Daily Devotion in I John 4

Daily Nugget:
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” I John 4:1

Too many Christians are missing discernment in determining what is of God and what is not. This chapter starts by urging believers to be wary of how they are influenced.

Cults and many denominations are full of those that mean well, want to follow God, but end up following unbiblical, ungodly theologies and philosophies. A desire to please God is normal for most, but failing to discern right from wrong often gets a person further away from God’s truths than they would ever expect.

Most people are trusting. It is surprising what they will believe. John gives one keyword of advice in determining if something, or someone, is of God or not. That word is “try” (I John 4:1). It means to “prove by testing.”

As Ephesians 6 makes very clear, there is an unseen spiritual battle going on all around us. This battle is raging between two sides: God’s and His enemy, Satan. It is up to a godly, spiritual person to determine if what we are contemplating getting involved in or believing is from the Spirit of God or Satan’s influence. We are to “try” the situations.

One of the primary tests is if the person, who may even claim to be Christian, admits that Jesus has come in the flesh and is the Christ (I John 4:3-4). One who is of God will know who the Father’s son is.

As a young believer, I remember using this test myself on two well-dressed, white-shirted, male visitors who came to my house one day. They presented a Bible and many of their own cult’s writings to me. They sounded spiritual and Christian, but when asked if Jesus was God’s only son, their reply failed the test. They said Jesus was a good man and teacher, but He was not the Son of God.

Since then, I have asked the test question to many, some even Baptist, and they too had good-sounding answers. However, when made to answer directly, they denied Jesus was the Christ. They claimed He was just a good man and prophet.

There are a lot of ungodly “spirits” roaming this earth (I John 4:3-4). We are not to be afraid of them “because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). The indwelling Spirit of God will protect us, but we are to be wary. We are to look upon the things, philosophies, and people with some godly intelligence. We can and should determine what is of God and what is not.

Today’s Thought: 
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” — Author Unknown

Words to Understand:
Propitiation: overcoming mistrust and dislike; atoning for sin

Today’s Reading:
I John 4
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 ¶ And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 ¶ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.