christian life is that while we live on earth, we have both (yes, both) the old sinful nature and the new nature within us. That is the perplexing dilemma we face. Each day, each moment we are required to make a decision - to follow the old sinful nature, or to obey the Lord per the new nature. It is easy to follow the old self - it feels right, it is comfortable. We have done it all our lives. Some have called it 'auto-pilot'. We do things habitually. Our task is to develop new habits - those following Jesus. See 1 Pet. 1:23; James 1:18; John 3:1-21; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; Rom. 6:4-6.

"... living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" - Our hope is Christ resurrected. We are really pitiful if our hope in Christ's physical life only. If Christ did not rise from the dead, all of his claims were lies or gross delusions. Christ's resurrection is the biggest story in human history. He lives. We can stake our lives on that fact. See: 1 Cor. 15:12-26 - Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith. In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ — whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. The message is if Christ is not resurrected, then no one is. We have believed and died for nothing. But God has promised it. His promises are true. We have life eternal. See also 1 Cor. 15:50-57; 1 John 3:2,3; 2 Thess. 2:16.

vs. 4 - "inheritance... imperishable... reserved in heaven" - We receive the inheritance, eternal life, through the work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection. It is kept safe in heaven by the Lord. Our greatest reward is eternal life with Christ Jesus, the Lord. That should be enough. I will confess that eternal life is hard to imagine. And since it is so 'far away' both in time and understanding, Jesus has given us more. He has given us a better life here and now. The Holy Spirit is in us to guide, counsel, and help. I am not advocating a 'prosperity gospel', but strength to face trials and trouble, peace to calm our hearts and souls. I cannot guarantee that as a believer I will not have troubles, pain, sickness, or issues with other people. "My peace I give to you." John 14:27 Oh, the wonders we will see as we walk the streets of heaven on that day. John, in Revelations, attempts to describe it. See Revelations 21:1-22:5.
See: Eph. 1:14; Acts 20:32; Luke 12:31-34; Matt. 6:19-21; John 10:27-29, 14:1-3.

vs. 5 - "... protected by the power of God through faith." The omnipotent God, who through grace saves us from condemnation by our faith in Christ, will never let us be separated from Him. See: 2 Tim. 1:12; John 10:27-29; Eph. 1:18-23, 2:8-9, 6:13; Col 2:9-10; Heb. 1:3; 7:25; 11:6; Rom. 1:16-17.
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1 Peter 1:1-2 - Salutation

1:1-2 - Salutation
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
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See note 1 below.
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vs. 1 - Peter - one of the first disciples called to walk with Jesus and learn directly from Him. There are a couple of different accounts in the gospels of how Peter came to follow Jesus. In Matthew 4:18, Jesus calls Peter and Andrew from their fishing jobs to follow Him. In John 1:35-42, Andrew is following John the Baptist, physically and spiritually. Jesus walks by the day after John baptizes Him. Andrew was with John, and was listening when John calls Jesus the 'Lamb of God". Andrew and another guy begin to follow Jesus right then. Andrew goes to his brother, Simon, and tells him Jesus is 'the one they have been looking for'; the one John the Baptist has been telling them was coming. Simon goes with Andrew to see Jesus, and Jesus immediately gives Simon the name Cephas (Greek), or Peter (English version of Cephas). We know that 'Cephas' or 'Peter' means 'rock' or 'stone', and this is significant later in Jesus' ministry.
See: Matt. 16:15-19 Jesus and the apostles (not apostles at that moment, but disciples - they would later become apostles) were discussing 'who' Jesus was - just what was his role in Israel, Jerusalem, and the world. Jesus asks, and Peter gives the 'Great Confession'. Jesus uses this exchange to emphasize the confession is the bedrock (foundation) of the building of the kingdom of God. Peter is not the foundation. Jesus, the Son of God is the foundation. Confession that you believe and accept this fact is your entry to His kingdom.

Apostle - This is one sent, a messenger. It is a unique office of the church. These are people specifically called by the Lord Jesus Christ. There is, or was, a limited number of apostles - no more than 13 to 15 - the original twelve disciples called to walk and learn with Jesus, plus Paul. The twelve was reduced to eleven soon after Jesus was crucified - Judas Iscariot hung himself after giving back the 30 pieces of silver he received for betraying Jesus.
Paul was accosted by Jesus on the road to Damascus. This is amazing, since it was several days, maybe months after the resurrection of Jesus. See Acts 9:3-7 and following. Paul is struck to the ground by the brilliance of Jesus' presence (No one else in the group saw anything). Paul knew it was God, the Lord, speaking to him. He was confused because he was sure he was doing God's will by persecuting the believers of Jesus.
He is asked "Why are you persecuting Me?" You can almost hear the confusion in Paul's response, basically, "What!? Who are You? I am eliminating blasphemers! I am doing God's work! How could I be persecuting the Everlasting God?" Jesus' answer is simple, "I am God. And you are attacking Me." It is probably a stretch to say that Paul was blinded by his arrogance, and then was blinded by his encounter with the Living God. Fortunately both cases of blindness were temporary. Then Paul was taught by the Lord Jesus, and was 'called' to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

'Called' is one of those particularly Christian words, or concepts. Pastors are 'called', missionaries are 'called'; but what does it entail? I think it is one of those things that cannot be described, but you know it when you get it. There are people who are singers, musicians and they are not satisfied unless they are singing and making music. Writers sometimes admit they are not happy unless they write. People who are 'called' to the ministry know that they need to serve the Lord, wherever that may be.

those who reside as aliens - Aliens in two senses -

1. refugees - driven from their homes because of their faith. See Acts 8:1-8 ...and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.; See Acts 11:18 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. Christians were being driven from their homes, their towns and villages because of the persecution. The Jews were the initial persecutors. The Jews were furious with the Christians, assuming they were being blasphemous to Judaism.
   The Jews did not accept or believe the resurrection happened. If they believed that Christ was raised from the dead, then they might need to abandon Judaism to believe in Christ and become Christians. By not accepting the fact of the resurrection they did not need to accept Jesus as God. Persecution from the Romans and other governments came later. Again, the persecution of Christians was not, and is not usually because of the belief system (Christianity) but because the Christians would not deny their faith in Christ and accept a different belief system - such a worshiping Caesar as a god, or in today's world, Islam.
2. We are citizens of heaven, strangers in this world. See Psalms 39:12; 1 Pet. 1:17 This world is your temporary residence; see Eph. 2:19 So then you are no longer foreigners and non-citizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household,; Phil. 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven...; We are now citizens of heaven, having once been at enmity with God, but now are at peace; Col. 3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.; See 1 John 3:1; James 4:4. We are now God's friends not enemies, his children not strangers. Our life is now His; we are in Christ, and He is in us.

This is one of those amazing, incredible, astounding statements of the New Testament, about the church, about the believers. Christ, Lord of Glory, the Creator of the universe, is in us! Add the Holy Sprit, in us, and you have the reason we no longer need to fear Satan, no longer need to fear failure, and we have hope.
This is also the reason that we must live our lives in such a way that Christ living in us is obvious to anyone who looks at our lives. That is a lot of responsibility. Am I living, right now, today in a way the glorifies Jesus and the price He paid? If not, I need to change my behavior immediately. I need to change my way of thinking.

who are chosen - "chosen" and "elect" are used interchangeably; and almost always used to describe a person special to God. It is not often used in a verb sense. Christ said that He called his apostles first, and then they responded. See John ?.

"Chosen" is usually a title of position - we are 'chosen' because we are in Christ. I do not think we are in Christ because we were chosen. (The latter is sort of like "I pick you, and you, and you - but not you. Sorry." Insert sad emoji here.)
A possible reading of the word "chosen" is Sovereign God, omnipotent and omniscient, can pick and choose whom He pleases. Who are we to tell Him what to do? However, I see a conflict with other verses in the scripture if we try to hold to that interpretation.
For example, these promises:

1. all who profess Christ are saved: See Rom. 10:9-10 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation; See Matt. 10:32 "Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.; See John 1:12.
2. Anyone who so desires may come: Matt. 5:6 "Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. See also: Matt. 10:32; 28:18-20.
3. Go, witness, make all men my disciples - Matt. 28:18-20; See Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.

