This week, we will look at 1 John 4:1-6. In this passage John addresses the false ideas that some people had about who Jesus was.
John warns his readers that we should not just accept without discernment what people say about Jesus. It's easy to think that because someone talks about Jesus, they must be a believer. We need to be more discerning than that.
The fact is, there is a spirit of AntiChrist in the world, and it is at work to sow confusion and disinformation about our faith. If this spirit can cause Christians to become confused in their thinking, it will lead people away from the faith.
So first of all, we need to use our powers of discernment when listening to what others are saying about Jesus. Secondly, we need to resist the spirit of deception that is at work to lead us astray. Lastly, we need to declare the victory we have.
There are many Christians who live scared, confused and defeated lives. John says that we are the victorious ones. We have the victory over the world by the Spirit that lives in us. That means we can be confident, joyous and courageous in life.
We are not sloshing around in miry clay, slipping and sliding our way through life. We have our feet standing on solid ground. We are walking a straight path. We are moving towards a glorious future. Don't let any deception convince you otherwise!
As John later says: "everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."
