A True Son Is One Who Hears.

From: June 14 – 20, 2011

TOPIC: "A True Son Is One Who Hears." I John 4:1-6 Over the years I have seen that only those who have humility are the ones who can persevere. Rivalry, envy, jealousy, etc. are things contrary to meekness and that is why many Christians have stopped along the road. Let us not forget that God sees what there really is in men. This is why when we see someone who stumbles and does not manage to get out of the pit hole and though he tries he cannot seem to get out; then, let us understand, it is not that we have not been able to help the person, it is that God has seen the heart of this person and knows that he is not his child! That is why it is necessary to see things as they are. Some presume to be "servants of God" and then we see that they leave and go to another church and another, what happens is that there is no God in them. God cannot answer or act upon someone who does not believe. Maybe he started, but has not followed or does not want to follow the Way, because the world is more pleasant to him. Those are rebellious, there is hatred in them, anger, disputes; well, they are not of God (1 John 3:24). "Those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them..." Let's see who is a child and who is not a child. In this same verse John mentions that we know that He abides in us by the Holy Spirit given to us. "... And this is how we know that He lives in us, by the Spirit given to us." The Spirit is given to those who are His children. John then implies that there are other spirits that are not of God. 1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." Be careful to who you speak or who you hear. It's not about friendship or someone who is nice than others. We are speaking of spirits! You say: "That is not bad; I can talk to everyone and there is no problem because I’m a friend." Well, careful, there are lines that we must not cross. When we do not pray, when the word is unknown, then we do things wrong. As disciples we must be aware of God's voice, of the orders given to us in the Word. John reveals that God's children should be warned that they should be against these spirits. So we are told in the Scriptures that there are teachers who have not been born of God and if some were ever born, later they turned back. We have seen that they begin to talk about what they want, which is out of this gospel. In the Word of God everything is said and written and we must obey it. Just because someone speaks about the Bible, about God and Jesus, does not mean that this person is a true child of God. It is necessary to test the spirits to see if they are of God because many false prophets have come out of the world. How is it possible for us to not distinguish but be able to agree with these evil spirits? How sad it is when we cannot see and we try and we even strive to convince these spirits of the world! These are those who profess Christianity, but teach the gospel altogether differently. They practice hatred, adultery, infidelity, ridicule, they tempt, etc. With such we cannot come together (Romans 16: 17, 18). John gives us the trials that these men are to be submitted. The great test of a teacher who teaches the gospel is to ask him what he thinks of Christ. Well, every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh does not proceed from God (1 John 4: 3). It is not a confession or to know of the historical fact, that is, that Jesus was born in the world in a human body, but rather it is about the confession of Jesus as a living person. It is the confession that acknowledges Jesus as the incarnated Christ. To confess Him is to submit ourselves to Him as the Lord of our life. They pretend to be Christians, but this cannot be accomplished living in sin and subjected to the desires of this world. The Spirit of God calls men to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and entrust their lives to Him. Let us keep in mind that the Holy Spirit always glorifies Jesus. The false teachers do not confess Jesus just as it appears in the verse from 1 John 4: 3. But let us understand that they do not want to submit to Him as the Lord of their lives, but that they only speak nice about Jesus, they cannot get beyond that. It’s that they have the spirit of the Antichrist, which is in the world. There are many nowadays who are willing to say acceptable things about Jesus, but they are unwilling to confess Him as God incarnated. They see Him as divine, but He is not God for them. Such is this false spirit that is upon the earth. Let us see who really the children of God are. The humble. The humble are the ones who conquer these false teachers (Isaiah 57: 15). The arrogant, of what the church is full, do not recognize the power of Christ over their lives. This is why they live in "the gospel of leaps and bounds" where all those who seek the spirit of the antichrist gather. The humble believers can overcome these false teachers because they have the Holy Spirit living in them and this enables them to detect the error and to refuse to listen to them. Let us take a good look and see what is inside of each one of us. See if you refuse to listen to them or you like to listen to their false teaching. The spirit of the antichrist dwells in them.

The false teachers are from this world and that is why the source of all that is spoken comes from this world. The world listens to them because the world is the source of everything they teach. And you, do you listen to them also? This should clarify to us that the approval of the world to anyone who teaches is not a proof of the veracity of their teachings. If someone wants to be popular and accepted, what he needs to do is to speak like the world speaks, but, if he is to be faithful to God, then he needs to speak the truth of the gospel and face the rejection of the world. John knows what is and what is not of God. All who have really been born of God will accept the teachings of the apostles. Those who really listen are of God, those who do not listen to God do not belong to Him. Those who do not accept the teachings of the New Testament or try to add or corrupt it are not and cannot hear; they belong to the spirit of the antichrist who is already on earth. Let us be clear just as the Word teaches us and warns us. Amen.