If only certain pre-selected ones are saved, no others have even a hope, because they would be explicitly excluded. Even if they desired salvation, they could not have it. To base salvation totally and only on God's sovereignty takes away from God's grace. That doesn't make sense to me. I am not trying to fit God into my mold, or my theology. I believe God is orderly, has set down rules and procedures, has made promises that He keeps. Saying on one hand, "All that will come, may come," and in another breath (so to speak) "Only those I pick of those who respond may be saved" is contradictory to what I read in the Scripture. It seems cruel to tell people they have hope for salvation, only to tell them after they die that there was no hope after all. God is not that cruel - He is not cruel at all. See Eph. 2:8-9; and see 1 Cor. 15:19, we have hope for a better life now, and hope for much better in the next.
vs. 1-2 - "who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God." Two points to consider:

1. God sees events from the end of all things, as well as from the beginning and the present. For example, He chastises us now because He see the end result as well as our present actions. God 'foreknows', that is, knows beforehand, who will come to Him for salvation (omniscient, remember). But knowing and arbitrarily choosing are not the same. God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11 - For there is no partiality with God.) God must know, He has to know who the chosen ones are. If God picked people for salvation, there is no reason for Him to be patient - see 2 Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance., or Matt. 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
2. God planned before time began that we would be saved in this manner: by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. See 1 Pet. 1:20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world...; Rom. 8:28,29; 1 Tim. 1:9 He is the one who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not based on our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began,; See Acts 2:23 and Eph. 1:4.

vs. 2 - "by the sanctifying work of the Spirit" - There are a number of aspects of this work:

1. God draws men to himself through Holy Spirit; 2 Cor. 3:6 who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.; John 6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
2. The Spirit guides us into the truth - Acts 4:12; John 16:13 .
3. Christ is the acceptable sacrifice for the world's sin. Heb. 9:12 and he entered once for all into the most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured eternal redemption.
4. We have eternal life through the work of the Holy Spirit - Rom. 8:1-27; Gal. 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.
5. We have been perfected by the Holy Spirit. There is no darkness in us - Gal 3:2,3 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort?;
6. Sanctified, or made holy - John17:17 Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.
7. God is light, with no darkness; 1 John 1:5 - Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. See also: Jam. 1:17. Sin is darkness and we are sinful (Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.); we cannot come into the presence (or, rather live in the presence) of God.
8. Sanctification is three phased -
1. (a) Instantaneous - when we accept Christ;
2. (b) Progressive - as we live in obedience, we become more like Him, 2 Cor. 3:18 - And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
3. (c) Completed - when we become as Christ is now, 1 Cor. 15:51-58 Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! See also: 1 John 3:1-2.

"that you may obey Jesus Christ" - We have been saved according to the predetermined plan of the Father. Salvation is not the goal of obedience; obedience is the result of salvation. Eph 2:8-10. We often make the mistake that if we are good enough, God will love us. If we are just obedient enough He will be pleased and save us. Silly people! There is nothing we can do, on our own, that will bridge the chasm between us and God. No amount of obedience, sacrifice, hard work will bring sinless perfection. God knows this! So He has provided the way, at no cost to us, and immeasurable cost to Himself for us to be His friends, His family.

Peter, Paul and the other Apostles understood this amazing fact. I think this concept exploded in Peter's mind like dynamite - he was gob-smacked! It is no wonder that the Apostle Paul was aghast that believers would think it okay to live a life of sin after being saved. We are exhorted to live a life 'worthy' of the price. I visualize the word 'Exhorted': a football coach running the sideline hollering as loud as he can to his running back, "Run! Run! Go hard! The goal is right there! You can do it!"

"and be sprinkled with His blood." Christ, the Great High Priest, cleanses us with His own blood - Heb. 9:6-14. We are purified for Him - Titus 2:14 - He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works, Heb. 10:21-22; Heb. 12:24.

"grace and peace" - At least two aspects of this phrase - (1) It is more than the grace of salvation, but grace upon grace - the Holy Spirit living in control of the life, living by faith. (2) the peace of Christ - John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.
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Note 1: In general I will "italicize" quoted scripture, or fragments of scripture; list scripture references in bold; and will underline Words or phrases from the verses of 1 Peter on which I am focusing.

1 Peter - Introduction and Outline

Background and Summary

This Letter by the Apostle Peter was written about 65 AD - about thirty to thirty-two years after the death and resurrection of the Christ. The church was undergoing persecution, from the authorities in Rome and in the provinces. Nero was the emperor and his persecutions are infamous.
Peter provides encouragement and hope to those who are in the midst of the pain and suffering. Peter's encouragement is that the suffering is not the end. There is glory for those who suffer for the Lord - He is watching and knows exactly what is happening.

The key message is about suffering. Suffering is threaded throughout -
 - The example of Christ's sufferings - see 1:11, 2:21, 4:1, 5:1
 - Look for suffering to happen - see 4:12
 - Suffering as a representation of God's will - see 4:19
 - Patiently bear up under suffering - see 2:23, 3:9
 - Rejoice in it - see 4:13
 - Note others are suffering, too - see 5:9
 - Suffering has value - see 1:6, 2:19, 4;14

This is a practical letter, applying the doctrine to our lives.

OUTLINE

Chapter 1
vs. 1-2: Salutation
vs. 3-5: Our inheritance, God's mercy, power, Christ's resurrection
vs. 6-9: Trials serve to prove faith
vs. 10-12: Prophets spoke of salvation, not fully understanding
vs. 13-17: Advice for conduct as a child of God
vs. 18-19: Purchased by the blood of child of God
vs. 20-21: Christ chosen from the beginning; faith, hope
vs. 22-25: Purity by belief, obedience, and word of God

Chapter 2
vs. 1-3: Grow to match your salvation; avoid self serving actions
vs. 4-5: We are the living spiritual house for a living Christ
vs. 6-8: Christ - cornerstone and stumbling block
vs. 9-10: We are his people, by His mercy
vs. 11-12: We must be above reproach since we are his people
vs. 13-17: Obey civil authorities; do what is right
vs. 18-19: Servants - obey your masters
vs. 20-23: Christ's innocent sufferings are an example for us
vs. 24-25: Christ bore our sins; He is the protector of our souls

Chapter 3
vs. 1-6: Wives, let your beauty be from within
vs. 7: Husbands, your wife is an equal in God's family
vs. 8-12: Harmonious living - giving a blessing to others
vs. 13-17: You are blessed if you suffer for the sake of righteousness
vs. 18-22: Christ died for our sins.

Chapter 4
vs. 1-2: Be prepared to suffer as Christ did
vs. 3-5: A changed life sometimes brings ridicule
vs. 6: Gospel preached so we may live in the Spirit
vs. 7-9: Have a sound mind; love one another; be hospitable
vs. 10-11: Use your gifts from God to glorify him
vs. 12-14: Expect suffering, rejoice in it
vs. 15-16: Never suffer because of evil actions
vs. 17-19: Judgement - for Christians, then others; entrust your soul to Christ

Chapter 5
vs. 1-5: Elders take care of your flock
vs. 6-7: Humble yourselves before God
vs. 8-9: Resist the devil, be alert
vs. 10: Christ will perfect you; after you have suffered
vs. 11-14: Stand firm in God's grace. Closing comments and greetings
***

Written by: the Apostle Peter
Written to: Christian 'refugees' in the Mediterranean area
Written for: to give the refugees a morale boost.

