Tuesday, 20th October 2026
Rev Xi An Poon
主題經文「神差他獨生子到世間來，使我們藉著他得生，神愛我們的心在此就顯明了。」——約翰一書4:9
「親愛的弟兄啊，神既是這樣愛我們，我們也當彼此相愛。」——約翰一書4:11
引言
弟兄姊妹，早安！
我們都渴望被愛，特別在受傷、疲累和不被理解的時候，更需要有人接納我們、明白我們。天父知道我們的需要，祂的愛使我們可以回到祂面前，得著安慰、醫治與修復。
但今天的約翰一書第四章，也帶領我們繼續往前：我們領受天父的愛之後，怎樣把這份愛活出來？
當時，教會受到錯誤教導的攪擾，也經歷了群體的分裂。約翰先提醒信徒察驗所聽見的教導，然後指出，天父差遣耶穌基督來拯救我們，將祂的愛顯明出來。既然我們這樣蒙愛，也當彼此相愛。
我們怎樣認識耶穌基督，會影響我們怎樣認識天父的愛；我們怎樣領受天父的愛，也會影響我們怎樣對待身邊的人。
所以，今天讓我們一起從約翰一書第四章，學習怎樣活出從神而來的愛。
一、持守基督的真理，認清愛的根基（4:1–6）
「親愛的弟兄啊，一切的靈，你們不可都信，總要試驗那些靈是出於神的不是，因為世上有許多假先知已經出來了。」
——約翰一書4:1
約翰提醒信徒，面對聲稱出於神的言論，不能一概接受，必須察驗。
這裏的假先知，包括那些聲稱代表神說話，卻傳講錯誤信息的人。他們可能說話很吸引人，也可能聲稱有特別的屬靈能力和經歷，但這些都不足以證明他們所傳講的是真理。
我們要怎樣察驗？約翰把焦點放在耶穌基督身上：
「凡靈認耶穌基督是成了肉身來的，就是出於神的；從此你們可以認出神的靈來。」
——約翰一書4:2
耶穌基督是天父的兒子，祂真實地成為人，來到我們中間。祂的降生、生活、受苦與捨命，都是真實的。
聖靈所引導的教導，必然使人承認聖經所見證的耶穌基督。第3節則指出，不認耶穌的，就不是出於神，而是敵基督的靈。
這與認識天父的愛有甚麼關係？
第9至10節告訴我們，天父正是藉著差遣耶穌基督來到世間，為我們的罪作了挽回祭，將祂的愛顯明出來。
我們認識天父的愛，必須扎根於耶穌基督，以及祂為我們成就的救恩。
如果一種教導不斷講論愛、講論屬靈經歷，卻否認耶穌基督的身分，或把祂的救贖放在一旁，就偏離了約翰所傳的福音。
第5節指出，屬世界的人講論屬世界的事，世人也聽從他們。因此，一個教導受歡迎，並不足以證明它是真理。第6節則提醒我們，認識神的人會聽從使徒的見證。
今天，我們需要回到聖經，以使徒所傳的真理，察驗所聽見的信息。
知識、理論和方法可以幫助我們，但我們需要省察：我們是否只問一個方法有沒有效，卻沒有查考它是否符合主的話？我們是否越來越倚靠人的能力，卻越來越少禱告、信靠耶穌基督，也越來越少倚靠聖靈？
面對錯誤教導，約翰也安慰信徒：
「因為那在你們裏面的，比那在世界上的更大。」
——約翰一書4:4
我們可以倚靠住在我們裏面的聖靈，持守基督的真理，不必被迷惑人的聲音牽著走。
當我們認清天父所差來的救主，也就能更清楚認識天父藉著祂所顯明的愛。
二、領受天父的愛，使受傷的生命得著更新（4:7–16）
「親愛的弟兄啊，我們應當彼此相愛，因為愛是從神來的。凡有愛心的，都是由神而生，並且認識神。」
——約翰一書4:7
約翰指出，愛的源頭在於神自己。第8節更說，沒有愛心的，就不認識神，因為神就是愛。
我們怎樣認識這份愛？約翰把我們帶到天父差遣耶穌基督的事上：
「神差他獨生子到世間來，使我們藉著他得生，神愛我們的心在此就顯明了。」
——約翰一書4:9
差遣獨生子的是天父；來到世間、使我們藉著祂得生的，是耶穌基督。
第10節進一步說：
「不是我們愛神，乃是神愛我們，差他的兒子為我們的罪作了挽回祭，這就是愛了。」
——約翰一書4:10
天父主動愛我們，差遣耶穌基督來；耶穌基督甘願為我們捨命，擔當我們的罪，使我們可以與天父和好。
這一章首先讓我們看見的，是救贖的愛。我們的罪需要被赦免，我們與天父的關係需要被恢復，而耶穌基督為我們成就了這一切。
我們沒有能力拯救自己的時候，天父已經先愛我們。這份愛不是靠我們的成就、服事或表現換取的。
當我們真正相信這份愛，內在的生命也開始被更新。
有些人一直覺得自己不夠好，必須不停做事，才值得被接納；有些人因為曾經受傷，就習慣把自己藏起來，不願信任別人；也有些人表面很堅強，裏面卻充滿孤單和不安。
