Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
People of God- Flock of Christ
1 John 4:1-6
1 John 4:1-6
Jane George
Christos MTC, Philadelphia, PA
2 “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…”
In
today’s world education for us has become as important as food, shelter and
clothing. To gain a wealth of knowledge, insight, and endless understanding,
has become a priority. Ambition and drive is motivated by how much we can learn
to survive life. But is it enough? Does the depth of our earthly knowledge
compensate for our lack of spiritual knowledge? Can all the education the world
provides us take the place of the spiritual knowledge that teaches us right
from wrong, that clothes us with wisdom, and provides us with incomparable
discernment? In 1 John 4: 1-6, John writes to us about recognizing the Spirit
of God from the false spirits. As we live in a world of growing evil and
limitless temptations, we need to recognize the spiritual truth.
Discernment is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as “the quality
of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.” However, spiritual discernment is
about knowing the truth. Spiritual discernment is about knowing what is real
and what is false. It is about accepting Our Heavenly Father and the ultimate
sacrifice of His Son for our salvation. Discernment is gifted through the
presence of the Holy Spirit and it is our true life coach. It can guide us
through the paths of life and help us acknowledge what comes from the Lord. The
Word of God contains countless examples of discernment from Job to Christ to
His apostles. It is the strength of our faith and the thirst for the Word that
feeds our spiritual knowledge which yields to our discernment. With discernment
we are able to identify the Spirit of God in all areas of our life. This is
vital to our survival against what is false and evil. The environment we live
in is constantly changing and mankind is going with the times. As we read in
Psalm 25:4, “show me Your ways Lord, teach me Your paths”, let us also strive
for this as our accomplishment in life. Let us stand firm in our beliefs and
acknowledge the Spirit of God at all times, forever and always.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, Thank You for
Your Son and His sacrifice. Lead Your Spirit into our hearts and minds to guide
us through this life that You gave us. Continue to help us to discern Your
ways, Your will, and Your Word against the obvious and hidden evils of our
lives till the end. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
"The Holy Spirit will prompt us in the right
direction as we learn to hear His voice and respond in obedience." -
Crystal McDowell