1 Pet. 1:13-17 - Advice for Conduct as a Child of God

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

vs. 13 - "Therefore..." - This refers to all that was said above in verses 1-12. Because of all this that has been done for us by the grace of God we are to:
"gird your mind... keep sober... fix your hope" - Be prepared at all times to deal with the world through the Lord. Have a sound mind. Use logical reasoning, yet totally trusting in the Word. Our hope is in God's grace freely given. I do not like the phrase "blind faith". It implies that believers assassinate their brains and take a blind leap. It implies we are incapable of thinking, therefore being either ignorant or stupid we are stuck with blind faith. It implies emotional response, not rational thought, and people like this are weak, needing a crutch. Based on this 'weakness' decisions are made based on nothing but hope.

There are several good books that deal with Christians learning to be smart (not clever), including "Know What You Believe" by Paul Little, and "Loving God with All Your Mind" by J. P. Moreland. If you want to expand your mind try "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis, or "Total Truth" by Nancy Pearcey. Neither of these two authors are mental lightweights. I guarantee you these books are not mind fluff - you will read and re-read paragraphs to comprehend what is being said. God wants us to understand and believe. See Deut. 6:5, Mark 12:30.

A quote from Thomas Jefferson, "Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." A faith that cannot understand what or why it exists will be weak and of no consequence when faced with trials, problems, or challenges from others. Later in this letter, Peter admonishes us to "always be ready".

The things promised by Jesus our Savior, and written about in scripture can be taken as true and trustworthy. There are things that are not fully explained, like heaven (too glorious to explain in words) or the Rapture and all the events in the end times. I think these are "side issues" and not critical to salvation. Salvation information is clear, concise - "Believe and you will be saved."

Although I don't understand everything that is to happen, I know that at the coming of Christ we will be glorified as Christ is glorified. See Col. 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory; 1 Thess. 5:6-8 but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ; Rom. 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.; Titus 2:6 - Likewise urge the young men to be sensible.

vs. 14 - "obedient children" - We believers are children of God. Not always are we obedient. See: 1 John 2:1-6; 1 Pet. 1:2; John 15:10; and The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. Peter is encouraging us to behave like obedient children. Rom. 8:16 If you know you are a child of God, then let your way of living be a demonstration of that knowledge. Let it be your roadmap, your GPS, being yielded and obedient to Him

"do not be conformed to the former lusts..." - Before we became Christians there were certain things we did that were not a credit to our Lord. See: 1 Pet. 4:2-4; Rom. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world; 1 John 2:15-17 ...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. Don't go back to those actions, those desires. Before you were a Christian you didn't know any other way. On the other hand, that is not completely true. All people have a sense of right and wrong, fair and not fair. I believe this basic understanding is imbued in all of us by God. Knowing there is a right way to behave is often overridden by our reasoning. See: Eph. 4:18 being darkened in their understanding... because of the hardness of their heart; 1 Cor. 2:14,15 - But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. See also: Acts 17:30. Only the grace of God and His Holy Spirit can give us the power to choose rightly, consistently.

vs. 15 - "like the Holy One who called you" - God is Holy. Lev. 11:45 There is no darkness in Him. Jam. 1:17. See also: 1 John 1:6, 3:3 - We therefore should be imitators of him, and be pure in all our actions. See 2 Cor. 7:1; James 3:13; Phil. 2:15; 1 Thess. 5:22; Rom. 15:13,14.

vs. 16 - "FOR I AM HOLY." See: Lev. 11:44,45 - For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. Lev. 19:2 - You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. "Holy" is one of those 'churchy' words. We all think we know what it means. It is to be morally sacred, or set apart. There is no other God, none other like Him. That is one of the reasons He is Holy - there is no other! He is perfect in mercy. He is perfect in love. He is perfect in justice. He is worthy to be worshipped. See Deut. 4:35, 39; Isa. 45:5, 21,22; Dan. 3:29; Joel 2:21.

vs. 17 - "address as Father..." - If we are going to call God "Our Father", we should be expecting treatment as His children. We are forgiven our sins. This does not mean we have a free pass to misbehave. The children He loves He chastises for their misbehavior. See Prov. 3:11,12 - My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.; Also, see: Heb. 12:5-11 - He expects more than lip service as can be seen from the rest of this verse.

"... impartially judges..." Our sins are forgiven when we accept Christ, but we will be asked to account for our lives, and what we have done with them. See Acts 10:34,35; Deut. 17:10 - you shall be careful to observe according to all that they teach you.; Rom. 2:6, 11, 14:12; Gal. 2:6; Col. 3:24,25 - knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.; and Psa. 62:12; Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; 1 Cor. 3:13 - each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.

"conduct yourselves in fear..." - Knowing that you are held accountable. We do not fear eternal separation, but the purifying judgement seat of Christ.
"Fear" is one of those interesting words in the Bible. If we are safe in Christ, if we no longer are under condemnation, why 'fear'? If death has no power over us, and Satan can not get us, why 'fear'? What about fear of failure, failing to live up to the calling of Jesus? If we have forgiveness of sins, should there be 'fear of failure'? It is perfectly possible to believe that we will experience sorrow for the sins in our lives, or not living as He call us to do as Christians at the judgement seat of Christ.
I do not see fear (fear of losing our promised salvation, and being cast into Hell) at the judgement seat of Christ. The word 'fear' used here can also mean 'reverence as for a husband'. This makes more sense to me. We can easily understand that we can (or need to) live our life governed by reverence for Jesus.

The reason for the actual fear, dread of the Lord can be seen in Heb. 10:31 - How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.;

Consider this: When we are disobedient we are stomping on Jesus Christ our Savior (visualize a protester stomping on an American flag, or picture a protester kicking someone who has fallen on the ground and is defenseless) I am not saying that Jesus is defenseless, but our behavior treats him as such. You are grinding into the dirt the blood He shed on the cross for you. That shed blood is holy, it is the sacrifice paid for the sins of the world - for your sins, for my sins. This is not an impersonal sacrifice, a lamb plucked from a flock. This is very personal to you and I, and to Jesus. We are slated for death, eternity separated from the love of God, because of our sinful nature. He personally died for you, alone. He personally died for me. When we deliberately disobey, we spit in the face of the Holy Spirit (Yes, I know the Holy Spirit may not have a face, but we insult the Holy Spirit) who is to fill and control us by God's grace. These are strong words. Another reason for the actual fear, dread of the Lord can be seen in The judgement seat of Christ: 2 Cor. 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Everything we do will be revealed, and we will be judge on these acts. See: 1 Cor. 3:13-15. Have you ever wondered why is says in Rev. 7:17, 21:4 God Himself will wipe every tear from our faces? We're in heaven, face to face with our Lord, free from sin and pain. Why are we crying? I think we will know that we have not lived up to the cost paid for us. We cry not because of fear, but of knowledge of failure.

***

1 John 5:14-21 - We can intercede for others!

We can intercede for others! 

Vs. 5:14 – This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. - 

I have thought this verse and the next were parenthetical, dealing with we believers having confidence that our prayers will be answered (assuming our requests fit His will). That premise is true in the context of these two verses. But I think it may be bigger than that small premise.
As I look at verses 14 through 20, perhaps the contextual area is larger than just two verses (14 &15). As believers our hope is based on our relationship with God. We communicate with Him, and He with us. But many people do not put much stock in prayers, saying, "What's the use?" They think prayer is just a feel-good exercise. Or perhaps prayer is inner focused, similar to repeating a mantra, yoga-like until you are feeling peaceful. Some people think that prayer is only for you and I to focus our thoughts and desires. In their view prayers are useless.
Prayers are not useless. Prayers are not just an exercise. If God does not exist, and if He does not love us - then praying would be a waste of time. You might as well cast Those positive feeling exercise (the prayers) into the wind for all the good it will do. This is not the musical 'Paint Your Wagon' in which one of the actors sings "I talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me."
God does exist. He does love you. And the most amazing thing of all God wants a relationship with you. On Valentine's Day our Pastor Gene preached on this very subject - communication. You can hear the sermon linked here, or in the Meadow Springs Community Church podcast "Adventurous Living". The message is about how we communicate with one another in marriage. A significant part of communication is listening to the other person in the relationship. God has told us throughout the scripture to seek Him, call upon Him, search for Him. If you do, you will find Him, because he listens. 2 Chron. 7:14; Psa. 17:6, 31:17, 5:15, 86:7, 91:15.

