Keep Walking in Divine Light

During congregational study of this article and the two that follow it, the conductor should have the cited portions of First John read as time permits

“God is light.”​—1 JOHN 1:5.

1, 2. When and where was First John written, and to whom does it apply?

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES are grateful for divine light and intend to keep walking in it. Doing so is not easy, however, for even early disciples of Jesus Christ were faced with apostasy. But Jesus’ loyal apostles restrained its spread, and one who ‘acted as a restraint’ was the apostle John. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12) As a very old man living in or near Ephesus about 98 C.E., he wrote his first divinely inspired letter. Its counsel helped first-century Christians to keep walking in divine light. But what about us?

² John’s words are just as helpful to 20th-century Christians. So during private study of this article and the two that follow it, be sure to read all cited portions of his first inspired letter as they are being considered. In the apostle’s letter and our remarks thereon, such pronouns as “we” and “us” refer chiefly to Jesus’ anointed followers. But basic principles relating to righteousness, love, faith, and the like, also apply to Christians with earthly hopes.

Sharing That Brings Joy

3. What evidence is there that God’s Son lived, suffered, and died as a human, and why is he called “the word of life”?

³ John first speaks about a joyful “sharing.” (Read 1 John 1:1-4.) Jesus, “the word of life,” was with Jehovah “from the beginning” as God’s first creation, by means of whom “all other things were created.” (Colossians 1:15, 16) Certain first-century apostates claimed to be sinless and denied Christ’s rightful place in the divine arrangement. But Jesus’ apostles heard him speak, viewed him attentively, and touched him. They knew that God’s power operated through him. So there was eyewitness evidence that he was God’s Son who had lived, suffered, and died as a human. He is “the word of life” because “life [eternal] was made manifest” through Jesus, by means of whom God has provided the ransom.​—Romans 6:23; 2 Timothy 1:9, 10.

4. What is denoted by the “sharing” that anointed ones have?

⁴ By what the apostles said and wrote, they ‘bore witness’ about the sinless human Jesus Christ. John ‘reported’ such matters so that anointed ones might have “a sharing,” or fellowship, with other Kingdom heirs, with the Father, and with His Son. This “sharing” denotes unity and causes great joy. (Psalm 133:1-3; John 17:20, 21) Apostates who hate former associates in Jehovah’s service no longer have such fellowship with God and Christ.

“God Is Light”

5. What “message” did the apostles receive from Jesus, and how does it affect the conduct of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

⁵ Stated next is a “message” the apostles received from Jesus. (Read 1 John 1:5-7.) It is this: “God is light and there is no darkness at all [nothing unholy, immoral, untrue, or wicked] in union with him.” So Jehovah’s Witnesses shun all sinful practices associated with darkness. (Job 24:14-16; John 3:19-21; Romans 13:11-14; 2 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:6-9) Since certain apostates did not believe that there are sinful works, they were in spiritual darkness. They claimed to have secret knowledge, but God is light, not dark secrecy. He gives spiritual light only to his faithful witnesses.​—Matthew 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:9.

6. If we ‘practice the truth,’ what blessing is ours?

⁶ If we say we have “a sharing” with God but “go on walking in the darkness,” leading a sinful life, we “are lying and are not practicing the truth,” or living in harmony with it. But if we pursue a course harmonizing with the truth, we are in the light, even as God is. We have “a sharing” with fellow Christians, all of whom are unified in doctrine, spiritual outlook, disciple-making work, and other aspects of pure worship.

7. Why can Jesus’ blood ‘cleanse us from all sin’?

⁷ Unlike certain early apostates, we who ‘walk in the light’ acknowledge that sin is unclean. Jesus’ blood “cleanses us from all sin” because we are not willful sinners. (Matthew 12:31, 32) Grateful we are, indeed, that God shows mercy even to erring but repentant Christians.​—Psalm 103:8-14; Micah 7:18, 19.

Basis for Propitiation

8, 9. (a) On what basis will Jehovah forgive us? (b) As regards sin, what were certain apostates saying, and why were they wrong?

⁸ John next cites the basis for cleansing from sin. (Read 1 John 1:8–2:2.) If we say, “We have no sin,” we deny the fact that all imperfect humans are sinful, and “the truth is not in us.” (Romans 5:12) But God is “faithful” and forgives us “if we confess our sins” to him with a repentant attitude that moves us to abandon wrongdoing. (Proverbs 28:13) God said of those in the new covenant: “Their sin I shall remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:7-12) In forgiving them, he is faithful to that promise.

⁹ Furthermore, God is “righteous,” always adhering to his standards of righteousness. He has satisfied justice through the ransom and can ‘forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness’ if we confess our sinfulness with faith in Jesus’ sacrifice. (Hebrews 9:11-15) By his death the Messiah carried sins away, even as the sin-laden goat was sent into the wilderness on Atonement Day. (Leviticus 16:20-22; Isaiah 53:5, 8, 11, 12; 1 Peter 2:24) Certain apostates said, “We have not sinned,” thus ‘making Jehovah a liar.’ But “God . . . cannot lie,” and his Word shows that all imperfect humans are sinful. (Titus 1:2; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23) Why, saying that “we have not sinned” would mean that God’s word is not “in us,” is not in our hearts!​—Compare Hebrews 8:10.

