Know, Recognize, and Speak

I John 4:4-6 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" The truth is that not everyone who is religious is a born again follower of Jesus. There are many who proclaim the Name of Jesus who are really not His. Those who follow them are of the world, just as they are of the world. They use the Name of Jesus for their own profit and gain, but just like the devils, they believe there is a God, but there is no true faith in God. They merely have a head knowledge of Him. There are many who proclaim to be teachers of the Bible, but their teaching is strictly academic and not rooted in a genuinely born again relationship with the Lord. In John 3:3 we are told, "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" If we who are born again followers of Jesus are also genuine students of God's Word, we will not be sucked in by the worldly teachings of false teachers, and antichrists. We have the Spirit of God indwelling us and guiding us. We have access, through Christ, to the Throne Room of God. This means that if we are praying and diligently studying the Word, we will not be deceived. Those who do not know Jesus will always show themselves because they will gladly hear us when we speak of God, but will be immediately offended when we speak the Name of Jesus. We must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves in a world filled with wolves dressed in sheeps' clothing. My friends, when we do encounter those who ignorantly follow false teachings, and we recognize that they truly do not know Jesus; we need not engage in worthless arguments. Instead, let us lovingly share the life changing Good News of Jesus, and pray that the Lord will open their hearts to the truth. Our pride may drive us to win an argument, but in the end we may also drive someone away from accepting Christ; and that is a victory we do not want to give account for when we go before our Lord. We must know the Word, recognize falsehood, and do all we can to speak the truth in the midst of this generation that is increasingly perverting God's truth.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).