Jesus and the Father hear us when we pray.

Vs. 5:15 – And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. -

Confidence. We need not fear that He will not listen, that He will not respond. We can know He hear us! God is not an absentee landlord. Jesus is not inattentive to our conversations with Him. He hears us, and more importantly He listens. Too often we respond to someone else with, "Uh-huh." "Yeah." Either we don't really listen, or we are merely waiting for a chance to jump in with our opinion. THAT NEVER HAPPENS when we talk with Jesus. He is more than willing to listen to our prayers as if we are the only person to whom He is listening. One of the advantages of being an omni-present omni-powerful God. No matter where you are, He is near you. Acts 17:27 Add to the fact He is near you, He loves you!
This has many ramifications. Start with 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." If I cannot KNOW, and have complete faith in Jesus hearing and acting, this verse is meaningless. I would be hopeless - in every sense of the word - a loser and without hope. When in trials I need peace and strength which I lack. I have no confidence that I will survive if He is not listening. If I cannot trust He hears when I confess He is Lord, and that I believe that He died for my sins, and that I believe in Him - and that He will save me as He promised - I am among all people the most pitiful. 1 Cor. 15:19 I will have fallen for a ruse, a massive con game ("con game" from 'confidence game' where the perpetrator gains someone's confidence and trust, and then crushes that trust). 
I do not believe the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are running a con game against the whole world. That thought is from the Devil. He is the one that convinces people that faith is wrong, that Christ is not needed in our lives.
In addition, we must also know that God is not a genie exploding from a lamp when we rub it. The personal aggrandizement stuff that genies provide is not part of this equation - If we ask anything according to His will. Look back to verse 14. In the context of vss. 14-20 (especially 14-16) Jesus wants us to pray for others, always with the purpose of leading them to Him. In some cases, it is to bring people back to Jesus after they have strayed.

Vs. 5:16 – If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. -

This is where the confidence is needed. I believe 'brother' is refering to another follower of Christ, not necessarily a sibling. God will save, with eternal life, those we pray for. If we observe another believer falling into sin, we are to pray for God to restore that person.
Which brings me to one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament: sin leading to death. What is that? I needed to consulate 'experts', because this is a tough one. We know that the consequence of sin is death - both physical and spiritual. Start with Gen. 2:17,18; Gen. 3:1-8. From the very beginning of mankind's relationship with God, death has loomed over us because of sin. (Interesting to ponder: perhaps Eve did not hear the command to not eat from the tree of knowledge - it was said to Adam before Eve came on the scene, as the narrative indicates, though I may be reading too much into that. Remember, Adam needed to share that command with Eve. Maybe it is the first instance of husband-wife mis-communication.)
However, Eve did not give the correct answer when Satan taunted her. She did not quote God's words as Jesus did when He was tempted. She was tricked into disobedience. Adam knew better, and did it anyway. Adam reminds me of Red Skelton's comedy bits about the 'Mean Widdle Kid." The character would say, "If I do this, I'll get in trouble." (Short pause) "I dood it anyway." Adam's is the more egregious sin.
It doesn't matter which was 'worse', both sins broke the relationship. It is Adam's sin. It is Eve's sin. It is in our genes, our biology - we are lost.
Ezekiel says it plainly, "The man who sins will surely die." Ezek. 18:20,21
Do be mistaken, there is no way for you to NOT sin. This verse does not say 'If you sin, then you die', which would logically imply 'If you do not sin, then you will not die.' We sin because we are sinners. Ergo sum we all die. The Psalms echo this (14:1-3; 53:1-3). In the gospels, John 3:12-21, 36. Paul also says it simply, bluntly, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of the Lord." Rom. 3:23
Think on that. If we cannot match His glory, we cannot live with Him. Doomed! But all is not lost. God the Father has provided by the power of the Holy Spirit, through His only Son the means to live in peace with Him.
If the point of this that all sin is death, then what is John writing about? John was not writing to non-believers. His readers had already transitioned from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of light Col. 1:12-13. All of their sins have been forgiven. For you and I, any and all of our sins were 'future' on the world's timeline (God is eternal and timeless, so nothing is future for Him.)
Jesus himself indicated there are some sins that can't be forgiven. "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven." Matthew 12:31 (NASB).
There is only ONE sin that separates us from God - rejection of His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. So what is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Denying He exists, and is the One who draws us to Christ - most likely. Rejecting the leading of the Holy Spirit, and trying to come to Jesus on your terms rather than His, is attempting to attain salvation apart from Christ. Rejecting the leading of the Holy Spirit is a major problem. Again, John is writing to Christians. They presumably have done none of this. Yet, John is warning them there are those who have done the unforgivable.
A couple of the commentaries propose this sin is rejecting Jesus after having said and committed yourself to Him. This is extremely troublesome, for there are many of us with children who have fallen away from the faith. Am I not to pray for that child of mine? God forbid! That is unthinkable for me. I cannot abandon my child because he has made a big, big mistake! I pray constantly that God will not let his heart be so hardened by his unbelief, that he denies Jesus exists, that God exists. That, perhaps, is the sin unto death - not only rejecting your faith, but also stepping over the line to denying God and Christ's existence. Sometimes this is labeled apostasy.

I am not sure that is the explanation of that troublesome phrase, but I am not alone. This one of the toughest verses to understand in the scripture.
***
Vs. 5:17 – All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. -

Almost everything said above applies here. All sin leads to death. Confessing Jesus gives life. John cannot (surely, he does not) mean that if we sin after we accept Jesus we will die. We're all dead, dead, dead if that is so. Also, I do not believe he means there are sins we can commit without penalty, or at least very little punishment. I equate this with a Catholic Church point of view - venal versus mortal sins. John is repeating a theme: there is a sin that inevitably leads to death (or second death, or separation from God, or going to hell) which is rejection of Jesus as Son of God, denying the Holy Spirit, turning your back on God. All other sins are covered by Jesus' death and resurrection.
Continuing the thought beginning this paragraph, v. 14, 15 - if we pray according to God's will in order to 'reclaim' a fellow believer who has strayed from the way, He will hear us. Conversely, it appears that if a believer begins to commit apostasy - rejecting Jesus, rejecting the call of the Holy Spirit, blaspheming the Holy Spirit, denying God the Father, and trying to draw others away (the last is my thought, thinking along the lines of testing the Spirit to determine orthodox teachers and rejecting false teachers (anti-Christs)) - we are not to pray for them. God will deal with them. We are not to try to bring them back 'into the fold'.

Pray for the fallen. Do not pray for the apostate.
***
Vs. 5:18 – We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. -

These three verses, (18-20) may or may not be a continuation of the 'sin not leading to death' thoughts above. But it is a message introduced early in this letter. When we have Christ in our lives, and are controlled/empowered by the Holy Spirit, we will not live in sin. Again, we will commit sins until we go to heaven. We are broken. But we are not consumed by sin, We are not condemned to practice sin. 'Practice' as in doing it on purpose, over and over and over, all the while knowing better. 'Practice' as in practicing law, or a doctor's practice - and endeavor, avocation, way of life.
One truism from this verse - Jesus was born of God through Mary. God has Jesus at His right hand in heaven, and has been there since the resurrection and ascension. Satan cannot touch Him - cannot bother, cannot torture, cannot tempt, cannot annoy. Satan is helpless. When we are reborn, 'born of God', we now are under the umbrella of protection. God will not allow us to be taken away by Satan. Now, how that corresponds to a believer becoming apostate is a quandary. I would ask, if I am God's, how do I become an enemy of God? How do I progress from belief to antipathy to Him? If I am in His hand, if I am protected by Him, how do I stray so badly that I hate HIM?
The first half of this verse indicates 'no one'... sins. Can I conclude from this that the one who becomes apostate was never born of God? I think this verse is not directly about Jesus, even though it does fit with what He as done, and where He is.
The first part of this letter is setting forth the way you can know you are saved, by putting forth 'If...Then' statements. We know we are His if we obey His commands. Likewise, we can know we are kept by God, kept safe, if we keep His commandments. And if we keep His commandments, He will keep us. There is no need to worry about being apostate, or sins that lead to death if we follow Him. He will not let us fall. Praise the Lord!

