“This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” [1John5:6-12, NIV]
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We 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 of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” [1John4:1-6, NIV]
Based on these verses, I have realized that the Spirit testifies to the truth, whereas my fallen world view would be false and subject to the spirit of falsehood. Without the Spirit, I would not have acknowledge Jesus Christ had come in the flesh is from God and not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. I must be totally dependent on the Spirit to be able to know the truth in a world of lies and falsehoods. Practical steps would be to love my brother (not an easy task) without conditions and to read the Word more, to allow the Spirit to reveal to me the Truth and counsel me on my spiritual walk.
Will miss this Wednesday’s morning bible study (start of Psalm 19), but will pray that you all have a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends.
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