Listen to the Apostles, I John 4:6

March 11, 2016 on 03-13-16

I John 4:6... We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of falsehood...

We are from God... who is the we? Is it you and I? Yes and no. John appears to be saying that he and the other apostles are from God. They knew him and learned from him and were anointed by him to teach the new believers the way to live out their salvation. What is the truth, how are we to live, were some of the thoughts and questions of the early truth. Some people, the antichrists, were going out among the churches to deceive Christ's followers, and they were successful.

People began to follow an alternate path of life. They involved themselves in sexual sins; sexual relations before marriage, divorce and remarriage, adultery, and even in homosexual acts. They sought to worship other gods, worshiping idols and rulers as their gods. They were covetous and jealous, prideful and also perverted justice. They drank and caroused, seeking the pleasures around them, and set the world as their guide for living. They did not live according to the Spirit but according to what satisfied their natural desire without restraint.

They listened to false teachers who said that following the culture was what was right and following the teachings of the apostles was not necessary. They became opposed to the truth, and John said they were not from God.

A and K, you must listen to the apostles. How do you know what the apostle taught? It is written in the New Testament. It is their words to us, inspired by the Spirit of God, for you to know what God desires of you. It is the truth and does not change over time. A woman told me lately that she believes the Bible is too black and white, and there are so many grays in life today that it can't be applied to those situations. As a "christian" she believes homosexuality is good if the people are happy. She doesn't believe that we should love everyone if they are evil and harm us. She thinks that sometimes you just shouldn't turn the other cheek, that command would be foolish. She has been taught by the "antichrists", those opposed to the truth of Christ as taught by the apostles, to walk a different way.

Daughters, are you being duped by the worldly church? If you do not follow the truths written in the New Testament, you are! We can recognize those who follow God by how they live. God's people listen to and do as the apostles taught. Follow them.

~Dad