***
Vs. 5:19 – We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. -

While the rest of the world is beset by Satan, and is under Satan's sway - God calls people to Him. Those that respond to Christ are no longer under the power of Satan. Isn't that amazing!

***
Vs. 5:20 – And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. -

Verses 18, 19, and 20 each start off with 'we know' - (1) God keeps those who are born of Him; (2) We are God"s, but the world is Satan's; (3) the Son of God has come to show us understanding and the truth, including both the Son and the Father. When we listen to the gospel, God himself through the Holy Spirit helps us to understand. When we commit our selves to Jesus we can see the truth more clearly, and we understand and see the eternal life.

Knowledge and understanding, eternal life - what more could we ask for?

***
Vs. 5:21 – Little children, guard yourselves from idols. -

This statement seems to come out of the blue. Just as in the Old Testament, there is always the danger that we will begin to substitute a physical object for the real thing. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, 'God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.' John 4:23, 24 If we substitute any object, whether it is the cross, the shroud of Turin, a chalice, an empty tomb, for our worship we open ourselves to trouble. If we pray to an icon, a picture, any object, we are not worshipping Christ, we are not worshipping God.
Go back to verse 20 - we have the Son, we have understanding, we have the truth. We have the true one, we have the eternal life. Don't be distracted by things, stuff. We have the true one - focus on Him, and Him alone. We will be fine.

You can know this!
End of chapter.
Completed 22Jun2015

1 John 5:6-13 - Witness of the Holy Spirit

Witness of the Holy Spirit 

Vs. 5:6 – This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood.It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. -

Water and blood: refers to his physical birth and physical death. See Gen. 9:4, Lev. 17:11, 1. That Jesus came and became a living breathing human being is important. One of the heresies (e.g., Gnosticism and others) about the savior is that He was not really a human, but was a spirit appearing to be a human. The problem with this line of thought is the debt of sin cannot be paid without a death. That was the purpose of the sacrifices - the atonement. It is not possible for a spirit being to atone for human sins. A spirit being would have no blood. Fake blood (the appearance of blood, but not really) has all the efficacy of a movie stunt gimmick. Exploding packet of red dye appear real, but are not. How many times have you seen this in Mission Impossible movies and TV?  

Where does the 'water' fit into this testimony? There are a couple of possible explanations. It has been noted that this passage has been controversial since it was written. Much better theological scholars than I have debated the meaning. Oh well, here goes... I believe there are two or three most likely explanations. 
The first is the water refers to natural birth - there is a 'water' that surrounds the baby in the womb. (I do not know if the placenta water is simply water, or has other nutrients for the baby's growth, but we all know about 'the water breaking' indicating impending birth.) This shows that Jesus was a real baby human, born of a human mother.
Another reference to water is the baptism of Jesus in the gospels (Matt. 3:13-17, et. al.). Jesus did not need to be baptized for repentance like the others who were listening and believing John the Baptist. He did this to show us that we could identify with Him, or He identified with us. 
Another possibility regarding the water has to do with the events of the crucifixion. Specifically when the Roman soldier pierced Jesus' side and 'water and blood' flowed down.

It was not enough for Jesus just to be on earth. So have several billion humans, but all the rest were not sent from God for us. All the rest did not die for our sins. All the rest did not resurrect from the dead to life, or receive approval from God to be exalted to the throne. (1 Tim. 3:16)

(Side note: it is said by many, many teachers that we know that Jesus now knows how we feel because He too was human and felt and suffered as we do. He knows what it is to be human. To say that Jesus had to be human in order to identify with us, limits the omniscience of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. This line of thinking is a version of "don't judge a man until you have walked in his shoes"; or God cannot really know pain, or loss, or suffering unless He became human. Really? Really? I think that it is more for us to trust Him, than for Him to finally comprehend what it is to be human. We can now look to Jesus and think,"Ahh, He now knows what I am going through. I can trust Him to want to help me." Again, I believe this is for us, since we have difficulty believing that others can completely empathize unless they have gone through what we have gone through. It is for us because we are so untrusting we cannot believe that God could love us unless He has experienced the trials and tribulations we face. Our ignorance or limited understanding of omniscience - complete and perfect knowledge of everything that ever was, is, or will be, requires that we come up with these types of explanations.) 

Vs. 5:7, 8 – For there are three that testify:
the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. -

verses 7 and 8 go together, making little sense alone. (Verse 8 kind of stands alone, but the two are one sentence.) It appears that verses 6-8 are a set. Verse six speaks of the advent of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Water, blood, and Spirit - how are these tied together in testimony, and how do they apply? Above, in verse six, I said the water and the blood were references to Jesus's birth and death. See Matt. 1:20. They also could apply to his baptism - the beginning of His ministry - and his death, sacrifice on the cross - the completion of His ministry. See also John 3:5.
The Holy Spirit is the One that draws our Hearts and minds to salvation. We do not come to salvation on our own - we can't, we're sinners. In the OT, very few believers received the Holy Spirit - the prophets, some of the Judges, the artisans that fabricated the Tabernacle. It does not appear that the Holy Spirit was manifested in all of the Jews, or other believers. This filling and empowering by the Holy Spirit for all believers is new, a 'mystery' (a mystery is a new revelation from God to believers that was not mentioned or understood from prophecy or revealed in the OT. The 'church' is a good example. That the Messiah would die for our sins, or that Gentiles would be welcomed are not mysteries - these were revealed but improperly understood). That the new covenant would result in the church, the body of believers, distinct from the Jews of the old covenant is a new revelation - therefore, a 'mystery'. Jesus reveals that the Holy Spirit will be with us, fill us, teach us and guide us - this too is a 'mystery' since this phenomenon is new and not clearly prophesied in the Old Testament. 

See John 14:16,17, 24, 26; 15:26; 16:13,15. Jesus commands the apostles (still disciples when this event occurs) to receive the Holy Spirit - John 20:20. 

In Acts we see the church grow both spiritually and physically by the power of the Holy Spirit - Acts 1:5, 8; 2:4, 38. 
It started in Jerusalem, spread to Samaria, and the rest of the world (Gentiles) - Acts 8:7, 29; 19:2. Paul writes in Romans 8:2, 16, and 17 that the Holy Spirit is the one that moves and convicts. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us in all things related to Jesus and the Father because the Spirit has access to everything in God's name - EVERYTHING (1 Cor. 2:10, 12). But we are a stubborn and stiff-necked people. Even as Jesus was doing miracles, healing and casting out demons, there were many who would not believe He was the Messiah (John 10:25-38). 
If you cannot believe His testimony, His words about Himself are true - that He is God, and He has come to save us from our sins - why doesn't the physical evidence, doing miracles that only God can do cause you to believe? If words don't work, then miracles should convince.

Jesus himself, at the Last Supper, offered the wine as "This is my blood, shed for you." 

Vs. 5:9 – If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. 

"we receive the testimony" - This is a reference to legal issues. The testimony of one witness was not sufficient to make a judgement in Jewish law. Even in American jurisprudence, two witnesses is much better than one. We have the testimony of the apostles (see: 1 John 1:1-4, John 1:1-11, Rom. 11:13; 1 Cor. 9:1). The apostles were protective of the gospel - always aware if a teacher was not preaching the 'true gospel', or 'my gospel'. (Rom. 16:25; 2 Tim. 2:8). The most powerful testimony of our faith in Jesus is the change He has made in our lives. This is said very clearly in Hebrews 2:3-4 - how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. 

Vs. 5:10 – The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. - 

God inserts the Holy Spirit within us, confirming with our spirit, when we believe and accept Jesus as Lord. We need no other proof than the Holy Spirit. He has been given to teach and help and guide us through our Christian life. See John 14:13-17.

