{"id":543,"date":"2017-09-05T06:06:13","date_gmt":"2017-09-05T14:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=543"},"modified":"2017-09-05T06:06:13","modified_gmt":"2017-09-05T14:06:13","slug":"1-john-4-1-6-those-who-are-and-those-who-arent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=543","title":{"rendered":"1 John 4.1-6\u00a0\u00a0 Those Who Are And Those Who Aren\u2019t"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 John 4:1-6 <\/strong>\u2013\u00a0Dear friends,\u00a0do not believe every spirit,\u00a0but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.\u00a02\u00a0This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh\u00a0is from God,\u00a03\u00a0but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,\u00a0which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. \u00a04\u00a0You, dear children,\u00a0are from God and have overcome them,\u00a0because the one who is in you\u00a0is greater than the one who is in the world.\u00a05\u00a0They are from the world\u00a0and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.\u00a06\u00a0We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit\u00a0of truth\u00a0and the spirit of falsehood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew 12:30 <\/strong>– 30<\/a><\/strong>\u201cWhoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.\u201d<\/p>\n

John 8:47 <\/strong>\u2013 47\u00a0Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.\u00a0The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Family, we must not believe everyone, not just anyone.\u00a0 There are many deceptive spirits, many people who seem to be nice, kind, good, or even right in the positions they take, but beware what the unbeliever has to say.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t seek advice from non-believers.\u00a0 We can ask a non-believing mechanic for mechanical help because we know that mechanical things are what he knows.\u00a0 But we do not ask a non-Christian about moral advice.\u00a0 Their advice sometimes starts off so good but soon it goes against the Word of God.\u00a0 The Spirit within is saying \u201cNo, don\u2019t listen, don\u2019t take this in, it is against scripture.\u201d\u00a0 Then the person will tell you that you should heed their advice rather than the guidance of the Spirit of God and of the Word of God.\u00a0 They may even get angry with you if you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

We are the light-bearers of the world.\u00a0 We know the truth and Truth is within us.\u00a0 Why would we seek the counsel, in spiritual and moral matters, from those who don\u2019t know the truth? \u00a0That makes no sense.\u00a0 The Spirit of God is within us, teaching and guiding us, why would light go to darkness and ask it how to be light?\u00a0 By nature darkness does not know how to be light.\u00a0 Instead darkness leaves when light comes.<\/p>\n

Who are the ones we most associate with and \u201chang out\u201d with?\u00a0 If it is with non-believers then one must be careful, the Word of God states \u201cDo not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character<\/span> (1 Corinthians 15:33<\/strong>).\u00a0 The people we most spend our time with, who we most listen to, who we most watch, will influence how we act, what we believe, and what we say.\u00a0 We don\u2019t spend the majority of our time with people we don\u2019t have much in common with or don\u2019t agree with.\u00a0 We spend time with people who do the things we like and who think like we do. People who spend time together can finish each other\u2019s sentences, they use the same expressions, and they take up the same causes.\u00a0 That is easily observable.\u00a0 Not that we should stop being friends and associates of non-believers.\u00a0 Of course not!\u00a0 How could we share the Gospel if are not friends and associates with non-beleivers?\u00a0 Besides, we love the non-believer just as Jesus does.\u00a0 What is being discussed here is that we don\u2019t believe and we don\u2019t seek spiritual and moral advise from non-Christians.\u00a0 The words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 12:30<\/strong> are \u201cWhoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0 Family, with the Word of God we have the absolute pure Truth of God and with the Holy Spirit we have the author of the Word of God explaining it to us.\u00a0 Since the Word of God is absolutely right, then anything that is not in agreement with it is absolutely wrong. In this, something is either black or white, there is no middle ground.\u00a0 God\u2019s Word does not compromise.\u00a0 And neither should we. Friends we ought to love the unsaved, but we are on dangerous ground when they are the companionship we prefer and the ones whom we share our beliefs with.<\/p>\n

John 8:47 <\/strong>\u2013 47\u00a0Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.\u00a0The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God<\/span>. \u00a0Non-believers do not hear and agree with what Jesus said because they do not belong to God.\u00a0 Jesus said that very clearly.\u00a0 He said it, we believe it.<\/p>\n

It is important for us to know who is a believer and who is not.\u00a0 Here is a very basic and unyielding truth to know who is a believer and who is not.\u00a0 Any person who does not profess that Jesus was God in the flesh and that He died for our sins and rose from the dead to ascend to the right of the Father, is not of God. He who does not profess that Jesus is the only way to Father is deceived, or a liar, and either way, spreading pernicious lies.\u00a0 We must recognize who is with Christ and who is not.\u00a0 We must not align our lives and views with those who oppose God or we may find ourselves opposing the will of God.\u00a0 We should ask ourselves, whom do we most agree with, whom do we most want to spend our time with.\u00a0 The answer should either assure us or cause us to break loose and run back to where we ought to be.<\/p>\n

The Word of God is clear that anyone who does not profess the truth about Jesus is against Him. By that person\u2019s refusal to believe they propound to all in their world their ideas that are counter to God.\u00a0 So they, as Jesus said, are against Him and they, by their words and actions, actually scatter away any that would come to hear the Lord.\u00a0 They oppose God. Certainly they can be those we love and talk to, but let\u2019s not confuse love with agreement.\u00a0 If someone demands agreement for friendship, then let them go.\u00a0 As for us, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Jesus is God the Son.\u00a0 Through and in Him we have complete victory over he that makes the world mad.\u00a0 Greater is God who is within us than he that is in the world.\u00a0 We take great comfort in that.<\/p>\n

We have the Spirit of Truth within us and are guided by Him.\u00a0 Those who are of God understand the spiritual truths we believe.\u00a0 Those are not of God do not believe what God has placed within us.\u00a0 They reject it and fight against it.\u00a0 The fact that they do not receive the truth we share is proof that they are not from God.\u00a0 This is what the Word of God states.\u00a0 But be careful, we are talking about the truths of God and not the many other opinions of mankind.\u00a0 However, look who we are most aligned with in all opinions, people of the world, or the people of God.\u00a0 That should reveal something to us about our walk.<\/p>\n

But we are \u201cdear children\u201d of God, we have overcome them by the power and might of Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords!\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 Be strong!\u00a0 Be joyful, be at peace, Jesus overcame the world and He allows us to share in that victory.\u00a0 Praise God!<\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/strong>\u00a0– But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 John 4:1-6 \u2013\u00a0Dear friends,\u00a0do not believe every spirit,\u00a0but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.\u00a02\u00a0This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh\u00a0is from God,\u00a03\u00a0but every spirit that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[2333,129,511,2334,7,659,8,180,100,2186,2339,512,2337,2340,101,2338,94,2336,2269,17,2335,2184,2321,2132,321],"class_list":["post-543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-against","tag-corinthians","tag-darkness","tag-deceptive","tag-god","tag-greater","tag-jesus","tag-jesus-christ","tag-john","tag-joshua","tag-king-of-kings","tag-light","tag-light-bearers","tag-lord-of-lords","tag-matthew","tag-mechanical","tag-micah","tag-non-believers","tag-overcome","tag-psalm","tag-scatters","tag-spirit-of-god","tag-spirits","tag-word-of-god","tag-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=543"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":544,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543\/revisions\/544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}