我們可以把這些真實的光景帶到天父面前。祂珍愛我們，也願意在我們生命中持續作工，使我們學習從祂的話認識自己，接受祂在耶穌基督裏所賜的恩典。
第13節說：
「神將他的靈賜給我們，從此就知道我們是住在他裏面，他也住在我們裏面。」
——約翰一書4:13
天父把聖靈賜給我們，使我們知道自己與祂有真實的關係。我們可以倚靠聖靈，讓祂光照內心的謊言、苦毒、自我中心和恐懼，幫助我們在真理中被更新。
第14至15節再次指出，父差子作世人的救主，凡認耶穌為神兒子的，就住在神裏面。因此，領受天父的愛，與相信耶穌基督、倚靠聖靈，是緊緊相連的。
「神愛我們的心，我們也知道也信。」
——約翰一書4:16上
今天，我們是否相信天父這樣愛我們？我們是否願意把受傷和軟弱的地方向祂敞開？
天父的醫治和修復本身就很寶貴，因為我們是祂所愛的兒女。同時，祂也帶領我們繼續成長，使這份愛更新我們對待別人的方式。
三、回應天父的愛，付上代價去愛弟兄（4:17–21；參4:11–12）
「親愛的弟兄啊，神既是這樣愛我們，我們也當彼此相愛。」
——約翰一書4:11
這節經文把領受愛與活出愛，清楚連在一起。
天父的愛醫治我們受傷的心，恢復我們作祂兒女的生命，也使我們重新學習愛人。因此，我們需要從「我有沒有被愛」，繼續走向「我怎樣把領受的愛給出去」。
第12節說，當我們彼此相愛，神的愛就在我們裏面得以完全。這裏讓我們看見，彼此相愛是這份愛在我們生命中達到目的的重要表現。
我們也不需要等到自己完全得醫治，才開始愛人。在天父持續修復我們的過程中，我們就可以倚靠聖靈，學習饒恕、聆聽、關懷和付出。
第17至18節說，愛在我們裏面得以完全，使我們在審判的日子可以坦然無懼：
「愛裏沒有懼怕；愛既完全，就把懼怕除去。因為懼怕裏含著刑罰，懼怕的人在愛裏未得完全。」
——約翰一書4:18
按照上下文，這裏首先指面對審判與刑罰的懼怕。因著耶穌基督所成就的救恩，我們可以信靠祂，坦然來到天父面前。
這份蒙愛與蒙接納的確據，也能幫助我們面對人際關係中的恐懼。
有時我們不願意愛，是因為怕吃虧、怕被拒絕、怕再次受傷。我們可以把這些恐懼帶到天父面前，求聖靈幫助我們，在真理和合宜的界線中，踏出愛的一步。
「我們愛，因為神先愛我們。」
——約翰一書4:19
我們付出，是從已經蒙愛的身分出發。天父已經愛我們，耶穌基督已經為我們捨命，因此我們可以倚靠聖靈，學習甘心付出。
愛不是交換，不是先確定對方會回報，才願意付出；但愛確實需要代價。它可能需要我們付出時間、放下方便、承認錯誤，也需要我們願意聽見別人的需要。
約翰說：
「人若說『我愛神』，卻恨他的弟兄，就是說謊話的；不愛他所看見的弟兄，就不能愛沒有看見的神。」
——約翰一書4:20
我們對天父的愛，需要在對待祂兒女的態度和行動中得到印證。
如果我們不斷談論自己經歷了多少愛，卻一直容讓仇恨支配自己，拒絕愛身邊的人，就需要認真回到主面前省察。
今天，這份愛可能是願意聽完家人的話；可能是向被自己傷害的人真誠道歉；也可能是在弟兄姊妹有需要時，付出時間和實際的幫助。
「愛神的，也當愛弟兄，這是我們從神所受的命令。」
——約翰一書4:21
我們就在這些具體的順服中，讓天父所賜的愛，成為看得見的生命果子。
總結
弟兄姊妹，天父先愛我們，差遣耶穌基督來拯救我們，又把聖靈賜給我們，使我們住在祂裏面，活出彼此相愛的生命。
所以，我們要持守耶穌基督的真理，認清愛的根基；領受天父的愛，讓內在生命得著更新；並且倚靠聖靈，付上代價去愛身邊的人。
天父珍惜我們每一個人，也看重我們生命中每一處需要醫治的地方。在祂修復我們的過程中，祂也帶領我們往前，使我們從領受愛的人，成為願意把愛給出去的人。
今天，讓我們問自己：我是否相信天父藉著耶穌基督所顯明的愛？我願意讓聖靈更新生命中的哪些地方？對於身邊那個需要被愛的人，我今天可以踏出哪一步？
願我們住在天父的愛裏，跟隨耶穌基督，倚靠聖靈，把所領受的愛，真實地活出來。
Key Scriptures
“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”
—1 John 4:9, NKJV
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
—1 John 4:11, NKJV
Introduction
Good morning, brothers and sisters!