"the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar," - This is an interesting construct. Choosing NOT to believe that Jesus is the Messiah has deeper ramifications than just saying, "I don't want to believe." Why do we say that we do not believe someone, especially someone who giving testimony, corroborating evidence to an issue? There are several reasons: the answer may be beyond our understanding (a detailed explanation of pi mesons, or bosons, or Schroedinger's cat). The information is too fanciful (time travel, Tarot cards or astrology). We do not know the person giving the testimony, or know his curriculum vitae (does this person have the background to be accepted as knowledgable in this matter?). We may know this person to be less than truthful (Bill Clinton, Sen. Harry Reid, ex-Gov. John Kitzhaber). There may be more reasons, but you get the point. Do any of the above reasons apply to the Lord? No.
Well, maybe trying to understand why He would want to save us, sinners all. That may be beyond our understanding, despite all the explanations given in scripture. God has told us what He has done. God is not a man, so he cannot lie. Num. 23:19 He has not lied to us, so there is no reason to doubt His promise. There are ample examples of His faithfulness in the Bible. But we do not need to just believe what we are told, or read, because there is the following: 

Vs. 5:11 – And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. -

What is the proof? The proof of our faith is that we now have eternal life. We got it from and through Jesus. In some ways, that is the icing on the cake. We have received as a result of our belief, release from shame and the guilt of sin. We have received the Holy Spirit as a earnest agreement, a guarantee the eternal life is ours. With the Holy Spirit we also receive the power, ability to live in a manner worthy of the sacrifice made. We have received peace - the peace with God and the peace of God. We no longer need to fear what will happen when judgment comes. We can also face the trials we encounter as we go through life. Eternal life, being in the presence with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is the big prize, and I do not want to trivialize that. Paul emphasizes this in 1 Cor. 15:19 For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.
The peace of God in our present life is wonderful, beyond compare. But if that is all there was to it, if that is all we have to hope for (which is an existentialist point of view) we are really big losers! If that is all you see, you are missing the big picture, the whole point of Scripture, the reason for Christ's life, death and resurrection. God wants us to be with Him! The God who speaks universes into being, who is glorious beyond imagining wants to be with us. He wants us to be with Him! He took the effort to prove it. Eternal life is not just 'Pie in the Sky, bye and bye', we can know it now and live accordingly. Stephen Covey in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People wrote that you stop to consider what you want people to think of you when you die and live accordingly (that's a paraphrase). We know what is in store for us, and can live accordingly - not in profligacy but in a manner worthy the price and the glory. 

Vs. 5:12 – He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. - 

Jesus himself said that He was was the way, and the truth, and the life; that there was no other way to eternal life. (John 14:6). This is really straightforward, simple. Either you have Christ, or you don't. It's black or white. Yes or no. There is no maybe yes, maybe no. It is not a bell curve. It is not a matter of balance scale - the good out weighs the bad, or vice versa. There is no comparison of my life to another's. Is my name written in the Lamb's Book of Life? See Rev. 20:11-15; 21:27; 13:8. From the old jazz song "Is you is, or is you ain't..."

We Can Know!

Vs. 5:13 – These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. -

This is a summary of what was said beforehand. - This letter is one long encouragement. It is written to believers to help them see and know they are blessed and to live so. See also Mark 2:10, Luke 8:10, John 10:38, and John 20:31. The truth is out there! (Sorry about the 'X-Files' reference...)

1 John 5:1-5 - We Have the Love of God

We have the love of God

Vs. 5:1 – Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. -

Jesus himself said, "You must be born again." (John 3:3-8) The other important factor, you cannot have one (Father or Son) without the other (Son or Father). They are intrinsically linked. It is totally unacceptable to say you love God (the Father) and hate the Son (who is also God). If God the Father sent the Son into the world to save the world (and He did) then the Son is a total representation of God. If you reject the representation, you have rejected God. Again, cannot reject Jesus without rejecting God.
"Born" - important to know that we are new creatures. The old has passed away, behold new things have come. (1 Cor. 5:17).

Vs. 5:2 – By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. -

"By this we know..." This is how we know - we love God and obey. Not only do we love Jesus Christ (a requirement) but we also love other believers. Verse one: whoever loves the Father loves the Son (the child born of Him). This can also be extrapolated to believers - those born again, born again by God's mercy - who will love one another. Paul does that.
See: John 14:21, 23 The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him... Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him.

Vs. 5:3 – For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. -

Jesus himself said that his yoke was easy and his burden was light (Matt. 11:30). The apostles recognized that the burden of the Jewish Law was too much for new believers to try to live under (see Acts 10:15, 28).

Overcoming the World

Vs. 5:4 – For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. -

Here again the theme of being born again. The slight difference here is that we are no longer at the mercy of the the forces of the world. Does this mean you and I will not have no problems, no issues to deal with as we go through life? It does not. The world, and its problems, most importantly the sin nature we all have is no longer our master. We are no longer slaves to sin. We no longer need to fear death. Death has been defeated. Not physical death, but even that is not permanent. We will be resurrected to eternal life.

Vs. 5:5 – Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? -

if you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you are saved. It is a simple equation, saved equals overcome the sin and death of our nature.

-

Col. 4:2-6 - Be Devoted

Be graceful in all dealings and actions

Vs. 2 - Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.

- See: 1 Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18. The importance of prayer cannot be overstated. Keeping alert is also mentioned in 1 Pet. 5:8. Paul has a long prayer list. Look at almost any letter Paul writes, it will include a list of the people he prays for.

Vs. 3 - At the same time pray for us too, that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

- Paul is asking for prayer so that he might speak the word clearly. That he may tell the gospel of Christ to the world around him. Paul is not referring to being a slave of Christ when he writes of being in chains. Paul was writing from prison, during his first imprisonment in Rome, about 60 A.D.

Vs. 4 - I, Paul, write this greeting by my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

- At the beginning of the letter, Paul identifies himself as the author. In this part of the letter Paul actually writes it himself. Implied is that most of the letters were dictated to a scribe. Some believe that Paul had problems with his eyes. It is not known what exactly.

Vs. 5 - Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities.

- See Eph. 5:15,16. Again, wisdom (Col. 3:16). Apply the teachings of Christ about actions and attitudes towards others. Make good use of every chance to talk about Christ, and what he has done for you. See also 1 Pet. 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Vs. 6 - Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.

- a continuation of the above thought - be able to visit graciously and interestingly with every person. And be informed in the Holy word of God. Be prepared to share the intimate knowledge, not just book learning, so that we can answer any question that may arise about the gospel of Christ. See: 1 Pet. 3:15

1 John 4:17-21 - Evidence of God's Love in Us.

Evidences of God's love in us.

4:17 – By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. -

Jesus' love for us, having been amply demonstrated, gives us confidence to face God on the final judgement. Also, this is an exhortation, for us to follow Jesus' example. He came to demonstrate God's love for the world. We are to do the same.

Love... Confidence

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4:18 – There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. -

Fear versus love. How does that fit into this discussion? If we are confident before God on the day of judgement (see v. 17) it means we no longer fear facing Him. Judgement usually involves punishment - there are really only two outcomes when facing judgement, punishment or exoneration.

Love... No fear

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4:19 – We love, because He first loved us. -

Our salvation is not a response to our devotion to God. In other words, salvation is initiated by God. God is not responding to our love, we are responding to His love for us. This is not to say God does not respond to our love; He does through fellowship, relationship, the Holy Spirit living in us, teaching and guiding us. His love for us is first. If, or when, we respond in faith and belief He showered us with blessings, peace. See John 3:16.