10. In what way is Jesus “a propitiatory sacrifice”?

¹⁰ John writes “these things” about sin, forgiveness, and cleansing so that we may not practice sin. His words should move us to strive earnestly not to sin. (1 Corinthians 15:34) But if we do commit “a sin” and are repentant, we have “a helper with the Father”​—“Jesus Christ, a righteous one,” who pleads our cause with God. (Hebrews 7:26; compare John 17:9, 15, 20.) Jesus is “a propitiatory sacrifice.” His death satisfied justice and made it possible for God to extend mercy and remove the charge of sin in the case of spiritual Israelites and ‘the whole world,’ including the “great crowd.” (Romans 6:23; Galatians 6:16; Revelation 7:4-14) How we appreciate that sacrifice!

Obey God and Show Love

11. By what evidence do we know we are “in union with” God?

¹¹ To keep walking in divine light, we must obey Jehovah. (Read 1 John 2:3-6.) We realize that we “have come to know” God, understanding him and his qualities, if “we continue observing his commandments.” Anyone claiming to know Jehovah but failing to obey him “is a liar.” Conversely, “the love of God has been made perfect,” or complete, if we observe his word. “By this” evidence of obeying and loving God, we know we are “in union with him.” And we are obliged to walk as his Son did, in the disciple-making work, in our relationships with others, and so forth.

12. What “old commandment” do Christians have, and how is it also “new”?

¹² Brotherly love is also vital. (Read 1 John 2:7, 8.) John is writing “an old commandment” that the faithful have had “from the beginning” of their lives as Christians. It is “old” because Jesus gave it years earlier when he told his followers to ‘love one another just as he loved them.’ (John 13:34) Yet it is also “new” because it goes beyond the neighbor love required by the Law and calls for willingness to surrender one’s soul in behalf of fellow believers. (Leviticus 19:18; John 15:12, 13) Since our self-sacrificing love proves that compliance with this “new commandment” is ‘true both in Christ’s case and in ours, the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining’ among us.

13. According to 1 John 2:9-11, who is “in the light” and who is not?

¹³ Yet, who really is “in the light”? (Read 1 John 2:9-11.) Well, “he that says he is in the light and yet hates his brother” is in spiritual darkness “up to right now.” But “he that loves his brother remains in the light,” and in his case there is no “cause for stumbling.” Here the Greek word suggests a baited animal trap and denotes something that can bring about a fall into sin. Actually, a professing Christian who hates his brother “does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (Matthew 13:13-15) Will this warning move you to avoid spiritual darkness by refusing to let personal differences, the lies of apostates, or anything else destroy your brotherly love?

Basis for Confidence

14. Who are the “little children” and the “fathers” addressed by John?

¹⁴ John next expresses confidence in the “little [young] children,” apparently meaning the whole congregation. (Read 1 John 2:12-14.) Our sins have been forgiven ‘for the sake of Christ’s name,’ for only through him has God made salvation possible. (Acts 4:12) Anointed ones “know the Father” because he has begotten them by his spirit. Some are “fathers”​—likely older, more experienced, and spiritually advanced believers. They know Jesus, who existed “from the beginning” in that God created him before all other things.

15. (a) Who are the “young men” John addresses, and how have they “conquered the wicked one”? (b) Give an example of how we might ‘conquer’ Satan today.

¹⁵ The “young men” John addresses may be younger, less experienced Christians. They “have conquered the wicked one,” Satan, by not succumbing to his “designs.” (2 Corinthians 2:11) For example, today this would include avoiding unclean entertainment, sensual music, and pornography, which can erode Christian principles and result in a fall into sexual immorality. The “young men” are victorious over Satan because they are spiritually “strong” and “the word of God” remains in them. May we be like them in accepting God’s spiritual provisions, rejecting apostasy, and continuing to walk in divine light.

A Love We Must Not Have

16. What love must we not have, but what would be true of us if we had worldly views and aspirations?

¹⁶ Whether we are younger or older Christians, there is a love we must not have. (Read 1 John 2:15-17.) We must ‘not love the world or anything in it.’ Rather, we need to keep from becoming spotted by the corruption of unrighteous human society and must not breathe in its “spirit,” or be motivated by its sinful dominant attitude. (Ephesians 2:1, 2; James 1:27) If we were to have worldly views and aspirations, “the love of the Father” would not be in us. (James 4:4) That really is food for prayerful thought, is it not?

17. Christians must not satisfy what worldly desires?

¹⁷ “Everything in the world” does not originate with God. This includes “the desire of the flesh,” the satisfying of which means gratifying such sinful yearnings as immoral sexual desires. (1 Corinthians 6:15-20; Galatians 5:19-21) Also to be avoided is yielding to “the desire of the eyes.” The visually desirable forbidden fruit enticed Eve, and David’s viewing of Bath-sheba while she was bathing led to gross sin. (Genesis 3:6; 2 Samuel 11:2-17) To keep walking in divine light, then, we must avoid debased entertainment and other things that appeal to sinful desires and corrupt the heart.​—Proverbs 2:10-22; 4:20-27.

18. Why is “the showy display of one’s means of life” pointless, and what does it fail to bring?

¹⁸ Also originating with the world is “the showy display of one’s means of life.” A proud person may boast about his wealth, his wardrobe, and the like, all of which can be lost. His “showy display” may impress some people and bring fleeting praise but not divine blessing.​—Matthew 6:2, 5, 16, 19-21; James 4:16.

19. What will happen to this world, and how should this fact affect us?

¹⁹ Remember that “the world is passing away” and will be destroyed. (2 Peter 3:6) Its desires and hopes will perish with it, as will individuals loving it. “But,” says John, “he that does the will of God remains forever.” So let us keep eternal life in view by ‘repudiating worldly desires’ and continuing to walk in divine light.​—Titus 2:11-14.

