In The Word
Read: 1 John 3:11-4:6
11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we are to love one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. 17 But whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God remain in him? 18 Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will set our heart at ease before Him, 20 that if our heart condemns us, that God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. 24 The one who keeps His commandments remains in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He remains in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Testing the Spirits
4 Beloved, 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world, therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. The one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
We learn from John that the world will always hate us because we remind them of their wrong when we live rightly. The right way to live is to love one another as Christ loved us; it is one of the proofs that we are truly Christians. As true followers of Christ, we cannot look upon the need of a fellow Christian and not rise up and do something about it when we have the means to do so. It is one thing to tell someone you will pray for them but another entirely to meet their need. Prayer without action is a copout to Christianity. When we walk as true followers of Christ, our Father is pleased to answer our prayers. This is the result of following the Spirit. However, we are warned to be careful that it’s the Holy Spirit leading us and not the spirit of the world. The spirit of the world will lead us into a place of destruction, but God will lead us to a place of blessing. Those who belong to God will rise up to do the right thing and will not be led down the wrong path, because greater is the Spirit within us than the one trying to trick us.
We are a people that must live doing the right things, not just hoping they will get done by someone else. This kind of living shows the world that there is a God and that we are His children. Even though the world hates us, God loves and favors us. He will answer our prayers and protect us from being deceived. Learn to live like Abel, not die like Cain.