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. (1 John 4:1–3, NIV 1984).
My Musings – What does it mean to acknowledge Him? “‘I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.’ ‘Who are you?’ they asked. ‘Just what I have been claiming all along,’ Jesus replied.” (John 8:23–25, NIV 1984). That He is who He claimed to be.
Who did He claim to be? “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:29–30, NIV 1984). This was a bold claim. For the Scriptures are very clear. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4, NIV 1894). The religious leaders understood the implications of this claim. But they did not believe it. “For this reason, the Jews tried all the harder to kill him…[for] calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” (John 5:18, NIV 1984). One with God.
What must we believe? “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” (Romans 3:21–25, NIV 1894). Redemption for sin comes by Jesus.
My Advice – Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NIV 1984). Anyone who claims that Jesus is not the way, or that He is not the only way, “is not from God.” We must not believe them, or we too “will indeed die in [our] sins.” It’s just that simple.
The Brew Is A Musing 