Guard Against Apostasy

20. Those ‘against Christ’ were called what, and their appearance proved that what had arrived?

²⁰ John now warns against antichrists. (Read 1 John 2:18, 19.) He reminds fellow believers that from the apostles they “heard that antichrist is coming.” The appearance of “many antichrists” proved that it was the “last hour,” the final part of the apostolic period. Although those ‘against Christ’ formed a composite “antichrist,” many individual antichrists pretended to worship God but “were not of our sort” and abandoned true Christianity. We are glad that the departure or expulsion of such ones today prevents corruption of the congregation.

21. Why do spirit-begotten Christians “have knowledge,” and what “truth” do they know?

²¹ Apostate views are rejected by loyal spirit-begotten Christians. Since “an anointing from the holy one,” Jehovah, helps them to understand his Word, ‘all of them have knowledge.’ (Read 1 John 2:20, 21.) They surely know “the truth” as it relates to Jesus Christ, whereas the apostates have erroneous ideas about him. Since “no lie originates with the truth,” all lovers of Jehovah reject such false views and those advocating them.

22. What did C. T. Russell do when one of his early associates denied the ransom?

²² After all, “who is the liar if it is not the one that denies that Jesus is the Christ,” God’s Anointed One? (Read 1 John 2:22-25.) Why, ‘the one that denies the Father and the Son is the antichrist’! Interestingly, when an early associate of Bible student Charles T. Russell denied the ransom, Russell withdrew from fellowship with him and began publishing this journal, which has always declared the truth about Christ’s origin, Messianic role, and loving service as the “propitiatory sacrifice.”

23. How does ‘confessing the Son’ affect our relationship with God, and our prospects?

²³ Apostates who deny Christ do not have Jehovah as their Friend. (John 5:23) But we who publicly ‘confess the Son have the Father,’ being in an approved relationship with God. (Matthew 10:32, 33) Jesus’ loyal early followers clung to what they had heard about God’s Son “from the beginning” of their lives as Christians. And if the same truth is in our hearts, we will “abide in union” with both God and Christ and will receive “the promised thing,” everlasting life.​—John 17:3.

Taught by Jehovah God

24. Who have an “anointing” by holy spirit, and why do they “not need anyone to be teaching” them?

²⁴ To walk in divine light and not be misled by apostates, we need proper spiritual instruction. (Read 1 John 2:26-29.) Spirit-begotten ones have an “anointing” by holy spirit, have come to know God and his Son, and “do not need anyone [an apostate] to be teaching” them. By his anointing spirit, God “is teaching” spiritual Israelites “about all things” needed in order to worship him acceptably. (John 4:23, 24; 6:45) We are delighted that as Jehovah’s Witnesses we receive such spiritual instruction from God through “the faithful and discreet slave.”​—Matthew 24:45-47.

25, 26. (a) Why can anointed ones have “freeness of speech”? (b) What does it mean to ‘practice righteousness’?

²⁵ John urges well-instructed anointed ones to “remain in union with” God. Those “in union with” Jehovah are similarly at unity with his Son. (John 14:19-21) Such unity is urged so that “when he [Christ] is made manifest we may have freeness of speech and not be shamed away from him at his presence,” that is, during his Parousia.

²⁶ Since we are now living during Jesus’ “presence,” how can we make sure that we have nothing to be ashamed of and are really walking in divine light? By ‘practicing righteousness.’ ‘If we know that God is righteous,’ John reasons, ‘we are aware that everyone practicing righteousness has been born from him.’ ‘Practicing righteousness’ means obeying God’s commandments, avoiding unrighteousness, and engaging in such fine works as making disciples and assisting fellow believers. (Mark 13:10; Philippians 4:14-19; 1 Timothy 6:17, 18) Being “born from” God means being “born again” as his spiritual children.​—John 3:3-8.

27. What will the apostle John show us next?

²⁷ So John has shown how to keep walking in divine light. Next he shows how to live as God’s children. What does this require?

Go On Living as Children of God

“Everyone who does not carry on righteousness does not originate with God, neither does he who does not love his brother.”​—1 JOHN 3:10.

1, 2. As we continue our study of First John, what counsel of the apostle will we consider?

JEHOVAH has a universal family, and some humans now are part of it. They are God’s children. But how do they differ from others?

² In his first divinely inspired letter, the apostle John identifies these highly favored humans. He also provides counsel that assists them to go on living as children of God. And what he says will benefit all dedicated witnesses of Jehovah.

How Great God’s Love!

3. How have some been made “children of God,” and how does the world view them?

³ John cites the hope of anointed Christians. (Read 1 John 3:1-3.) What great love Jehovah has shown by adopting them as spiritual sons, making them “children of God”! (Romans 5:8-10) Their godly spirit, objectives, and hopes are not shared by the “world”​—unrighteous human society. Such worldly society hates Christ and his followers and thus the Father also. (John 15:17-25) So the world may know anointed ones as individuals but not as God’s children because “it has not come to know” Jehovah.​—1 Corinthians 2:14.

4. Everyone having the hope of heavenly life should do what?

⁴ Right now, anointed ones are God’s children. “But,” says John, “as yet it has not been made manifest what we shall be” after dying in faithfulness and being resurrected to heavenly life with spirit bodies. (Philippians 3:20, 21) However, when God is “made manifest,” they will be “like him” and will “see him just as he is,” as “Jehovah the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:17, 18) Everyone having “this hope” of heavenly life should be moved to purify himself “just as that one [Jehovah] is pure.” Although anointed ones are now imperfect, they should be living clean lives that harmonize with their hope of seeing the pure, holy God in the heavenly realm.​—Psalm 99:5, 9; 2 Corinthians 7:1.