We all long to be loved. Especially when we are hurt, tired, or misunderstood, we need acceptance and understanding. Our heavenly Father knows our needs. His love welcomes us back into His presence, where we can receive comfort, healing, and restoration.
But today, 1 John chapter 4 also leads us forward: after receiving the Father’s love, how do we live it out?
At that time, the church was troubled by false teaching and had experienced division. John first reminded believers to test the teaching they heard. He then explained that the Father had revealed His love by sending Jesus Christ to save us. Since we have been loved in this way, we also ought to love one another.
How we understand Jesus Christ affects how we understand the Father’s love. How we receive the Father’s love also affects how we treat the people around us.
So today, let us learn from 1 John chapter 4 how to live out the love that comes from God.
- Hold Firm to the Truth About Christ and Recognise the Foundation of Love (4:1–6)
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
—1 John 4:1, NKJV
John reminds believers that we must examine messages that claim to come from God. We cannot simply accept everything we hear.
False prophets include people who claim to speak for God but teach what is false. Their words may be attractive. They may claim to have special spiritual abilities or experiences. Yet none of these things is sufficient to prove that their teaching is true.
How should we test their teaching? John directs our attention to Jesus Christ:
“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.”
—1 John 4:2, NKJV
Jesus Christ is the Father’s Son. He truly became human and came among us. His birth, His life, His suffering, and His death were real.
Teaching led by the Holy Spirit will acknowledge the Jesus Christ revealed in Scripture. Verse 3 explains that the spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ is not from God, but is the spirit of the Antichrist.
How does this relate to knowing the Father’s love?
Verses 9 and 10 tell us that the Father revealed His love by sending Jesus Christ into the world to be the propitiation for our sins.
Our understanding of the Father’s love must be rooted in Jesus Christ and the salvation He accomplished for us.
If a teaching speaks continually about love and spiritual experiences but denies who Jesus Christ is or sets aside His saving work, it has departed from the gospel John proclaimed.
Verse 5 explains that those who belong to the world speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them. Therefore, popularity alone does not establish that a teaching is true. Verse 6 reminds us that those who know God listen to the apostles’ testimony.
Today, we need to return to Scripture and test the messages we hear against the truth proclaimed by the apostles.
Knowledge, theories, and methods can help us. But we need to examine ourselves: do we only ask whether a method works, without considering whether it agrees with the Lord’s Word? Are we relying more and more on human ability, while praying less, trusting Jesus Christ less, and depending less on the Holy Spirit?
In the face of false teaching, John also reassures believers:
“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
—1 John 4:4, NKJV
We can depend on the Holy Spirit who lives within us and hold firm to the truth about Christ. We do not have to be carried along by deceptive voices.
As we recognise the Saviour whom the Father has sent, we can understand more clearly the love the Father has revealed through Him.
- Receive the Father’s Love and Allow Our Wounded Lives to Be Renewed (4:7–16)
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”
—1 John 4:7, NKJV
John identifies God Himself as the source of love. Verse 8 goes further: the person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
How do we come to understand this love? John directs us to the Father’s sending of Jesus Christ:
“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”
—1 John 4:9, NKJV
The Father sent His only begotten Son. Jesus Christ came into the world so that we might live through Him.
Verse 10 explains further:
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
—1 John 4:10, NKJV
The Father took the initiative to love us and sent Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ willingly laid down His life, bearing our sins so that we could be reconciled to the Father.
The love this chapter first reveals is redeeming love. Our sins needed forgiveness. Our relationship with the Father needed restoration. Jesus Christ accomplished this for us.