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4:20 – If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. -

Love and hate are incompatible. The popular myth, put forward by Hollywood and TV, is that love and hate are close. I think this is a misunderstanding, confusing passion and lust. Anger is a driving passion; lust is a driving passion. But do not confuse lust with love. Love is an emotion, and can be a driving force - see God's love for us. Both lust and hate are driven by selfish desires, hormones, instincts. What we say and do comes from within. (See: Matt. 13:34, 15:11, 18).
You cannot love someone and desire to see them hurt. Likewise you cannot hate another person, and want the best thing for them (by 'best' - you cannot want to see them hurt or destroyed, or go to hell; there is no wishing they would have an accident, or die, or catch some horrible disease). I suspect that even Satan knows the 'best' for people is to not reject Jesus and go to Hell. Why does he persist? He is driven by His hatred for God, by his desire to be God - even though that is not possible. He knows he has been defeated by Christ, yet Satan persists. There is no love in Satan - he wants to inflict as much pain and damage as he can on God.

Love... No hate

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4:21 – And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
- See 1 John 2:7-11. This is a repeat of the command to love one another. We must love, because God's love is in us.
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1 John 4:7-16 - Knowing God through Love

*** Knowing God through love ***
4:7 – Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. This starts off a new paragraph. The word 'love' is used about 25 times in eleven verses.

love one another love is from God

The sequence goes like this: First an encouragement, or a command; then a rationale for our adherence to the command; then proof that the command important.
The command: love one another (vs. 7).
   Why: because God is love, and if you know God you will live like it (vs. 7).
   The proof: God sent His Son into the world as a demonstration of His love (vs. 9).
   Ergo: if you don't love, you don't know God (vs. 8).

Going back to ch. 2:7-11 - This is a new commandment to go along with the old commandment. I think the 'old' commandment is love God and obey (see Deut. 6:4, and Exo. 20). Jesus expanded this (see Matt. 22:36ff) - the greatest commandment and the second greatest. These are the 'old' commands. The 'new' commands - love one another.
Why should this be so hard? Why should this be a big stretch for a believer? Yet, here it is - love one another. What is our motivation for loving non-family members? (Assuming that we love our Moms, Dads, wives and children, brothers or sisters in our family). The answer is fairly straightforward - you love because you know God, and God is love. You don't just know about God, but you are intimately familiar with Him. He loves you even though you haven't done anything to deserve it.
This is not 'paying it forward', this must be an overflowing of what is filling you - there is no other reason - you love because you are loved. If I actually believe and know God, I will love those around me. I must emulate Him. What would be the reason for me to NOT love, if I am His? Disobedience. Stubbornness. When I understand (know) that the love of God provided the remedy, or payment, for sin in order that the righteous and just natures of God would not be violated, I am compelled to love. To know God is to love as He loves. Boy, is that convicting! Lord, please lead me, guide me, to love as you love. I am not there, yet.

***
4:8 – The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

The evidence of Jesus being in you is that you have love for others. He is our example. He is our model to follow - He does not expect me to do anything He hasn't already done.
This is not "Do as I say, not as I do", but "Follow me." He is not leading us into uncharted waters, where no one has gone before. He's been there, and marked the trail, knows the way, and is personally showing us how to do it. If we are not His, then we will not want to love. This is more than just fellow believers - it is possible (easy) to love our family - wife, husband, children, parents, etc. Loving believers only is the same as loving family. God wants us to love non-believers.

no love::no God

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4:9 – By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him.

He sent his Son
We live!
Nothing more need be said!

God's love revealed

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4:10 – In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
This is clear and simple: We did not love God.
He loved us
He sent His Son

God's love defined

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4:11 – Dear friends, if God so loved us, then we also ought to love one another.
Therefore, we must love

God's example: love

4:12 – No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God resides in us, and his love is perfected in us.
if we love, God's love is perfected in us

God's love perfected

Time for a 'rabbit trail' - I just read in interesting article about discussing the existence of God with athieists or theists. The article indicated that many atheists want proof of God's existence. And since God is a Spirit, not a physical 'human being type' presence it is impossible to give physical evidence that God actually exists. Now Paul in his writings and John here tell us there is plenty of evidence of a God. Look at the universe, look at the amazing construction of the eyeball and optic nerve. This sometimes called irreducible complexity - if all the parts aren't there and functioning properly, there is no sight. This implies eyes could not have evolved, but had to be complete from the beginning. And then there is the Second Law of Thermodynamics - which evolution cannot overcome.

John is saying just because we have not seen God with our own eyes, the evidence He exists is in His love for us. He loved us when we were totally unlovable. When we manifest God's love to others because it exists within us, God is demonstrated. God's love is perfected. His love does not need us to be made perfect. His love grows and matures in us when we practice it - that is the sense of 'perfected' in this verse.
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4:13 – By this we know that we reside in God and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit.

There's that word again 'know'. The 'by this' is referring to the last phrase of this verse - i.e., we know because God has given us His Spirit. Jesus promised that he would send a helper. See John 14:16, 14:26. This helper would teach us the truth. We have assurance from His Spirit.

Know

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4:14 – And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

"We (John and the apostles) were witnesses. We were with Him when He was on earth, when He taught, when He healed, when He was crucified. We saw Him after His resurrection. It took us years to understand what He said, what He meant. We did not understand what God the Father was doing. But now we understand. He came to save the whole world."
Remember, this is a big step in understanding. God is not just the god of the Jews. That would seem to be obvious. I think the Israelites felt, believed that God was their God, no one else's. If you wanted to come to their God, then you must convert to their religion. There was a huge debate in Jerusalem, a council meeting that debated this very subject - would a people who are not "my people" be able to be God's people. Can Gentiles be saved by God without become Jews first? It was resolved. We Gentiles can be saved. In other words, the whole world can come to God for salvation.
This is not to say the whole world is saved. The whole world may be saved, if all the people accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is available to all, but is only manifest in believers. It was prophesied in the OT that the Messiah would be for the whole world (See Isa. 49:6).

Witnesses

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4:15 – Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

The Son is the Savior of the world. By this the world is redeemed, confess Jesus is the Son of God. This more than a merit badge, or a passing grade on a quiz, or even being promoted to the next grade. When you confess Jesus as Son of God, as Savior, you get Jesus. When you get Jesus the Son, you get God. Again, think bigger. This not just a new set of clothes, or new pair of shoes. You now have God, the creator and sustainer of the universe inside you, living there, making His home with you.

You in God God in You

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4:16 – We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

A repetition of the 'know' and 'believe', and 'abide' from above. Also reminiscent of Hebrews 11:6 "believe that God is, and is a rewarded of those who seek Him." We believe and know that God exists. We believe and know that He loves us. We believe and know we and God as a result abide in each other. Our life is safe in God. God is in us, living and empowering us.

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1 John 4:1-6 - Knowing

The way to know the difference

Vs. 4:1 – Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

'Dear friends' starts off this chapter ('beloved' in NASB). Sometimes it seems that John was writing more than an instructional letter, more than an a letter of exhortation. He is writing in a very tender way. It seems that Paul and James were pretty straight-forward, moving from greetings to instruction without much preamble. Paul does acknowledge care for his readers, but it is at the end of the letters, after business was done (so to speak). John uses 'little children', 'dear friends', 'children' throughout the letter (dear friends or beloved 6 (six) times, and 'children' or 'little children' 13 times).
Do not be confused, or don't be led astray. This is how you will know if a teacher is on the right track. In the early church (note: this is about 30 years after Christ's resurrection) false teachers were causing a problem, just as it happens today. In some cases, I would guess that a teacher was just misinformed, or ignorant. But the problem is worse when a leader comes along whose mission or goal is to feed you lies about the gospel. Why would they do that? The church body, being made of people, will have sincere believers and those who just want to hang around, and those who want power, or authority, just to tell people what to do.
Some of these will be from Satan, masquerading as believers. An effective way to stunt the power of the gospel in peoples' lives is to feed them falsehoods so they will not experience the love and power of the Holy Spirit. If the believers struggle in their Christian lives because on wrong information, then they cannot be effective witnesses to the resurrecting power of Christ in their lives. A weak and ineffective church means the outreach of the gospel is stunted. What better way to keep people from being saved?