Practice Righteousness

5, 6. Everyone practicing sin is doing what from God’s standpoint, but in this regard, what is true of those remaining “in union with” Jesus Christ?

⁵ Living as God’s children also means doing what is righteous. (Read 1 John 3:4, 5.) “Everyone who practices sin is also practicing lawlessness” from the standpoint of Jehovah, whose laws the sinner violates. (Isaiah 33:22; James 4:12) All “sin is lawlessness,” a transgressing of God’s laws. Practicing sin is contrary to the Christian spirit, and we are grateful that Jesus Christ “was made manifest” as a human “to take away our sins.” Since “there is no sin in him,” he was able to present to God the one completely satisfactory sin-atoning sacrifice.​—Isaiah 53:11, 12; Hebrews 7:26-28; 1 Peter 2:22-25.

⁶ “Everyone remaining in union with him [the Son] does not practice sin.” (Read 1 John 3:6.) Being imperfect, we may commit an act of sin at times. But sinning is not a practice with those who remain in union with the Son and, hence, in union with the Father. Practicers of sin have not “seen” Jesus with the eye of faith; nor do such habitual sinners as the apostates “know” and appreciate Christ as the sin-atoning “Lamb of God.”​—John 1:36.

7, 8. According to 1 John 3:7, 8, the deliberate practicer of sin originates with whom, but God’s Son “was made manifest” to do what in this regard?

⁷ John warns against being misled. (Read 1 John 3:7, 8.) “Let no one mislead you,” says the apostle, adding: “He who carries on righteousness [by keeping God’s law] is righteous, just as that one [Jesus Christ] is righteous.” Our sinfulness prevents us from being righteous to the same degree as the Great Exemplar. But by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, Jesus’ anointed followers can now go on living as children of God.

⁸ The deliberate practicer of sin “originates with the Devil,” who has been sinning “from the beginning” of his career of rebellion against Jehovah. But God’s Son “was made manifest” to “break up” Satan’s “works” of promoting sin and evil. This includes undoing the effects of Adamic death by sin atonement through Christ and the resurrecting of those in Sheol (Hades), as well as the crushing of Satan’s head. (Genesis 3:15; 1 Corinthians 15:26) Meanwhile, let us, the anointed remnant and the “great crowd,” guard against practicing sin and unrighteousness.

Keep God’s Law

9. In what sense is it that the spirit-begotten Christian “cannot practice sin,” and why is this so?

⁹ John next distinguishes between God’s children and those of the Devil. (Read 1 John 3:9-12.) Everyone “born from God does not carry on sin,” or make it a practice. Jehovah’s “reproductive seed,” or holy spirit that gives one “a new birth” to a heavenly hope, remains in the individual unless he resists and thus ‘grieves’ the spirit, so that God withdraws it. (1 Peter 1:3, 4, 18, 19, 23; Ephesians 4:30) To remain one of God’s children, the spirit-begotten Christian “cannot practice sin.” As a “new creation” with the “new personality,” he strives against sin. He has “escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust,” and it is not in his heart to be a habitual wrongdoer.​—2 Corinthians 5:16, 17; Colossians 3:5-11; 2 Peter 1:4.

10. What is one way to distinguish between God’s children and those of the Devil?

¹⁰ One way to distinguish between God’s children and those of the Devil is this: “Everyone who does not carry on righteousness does not originate with God.” Unrighteousness is so characteristic of the Devil’s children that they “do not sleep unless they do badness, and their sleep has been snatched away unless they cause someone to stumble,” which is what apostates would like to do to loyal Christians.​—Proverbs 4:14-16.

11. (a) What is another way to identify those who are not God’s children? (b) Reflecting on Cain’s course should move us to do what?

¹¹ Furthermore, “neither does he [originate with God] who does not love his brother.” In fact, the “message” we have heard “from the beginning” of our lives as Jehovah’s Witnesses is that “we should have love for one another.” (John 13:34) So we are “not like Cain,” who showed that he “originated with the wicked one” by ‘slaughtering his brother’ in a violent manner characteristic of the manslayer Satan. (Genesis 4:2-10; John 8:44) Cain slaughtered Abel “because his own works were wicked, but those of his brother were righteous.” Surely, reflecting on Cain’s course should move us to guard against similar hatred of our spiritual brothers.

Love “in Deed and Truth”

12. How do “we know we have passed over from death to life,” and what does this mean?

¹² If we were to copy Cain, we would be spiritually dead. (Read 1 John 3:13-15.) He hated his brother so much that he killed him, and we are not surprised that the world similarly hates us, for Jesus foretold this. (Mark 13:13) But “we know [or, are confident that] we have passed over from [spiritual] death to life [eternal], because we love the brothers,” our fellow witnesses of Jehovah. Because of that brotherly love, coupled with faith in Christ, no longer are we ‘dead’ in trespasses and sins, but God has lifted from us His condemnation, and we have been raised out of spiritual death, being given the hope of everlasting life. (John 5:24; Ephesians 2:1-7) Loveless apostates have no such hope, for “he who does not love remains in [spiritual] death.”

13. If we hate our brother, why should we make this a matter of prayer?

¹³ Really, “everyone who hates his brother is a manslayer.” Physical murder may not be committed (as when Cain killed Abel out of envy and hatred), but the hater would prefer that his spiritual brother not be alive. Since Jehovah reads the heart, the hater stands condemned. (Proverbs 21:2; compare Matthew 5:21, 22.) No such unrepentant “manslayer,” or hater of a fellow believer, “has everlasting life remaining in him.” So if we hate any fellow Witness secretly, should we not pray for Jehovah’s help in changing our spirit to one of brotherly love?

