October 13 – 1 John 4:1-6
Dear Lord God, we come before You in worship and praise, for You are the orchestrator of Your creation. Be with us as we spend time with You, and guide us to what You want to show us.
While John is deeply grieved when Christians don’t love one another, he also is aware that not everyone who says they are a Christian actually is one. In our passage today, he addresses the problem of false prophets claiming to follow Christ but not actually believing Jesus really lived, died, and rose again. Even today, we need to be careful. Sometimes, people want to create a system of rules or mysteries and call it Christianity. We don’t follow rules or delight in spirituality and mysteries. We follow a real Person, the Son of God, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. It is Him we serve, and His Spirit resides in all believers. Beware of fancy theories that don’t point to Jesus. Test everything against what Scripture teaches about Him. Let’s not choose a religious system. Let’s draw near to the living Lord Himself!
My verse: 1 John 4:4, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
My response: I love this reminder, Lord. You reside within me by Your Spirit. I am sealed in You and literally have You within me, guiding me in how to live. Whatever scary philosophies are out there, I trust You to guide me in Your truth through Your Word. Keep me near, living God. I choose You, Lord, and want to stay close to You and all that is true.
What’s next?
As the Spirit leads, share what He has laid on your heart in the comment section below. Then join us again tomorrow for the next commentary.