When we could not save ourselves, the Father already loved us. We did not earn this love through our achievements, our ministry, or our performance.
As we truly believe this love, our inner lives begin to be renewed.
Some people constantly feel that they are not good enough. They believe they must keep doing more to deserve acceptance. Others have been hurt and have learned to hide themselves, finding it difficult to trust anyone. Some appear strong on the outside but are filled with loneliness and insecurity within.
We can bring these realities before our heavenly Father. He cherishes us and continues to work in our lives. Through His Word, He teaches us to understand who we are and to receive the grace He has given us in Jesus Christ.
Verse 13 says:
“By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
—1 John 4:13, NKJV
The Father has given us the Holy Spirit so that we can know we have a real relationship with Him. We can depend on the Holy Spirit to expose the lies, bitterness, self-centredness, and fear within us, and to help us be renewed in the truth.
Verses 14 and 15 again explain that the Father sent the Son as the Saviour of the world, and that whoever confesses Jesus as the Son of God abides in God. Receiving the Father’s love is therefore closely connected with believing in Jesus Christ and depending on the Holy Spirit.
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.”
—1 John 4:16a, NKJV
Today, do we believe that our heavenly Father loves us in this way? Are we willing to open the wounded and weak places of our lives to Him?
The Father’s healing and restoration are precious in themselves because we are His beloved children. At the same time, He leads us into further growth, allowing His love to change how we treat others.
- Respond to the Father’s Love by Loving Our Brothers and Sisters at a Cost (4:17–21; see also 4:11–12)
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
—1 John 4:11 (NKJV)
This verse clearly connects receiving love with putting love into practice.
Our heavenly Father’s love heals our wounded hearts, restores our lives as His children, and helps us learn to love others again. Therefore, we need to move from asking, “Am I loved?” to asking, “How can I share the love I have received?”
Verse 12 tells us that when we love one another, God’s love is perfected in us. This shows us that loving one another is an important expression of His love reaching its intended purpose in our lives.
We do not need to wait until we are completely healed before we begin to love others. As our heavenly Father continues to restore us, we can depend on the Holy Spirit and learn to forgive, listen, care, and give.
1 John 4:17–18
These verses explain that as love matures in us, we can face the day of judgment with confidence.
In this context, the fear John addresses is primarily the fear of judgment and punishment. Because of the salvation Jesus Christ has accomplished, we can trust in Him and come confidently before our heavenly Father.
The assurance that we are loved and accepted can also help us face our fears in relationships.
Sometimes we hesitate to love because we are afraid of losing out, being rejected, or being hurt again. We can bring these fears before our heavenly Father and ask the Holy Spirit to help us take a step of love, guided by truth and appropriate boundaries.
1 John 4:19
We give from our identity as people who are already loved. Our heavenly Father has loved us, and Jesus Christ has laid down His life for us. Therefore, we can depend on the Holy Spirit and learn to give willingly.
Love is not a transaction. It does not wait for a guaranteed return before giving. Yet love does involve a cost. It may require us to give our time, accept inconvenience, admit our mistakes, and be willing to listen to the needs of others.
1 John 4:20
John teaches that our love for our heavenly Father must be reflected in our attitudes and actions towards His children.
If we continually speak about how much love we have experienced, yet allow hatred to rule our hearts and refuse to love those around us, we need to come honestly before the Lord and examine ourselves.
Today, love may mean listening patiently until a family member has finished speaking. It may mean sincerely apologising to someone we have hurt. It may mean giving our time and practical help to a brother or sister in need.
1 John 4:21
Loving our brothers and sisters is a command we have received from God. Through these practical acts of obedience, the love our heavenly Father has given us becomes visible fruit in our lives.
Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, our heavenly Father first loved us. He sent Jesus Christ to save us and gave us the Holy Spirit so that we might abide in Him and live a life of love for one another.
Therefore, we must hold firmly to the truth of Jesus Christ and understand the foundation of love. We must receive our heavenly Father’s love and allow our inner lives to be renewed. And we must depend on the Holy Spirit, willingly paying the cost of loving those around us.
Our heavenly Father treasures each one of us. Every part of our lives that needs healing matters to Him. As He restores us, He also leads us forward, helping us grow from people who receive love into people who willingly share it.
Today, let us ask ourselves: Do I believe in the love our heavenly Father has revealed through Jesus Christ? Which areas of my life am I willing to let the Holy Spirit renew? What step can I take today towards someone around me who needs to be loved?
May we abide in our heavenly Father’s love, follow Jesus Christ, and depend on the Holy Spirit, putting the love we have received into practice.
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