14. To what extent are we called upon to show brotherly love?

¹⁴ If we are to go on living as children of God, we must show brotherly love in word and deed. (Read 1 John 3:16-18.) This should be possible, for “we have come to know love, because that one [Jesus Christ] surrendered his soul [or, “life”] for us.” Since Jesus showed love to that extent, we should display similar principled love (Greek, a·gaʹpe) for fellow believers. In times of persecution, for example, “we are under obligation to surrender our souls for our brothers,” even as Prisca and Aquila “risked their own necks for [the apostle Paul’s] soul.”​—Romans 16:3, 4; John 15:12, 13.

15. If a brother is in need and we have “this world’s means for supporting life,” what does love require of us?

¹⁵ If we would give our lives for our brothers, we should be willing to do less demanding things in their behalf. Suppose we have “this world’s means for supporting life”​—money, food, clothing, and the like, made possible by the world. We may ‘behold’ a brother in need, not just casually seeing this but gazing upon the situation. His plight may cause “the door” of our “tender compassions,” or deepest feelings, to be opened. But what if we slam that “door” shut by allowing selfishness to thwart our intention to help him? Then “in what way does the love of God” remain in us? It is not enough merely to talk about brotherly love. As God’s children, we must manifest it “in deed and truth.” For example, if a brother is famished, he needs food, not mere words.​—James 2:14-17.

Hearts That Do Not Condemn Us

16. (a) How is God “greater than our hearts”? (b) According to John, why does Jehovah answer our prayers?

¹⁶ John next points to assurances that we are Jehovah’s children. (Read 1 John 3:19-24.) “We shall know that we originate with the truth” and are not victims of apostate delusion “by this”​—the fact that we display brotherly love. Thus we “assure our hearts” before God. (Psalm 119:11) If our hearts do condemn us, perhaps because we feel that we have not shown fellow worshipers enough love, remember that “God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.” He is merciful because he is aware of our “unhypocritical brotherly affection,” our fight against sin, and our efforts to live in a way pleasing to him. (1 Peter 1:22; Psalm 103:10-14) “If our hearts do not condemn us” because there are deeds proving our brotherly love, and we are not guilty of concealed sins, “we have freeness of speech toward God” in prayer. (Psalm 19:12) And he answers our prayers “because we are observing his commandments and are doing the things that are pleasing in his eyes.”

17. God’s “commandment” involves what two requirements?

¹⁷ If we expect to have our prayers answered, we must keep God’s “commandment” involving these two requirements: (1) We must have faith in Jesus’ “name,” accepting the ransom and acknowledging his God-given authority. (Philippians 2:9-11) (2) We must also “be loving one another” just as Jesus commanded. (John 15:12, 17) Surely, anyone with faith in Christ’s name should love all others exercising such faith.

18. How do we know that Jehovah is “remaining in union with us”?

¹⁸ A person observing God’s commandments “remains in union with him,” at unity with Jehovah. (Compare John 17:20, 21.) But how do “we gain the knowledge” that God is “remaining in union with us”? We know this “owing to the [holy] spirit which he gave us.” Possession of God’s holy spirit and the ability to display its fruitage, including brotherly love, proves that we are in union with Jehovah.​—Galatians 5:22, 23.

Be on Guard!

19, 20. Why “test the inspired expressions,” and what help does John provide in this regard?

¹⁹ John next shows how we must be on guard. (Read 1 John 4:1.) We must not believe every spirit, or “inspired expression,” but we should “test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God.” Why? “Because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.” At least some of these deceptive teachers were then traveling about, associating with various congregations, and seeking to “draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:29, 30; 2 John 7) So the faithful needed to be on guard.

²⁰ Some first-century Christians had “discernment of inspired utterances,” a miraculous gift of God’s active force evidently enabling them to determine whether inspired expressions originated with Jehovah. (1 Corinthians 12:4, 10) But John’s warning seems applicable to Christians in general and is helpful today when apostates try to subvert the faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Although the spirit’s gift of ‘discerning inspired utterances’ has passed away, John’s words provide the means of determining whether teachers are moved by God’s spirit or by demonic influences.

21. What was one means of testing “inspired expressions”?

²¹ Note one means of testing. (Read 1 John 4:2, 3.) “Every inspired expression that confesses Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God.” We acknowledge that Jesus once lived as a human and is God’s Son, and our faith moves us to teach others such truths. (Matthew 3:16, 17; 17:5; 20:28; 28:19, 20) “But every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate with God.” Rather, “this is the antichrist’s inspired expression” against Christ and against Scriptural teachings about him. Evidently, John and other apostles had warned that “the antichrist’s inspired expression” was coming. (2 Corinthians 11:3, 4; 2 Peter 2:1) Since false teachers then threatened true Christians, John could say, “It is already in the world.”

22. What is another way to test “inspired expressions”?

²² Another way to test “inspired expressions” is to note who listens to them. (Read 1 John 4:4-6.) As Jehovah’s servants, we have “conquered,” or overcome, the false teachers, triumphing over their attempts to draw us away from God’s truth. This spiritual victory has been possible because God, who is “in union with” loyal Christians, “is greater than he [the Devil] that is in union with the world,” or unrighteous human society. (2 Corinthians 4:4) Because apostates “originate with the world” and have its wicked spirit, “they speak what proceeds from the world and the world listens to them.” Since we have Jehovah’s spirit, we can detect the unspiritual nature of their “inspired expressions” and therefore we reject them.

