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.

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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