What To Believe?
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God…” 1 John 4:1
Everyone believes in something whether they are conscious of it or not. They may call it their philosophy or religion or the certainty of science or their creed or humanism or whatever. We all believe in something because we were made spiritual beings. This inherent trait of man differentiates us from the beasts. Animals do not have faith. They are what they are. The dolphin is highly intelligent, yet does not believe in anything, but that he is a dolphin. He is very good at being a dolphin. However, man was made in the image of God, spiritual.
So what do we worship? Being a spiritual being, we will always worship something. What do we put our faith in? There are myriad choices, for there are many “spirits” in this world. We are told in this passage to test the spirits to see if they are of God. We need to discern truth. We need to discern what is of God and what is not. How do we do that?
A foundational question must always be, what does this “spirit” say about Jesus? If that part is wrong, then it is a spirit of antichrist. It’s that simple. You are for Him or you are against Him.
God Himself has given me a witness of who Jesus Christ truly is and God says Jesus is His Son, Messiah, Lamb of God, holy and perfect sacrifice. Do I call God a liar by my unbelief? Certainly not! God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9). This is God’s testimony, “…that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11). He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
So what I believe is this: Jesus is the Son of God Most High. He became a man to demonstrate God’s love for me. He showed me who God is that I might always fellowship with Him, that I might walk with God in the garden in the cool of the evening, talking with Him and hearing what He would say. Only Jesus makes that possible. Jesus lived the holy and perfect life that is required before one can approach a holy God. Then by the sacrifice of His life, the wounds He willingly endured, His holy and perfect life was attributed to me. Now I myself can freely come to the Almighty who is both just and holy.
This is mind-boggling, heart-overwhelming, mysterious wonder and awe. He loved me first. He pursued me. This is the Who I have trusted. This is Who I will always love.
I have God’s Word on this—God, who cannot lie.
Father, You have loved us well and shown us plainly what is true and priceless. We have beheld grace in the face of Your Son. Thank You for wooing and winning our hearts. Thank You for this divine romance. Indeed, You are the way, the truth, and the life. All our faith is in You. To the glory of Your great name, Amen.