23. Who listen to us and recognize that we are led by God’s spirit?

²³ But we know that “we originate with God” because “he that gains the knowledge of God listens to us.” Sheeplike ones realize that we teach the truth based on God’s Word. (Compare John 10:4, 5, 16, 26, 27.) Of course, “he that does not originate with God does not listen to us.” The false prophets, or teachers, did not listen to John or to others who ‘originated with God’ and imparted spiritually sound instruction. So “this is how we take note of the inspired expression of truth and the inspired expression of error.” We who comprise the family of Jehovah’s worshipers speak the “pure language” of Scriptural truth provided through God’s organization. (Zephaniah 3:9) And from what we say, it is evident to sheeplike ones that we are led by God’s holy spirit.

24. What will John next point out?

²⁴ To this point, John has set forth some basic requirements we must meet if we are to go on living as God’s children. Next he will show why we must always display love and faith.

Always Display Love and Faith

“He that remains in love remains in union with God.” “And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith.”​—1 JOHN 4:16; 5:4.

1, 2. What qualities are particularly emphasized at 1 John 4:7–5:21?

JEHOVAH is the personification of love, and those desiring to please him must display this godly quality. The apostle John makes this clear in the latter part of his first inspired letter.

² True Christians must also display faith. Only in this way can they overcome the world and remain secure in Jehovah’s favor. As we study the final portion of John’s letter, then, let us prayerfully consider the importance of displaying love and faith.

‘Let Us Love One Another’

3, 4. What relation does displaying love have to our knowing God?

³ John emphasizes the importance of love. (Read 1 John 4:7, 8.) Christian “beloved ones” are urged to “continue loving one another, because love is from God,” Jehovah being its Source. “Everyone who loves has been born from God [as a spirit-begotten individual] and gains the knowledge of God,” being acquainted with Jehovah’s qualities and purposes, and how he expresses love. Today this “knowledge of God” has also been acquired by the “great crowd” of Christ’s “other sheep.”

⁴ Knowing God means truly appreciating his qualities, loving him completely, and sticking to him as our Sovereign. But “he that does not love has not come to know God.” Those who do not display Christian love have not “come to know God, because God is love.” Yes, love is Jehovah’s dominant quality, evident in his spiritual and material provisions for mankind.

5. What is the greatest evidence that “God is love”?

⁵ Cited next is the greatest evidence that “God is love.” (Read 1 John 4:9, 10.) John says: “By this the love of God was made manifest in our case [as sinners worthy of death], because God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him.” Jesus is Jehovah’s “only-begotten Son” in that he was God’s sole direct creation. (John 1:1-3, 14; Colossians 1:13-16) And Jesus ‘was sent forth into the world’ by becoming a human, publicly carrying out his ministry, and then dying a sacrificial death. (John 11:27; 12:46) ‘Gaining life eternal through him,’ whether in heaven or on earth, calls for faith in the merit of his ransom sacrifice.

6. While we were yet sinners who did not love God, what did he do?

⁶ We were yet sinners who did not love God when “he loved us and sent forth his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.” Christ’s sacrifice made it possible for us to attain a restoration to right relations with God. (Romans 3:24, 25; Hebrews 2:17) Do you appreciate this greatest manifestation of unmerited love on the part of our heavenly Father?

7. (a) Since we cannot say that we love Jehovah because of having seen him, how can we show that we do love him? (b) Our display of brotherly love proves what?

⁷ God’s love for us should affect our attitude toward others. (Read 1 John 4:11-13.) Since he loved us while we were yet sinners, “we are ourselves under obligation to love one another.” Among humans, “at no time has anyone beheld God.” So we cannot say that we love Jehovah because of having seen him. (Exodus 33:20; John 1:18; 4:24) By displaying love, however, we show that we love the Source of this quality. Our brotherly love proves that “God remains in us and his love is made perfect,” or reaches full expression, in us. And we know that “we are remaining in union with” Jehovah “because he has imparted his spirit to us.” Our display of brotherly love proves that Jehovah’s spirit operates within us, for love is one of its fruits. (Galatians 5:22, 23) This shows that we know God and have his approval.

8. What additional evidence is there that we are “in union with God”?

⁸ There is additional evidence that we are “in union with God.” (Read 1 John 4:14-16a.) Having “beheld” what Jesus did on earth and how he suffered in behalf of mankind, John could ‘bear witness that the Father has sent forth His Son as Savior of the world’ of sinful mankind. (John 4:42; 12:47) Moreover, ‘God remains in union with us and we with him’ if we make heartfelt confession that Jesus Christ is his Son. This calls for exercising faith and giving public testimony that Jesus is the Son of God. (John 3:36; Romans 10:10) Our confidence in “the love that God has in our case” provides further evidence that whether we are of the anointed remnant or of the “other sheep,” we are in union with Jehovah.

9. (a) In what sense can love for God be “made perfect,” and how will this affect our relationship with others? (b) “Perfect” love promotes what?

⁹ John next shows that love can be “made perfect.” (Read 1 John 4:16b, 17.) We are reminded that “God is love.” Because we ‘remain in love,’ displaying this fruit of Jehovah’s spirit, we ‘remain in union with God.’ If love for Jehovah “has been made perfect with us,” having reached full expression toward him, we will love fellow believers. (Compare verse 12 of 1Jo 4.) “Perfect” love also promotes “freeness of speech” toward God in prayer now and “in the day of judgment” that is associated with Christ’s presence. Those displaying such love will then have no reason to fear that God’s judgment will be adverse. If we display love, in that sense “just as that one [Jesus] is, so are we ourselves in this world.” Yes, we are like him in enjoying favor as God’s children in this world of mankind alienated from God.