Test the spirits

Paul said "Don't despise prophecies, but test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil." 1 Thess. 5:20-22. Most of the teaching in the early church was done without a Bible (NT), which makes testing of the teachings critical. It is so now, but we have the Bible as our standard, our plumb line. The church was spreading, and new teachers were coming into being, teachers that were not apostles. So, the 'test' included comparing the teachings, especially from one who was not an apostle, with the teaching of one of the apostles. Like Paul, John is concerned for the spiritual well-being of the people he was shepherding.
There are two kinds of teachers - those teaching God's truth, and those not. John uses 'spirit' to speak of the teachers. Rather than worry about the person speaking or leading, John wants them to focus on the motivating spiritual connection. If the Holy Spirit is leading the heart and mind of the teacher, the output will be truth. If an unholy spirit, i.e., someone who is cooperating with or having been deluded by Satan, is leading the heart and mind of the teacher, there will be untruth and false information. Some of it may sound okay, but in the core it will lead to death.
From the notes in the Holman Study Bible "Discernment is critical for Christian disciples". Our faith does not mean we shut off our brain. A couple of my favorite books are "Know What You Believe," and "Know Why You Believe" by Paul Little also "Love the Lord with All Your Mind" by Moreland. These stress that our faith is not blind, but needs our thought processes and rigor to be sure we are not being led astray. We can also keep others from being fooled into believing a false teaching.
Test each spirit as they teach to determine if what they say is from God. Check what they say. Does it conform to orthodoxy? Orthodoxy is not a bad concept. In the spirit of rebellion of our time, 'orthodoxy' is too rigid, to constrictive, not allowing each of to go our own way. We want to determine what is right for ourselves. But God's truth is not obtained without guidance from the Holy Spirit. This is not a new phenomenon. Looking back to the time of the Judges, we see "...everyone did what he considered right in his own eyes." (Jdg. 21:25) their excuse was that they had no king. There was no one to tell them what to do - other than the Lord. From the escape from Egypt to the captivity in Babylon, the Israelites were guilty of straying by following wrong-headed teachings. We have the same problems facing the church today.

How to differentiate:   Confess Christ or not confess    Not with us = listens to world    Not with us = does not know you

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Vs.4:2 – By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; -

How you know the spirits are from God: this is a simple yet foolproof test. Answer the question: did the man known as Jesus Christ come from God? Jesus is God in the flesh, made human. If the teacher will not say this - don't trust them, don't listen to them, they are not from God. Again, John uses 'spirits' as the person(s) to be trusted. John was not writing to warn them against seances, or mediums - although this also applies here. John was warning them about teachers, leaders, pastors, elders, or deacons who are speaking and guiding the church. It is your spirit, or soul, that drives you. If your spirit is filled, controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, you will have no trouble identifying Christ as God-Man - God the Son, who came to earth to become both wholly God (which he already was) and wholly man. See Eph. 2:5-11.
"Confess" that Jesus came from God... This 'confess' is not admitting to a crime, as is often used in our culture. Using notes from the HSB (Holman Study Bible) indicates this word (in Greek) "homologeo" most often means to publicly assert or declare. The public acknowledgement is an important facet of our faith - see 5"Therefore everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven." Also note that the outward confession can seen as an indicator of the person's actual beliefs - see Rom. 10:9,10 "if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes resulting in righteousnes, and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation."
As an analogy: I have found in my work as an electrical engineer, as I try to explain or defend a technical decision if I can formulate and explain it, and it makes sense, then I know I have a defendable decision. If as I try to explain, the position becomes less clear to me, I realize that I am on the wrong track. I need to articulate what I believe. My mind formulates what I know to be true into words, if the words make sense it then becomes anchored in my mind and heart.
Not speaking it, by holding it in and not saying it out loud for others to hear, can give you an 'out'. I don't know why the process of 'telling' locks or confirms it in our minds. That confession has another ramification: I confess Jesus, He acknowledges me. This is important. When time ceases: and we all face God our Judge, Jesus as confessor, advocate, propitiation for my sins, means that my name is IN the Lamb's book of life.

This the test: who is Jesus?

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Vs. 4:3 – "and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world."

That to which we commit (confess) is that which our spirit (soul) directs us. It is not just mental, it is deeper than that. We formulate the words, and actions, which will signify our confession, in our minds. The mind, thought process is not tangible, but abstract. That does not mean our confession is imaginary, a figment. The mind, soul and spirit are not one and the same. The soul and spirit are used interchangeably at times in the Bible. And yet, when we die our mind does not cease (I think). When we are in heaven, or on the new earth, we will be able to praise and acknowledge The Lord, and I think our minds will formulate the words of praise, but our spirt/soul directs that praise.
So, if the spirit/soul is not committed to Jesus, then there can be no confession. If no commitment to Jesus, then no relationship to God.
Why would someone who is not a believer be spending time with believers? Why bother? These are led to teach falsehoods, to ensnare and entrap people away from Jesus, or to lead people into falling away. Some people come to church who are searching for Christ - these can be directed away by false teaching. Others are new believers, learning to grow into their faith - these can be derailed by heresy (not losing the salvation, necessarily) but living a defeated, discouraged life. Jesus said that he came that we might have an abundant life. It is the Anti-Christ that propels these to teach falsehoods - it is Satan. Peter said, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
The false teachers are adversaries of believers, and are being urged on by the devil. So they spend time in the enemy camp to destroy the work of Christ.
See Eph. 6:11"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." We do not need to be passive - the full armor is for standing up and fighting. We need not, indeed dare not do this by our own power. Jesus and the Holy Spirit will provide the means, the words, the power to oppose those from Satan. Also we can see in speaking about church leaders in 1 Tim. 3:6 "and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil." We need mature, disciplined teachers. See Heb. 5:12 "You have had enough time to become teachers..." and
2 Tim. 3:7 "and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." tells us we can help people who are being fooled and entrapped by Satan.

you are from God you have conquered you are greater

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Vs. 4:4 – You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. -

Referring back to verse one of this chapter - always being aware if people around you, in the church in particular, are from God. John is assuring them they don't need to worry - they are from God - they who have confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and their Savior.
That confession has given them the power to overcome the obstacles thrown in front of them by the doubters, the unbelievers, the antichrists. The reason they are victorious is they have Jesus Christ. Who is greater? Jesus, the Son of God or Satan? Was Satan obedient to the point of sacrificing his wants to the commands of the Father? Was Satan willing to give up, voluntarily, his exalted position in heaven to achieve God's aims? See Rev. 12:7-9, Isa. 14:12-20, Ezek. 28:12-19, Luke 12:18. Satan was not powerful enough even against other angels. Satan is not God, nor a god, but a created being, subject to The Lord of the Universe and Heaven - Jesus Christ. Therefore we who have Jesus need not fear Satan. Jesus in me means Satan cannot defeat me. Important to know that it is not by myself that Satan has no power over me. I have been created as a being lower than the angels - both physically and spiritually. See: Psa. 8:4,5 - humans a little less than angels; 1 Cor. 6:3 - however, we will judge them (we not always be the lesser). But Christ in me (the hope of glory) gives me the power to overcome - not my power but His. See 2 Chron. 32:7 (the spiritual battle cry even in the Old Testament!)

does not confess spirit of antichrist is in the world, now

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Vs. 4:5 – They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. Again, this goes back to verse one, concerning whom you listen to. The ones to avoid are the one who do not belong to God. The reason the world loves to listen to these false teachers is they tell the non-believers what they want to hear. The non- believers do not belong to Jesus, so they do not want to listen to His truth. When they try to teach the world's truth in the church they are to be rejected.

they are from the world the world listens to them

xxx

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Vs. 4:6 – We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

This is a fairly straightforward statement. This is how we can know if someone is a believer or not. If you know God, then you will listen to the teachings of the apostles, Christ, and pastors or teachers who are fundamental followers. The words "know" and "listen" are important. As discussed elsewhere, "know" is not just mental accumulation of information.

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The test: To whom do you listen - spirit of truth or deception