10. Those within whom love has been made “perfect” do not experience what?

¹⁰ Those within whom love has been made “perfect” do not experience fear that inhibits prayer. (Read 1 John 4:18, 19.) “Fear exercises a restraint” that would keep us from approaching Jehovah freely. So if we are experiencing such fear, ‘we have not been made perfect in love.’ But if we have been “made perfect in love,” this quality fills our hearts, impels us to do the divine will, and moves us to stay close to our heavenly Father in prayer. We certainly have reason to love Jehovah and pray to him, for as John says, ‘We love, because God first loved us.’

11. Why is it reasonable that we obey the command: “The one who loves God should be loving his brother also”?

¹¹ Of course, it is not enough merely to say we love God. (Read 1 John 4:20, 21.) Anyone saying, “I love God” while hating his spiritual brother “is a liar.” Since we can see our brother and observe his godly traits, showing love for him should be easier than loving an invisible God. Indeed, “he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot be loving God, whom he has not seen.” So it is reasonable that we obey this “commandment”: “The one who loves God should be loving his brother also.”

Who Conquers the World?

12. Since we love God, what other love would we be expected to have?

¹² John next shows what loving God really means. (Read 1 John 5:1-5.) First, the apostle points out that “everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ” (the Messiah, or Jehovah’s Anointed One) “has been born from God,” or been spirit-begotten by Jehovah. Moreover, everyone who loves the Begetter, Jehovah, loves anyone else “born from that one.” Yes, all of God’s anointed children love him and would be expected to love one another. Such brotherly love also is characteristic of the “great crowd” of “other sheep” having earthly hopes.​—John 10:16; Revelation 7:9.

13. (a) Why are God’s commandments not “burdensome” to us? (b) How do we ‘conquer the world’?

¹³ ‘We know we love God’s children when we love God and keep his commandments.’ In fact, ‘the love of God means that we observe his commandments.’ Since we love God and righteousness, we are happy to keep his commandments. John says that they are not “burdensome” to us “because everything that has been born from God conquers the world.” “Everything” may denote God-given power to ‘conquer the world,’ or triumph over unrighteous human society with its temptations to break Jehovah’s commandments. (John 16:33) “The conquest that has conquered the world” is “our faith” in God, his Word, and his Son. If we have “faith that Jesus is the Son of God,” we ‘conquer the world’ by rejecting its wrong thinking and immoral ways, and by keeping God’s commandments.

14. (a) How did Jesus come “by means of water”? (b) How was Christ shown to be God’s Son “with the blood”? (c) How did the holy spirit ‘bear witness’ about Jesus Christ?

¹⁴ Since faith in Jesus is so important to our being ‘world conquerors,’ John cites evidence given about Christ by “three witness bearers.” (Read 1 John 5:6-8.) John first says that Jesus “came by means of water.” When Jesus was baptized in water to symbolize the presenting of himself to God, Jehovah declared: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.” (Matthew 3:17) Christ was also shown to be God’s Son “with the blood” he poured out in his death as a ransom. (1 Timothy 2:5, 6) Moreover, John says, “the [holy] spirit is that which is bearing witness, because the spirit is the truth.” The descending of the spirit upon Jesus at his baptism proved him to be God’s Son. (Matthew 3:16; John 1:29-34) Jehovah’s spirit enabled Jesus to carry out his commission and perform powerful works. (John 10:37, 38; Acts 10:38) By the spirit, God caused unusual darkness, an earthquake, and the rending of the temple curtain when Jesus died, and then by the same spirit God resurrected him.​—Matthew 27:45-54.

15. What are the “three witness bearers”?

¹⁵ Thus “there are three witness bearers” to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. These are (1) the holy spirit, (2) the water of Jesus’ baptism and what it stood for (the presenting of himself to Jehovah), and (3) the blood he poured out in death as a ransom. These three “are in agreement” in giving evidence that Jesus is God’s Son, in whom we must have true faith if we are to receive eternal life.​—Compare Deuteronomy 19:15.

Witness Borne by God

16. How has Jehovah borne witness concerning Jesus?

¹⁶ God himself has borne witness concerning his Son. (Read 1 John 5:9-12.) “If we receive [as truthful] the witness [imperfect] men give [as we customarily do in conversation and in court], the witness God gives is greater.” (John 8:17, 18) Since ‘God cannot lie,’ we can place implicit trust in ‘the witness he has borne concerning his Son.’ And Jehovah has said that Jesus Christ is his Son. (Titus 1:2; Matthew 3:17; 17:5) Moreover, God was behind the “three witness bearers,” that is, His holy spirit, the water of Jesus’ baptism, and Christ’s shed blood.

17. What is the only way that salvation is possible?

¹⁷ “The person putting his faith in the Son of God has the witness given in his own case,” or “in himself,” because all the evidence convinces him that Jesus is God’s Son. But “the person not having faith in God” as a reliable witness concerning His Son makes Jehovah appear to be a liar. Of course, the sum of the witness given is “that God gave us everlasting life, and this life is in his Son.” Only through faith in Jesus as God’s Son is salvation to eternal life possible. (John 11:25, 26; 14:6; 17:1-3) So “he that has the Son” by believing in him has the undeserved gift of life eternal. (John 20:31) But “this life” will not be enjoyed by anyone lacking faith in Jesus as God’s Son.

Prayer Works!

18. Why has John written “these things”?

¹⁸ John next gives the underlying purpose of his letter and discusses prayer. (Read 1 John 5:13-15.) He has written “these things” so that it may be known ‘that we have life everlasting.’ This is our conviction as those putting faith in the “name” of God’s Son. (Compare 1 John 3:23.) And apostates, who are not of our sort, cannot destroy that faith.​—1 John 2:18, 19.

19. (a) According to 1 John 5:14, 15, we have what “confidence” toward God? (b) What are some things for which we can rightly pray?

¹⁹ Toward God we have “confidence,” or “outspokenness,” that no matter what we ask in prayer “according to his will, he hears us.” We rightly pray for such things as the sanctification of Jehovah’s name, his spirit, godly wisdom, and deliverance from the wicked one. (Matthew 6:9, 13; Luke 11:13; James 1:5-8) And “we know we are to have the things asked since we have asked them of him,” the “Hearer of prayer.”​—Psalm 65:2.

20, 21. (a) What is “a sin that does not incur death”? (b) Why is it wrong to pray concerning “a sin that does incur death”?

²⁰ John next speaks of prayer and two types of sin. (Read 1 John 5:16, 17.) “A sin that does not incur death” is not willful, and it would not be wrong to pray that the repentant wrongdoer be forgiven. (Acts 2:36-38; 3:19; James 5:13-18) But it would be wrong to pray concerning “a sin that does incur death” because this is willful sin against the holy spirit, for which forgiveness is impossible. (Matthew 12:22-32; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31) Such sinners go to Gehenna, experiencing eternal destruction in “the second death.” (Revelation 21:8; Matthew 23:15) So while Jehovah is the final Judge, we do not risk displeasing him by praying for a sinner when the evidence indicates that he is guilty of willful “sin that does incur death.”

²¹ Hence, “if anyone [especially a spirit-anointed elder] catches sight of his brother sinning a sin that does not incur death [“second death”], he will ask, and [God] will give life to [the sinner],” saving him from eternal destruction. Of course, “all unrighteousness is sin,” or a missing of the mark as far as God’s righteous standards are concerned. “Yet there is a sin that does not incur death” because it results from our imperfection, we are repentant, and the sin is covered by Christ’s sacrifice.

Highlights of John’s Letter

22. Who “does not fasten his hold” on a loyal Christian, and for what can such a person pray with confidence?

²² John now summarizes basic points in his letter. (Read 1 John 5:18-21.) Everyone “born from God” as a spirit-anointed Christian “does not practice sin.” Jesus Christ, “the One born from God” by holy spirit, “watches him, and the wicked one [Satan] does not fasten his hold on him.” Such a loyal anointed Christian can pray confidently for deliverance from the wicked one and can, with “the large shield of faith,” escape spiritual harm from Satan’s “burning missiles.”​—Matthew 6:13; Ephesians 6:16.

23. How does ‘the whole world lie in the wicked one’s power’?

²³ Since anointed ones have evidence that they are spiritual sons of Jehovah, they can say, “We know we originate with God.” The fact that they have faith in Christ and do not practice sin proves that they are God’s children on whom Satan has not been able to “fasten his hold.” “But the whole world [unrighteous human society] is lying in the power of the wicked one,” Satan the Devil. (Ephesians 2:1, 2; Revelation 12:9) The world yields to Satan’s wicked influence and domination, making no effort to break free so as to do the divine will.

24. To what end has Jesus “given us intellectual capacity”?

²⁴ Certain false teachers held that Christ had not come in the flesh. (2 John 7) But evidence cited in this letter enables John to say, “We know that the Son of God has come.” (1 John 1:1-4; 5:5-8) Moreover, Jesus “has given us intellectual capacity,” or “mental perception,” so that “we may gain the knowledge of the true one,” a progressive understanding of God. (Matthew 11:27) So “we are in union with the true one [Jehovah God], by means of his Son Jesus Christ.”​—Compare John 17:20, 21.

25. As Christians, how can we apply the counsel at 1 John 5:21?

²⁵ Those in union with the true God, Jehovah, whether of the anointed remnant or of the “other sheep,” wish to please him in every way. But temptations to engage in idolatry existed in the first century, even as they do today. So John fittingly ends his letter with the fatherly counsel: “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” As Christians, we do not bow before images. (Exodus 20:4-6) We also know that it would be wrong to put ourselves, pleasure, or anything else in place of God. (2 Timothy 3:1, 2, 4) And our dedication to him precludes our worshiping the political “wild beast” and its “image.” (Revelation 13:14-18; 14:9-12) So with a view to pleasing our heavenly Father and receiving his gift of eternal life, let us be resolute in our determination to avoid all idolatry, never allowing it to destroy our precious relationship with Jehovah through Jesus Christ.

Abiding Help for Us

26. What are some noteworthy features of First John?

²⁶ John’s first inspired letter helped early Christians to shun idolatry. It enabled them to counter the lies of apostates, and it serves a similar purpose today. For example, it proves that Jesus Christ lived as a man and died as “a propitiatory sacrifice” for sins. The letter identifies “the antichrist” and distinguishes between the children of God and those of the Devil. It shows how to test “inspired expressions” to see whether they originate with Jehovah. Moreover, John’s words convince us that “God is love,” that true faith conquers the world, and that Jehovah hears the prayers of his loyal witnesses.

27. In what ways can John’s first divinely inspired letter help us?

²⁷ In the face of worldly temptations, how wise it is to keep in mind John’s warning against loving the world! If personal differences should place a strain on our relationship with certain fellow believers, the apostle’s words can remind us that we can prove ourselves lovers of God by displaying brotherly love. With divine help and by applying John’s counsel, we can avoid practicing sin and can maintain faith that conquers the world. So let us show our gratitude for this inspired letter as we keep walking in divine light, go on living as children of God, and always display love and faith to the glory of our heavenly Father, Jehovah.

[Picture on page 25]

The holy spirit, the water of Jesus’ baptism, his shed blood, and Jehovah himself bore witness that Jesus Christ is God’s Son