Tag: 1 John 3
Avoiding Deception
Scripture reading for November 21: 1 John 3
“Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” 1 John 3:7-10
John addressed the believers as ‘little children’, a term of endearment and also an indicator of their state of spiritual maturity. John, the elder, had been around for a long time. He was once one of the ‘little children’ himself. In following Jesus, he had learned that the devil was behind sin and temptation. We are all sinners because we inherit a sin nature from our parents and as a result are under control of the devil. Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil by offering new birth through His ‘seed’ and healing those oppressed by the devil and sickness. He was born of God the Father’s Seed! Through faith in Jesus, we receive God’s Seed in Jesus Christ. When born of God, we no longer desire to practice sin and are empowered with God’s love in the indwelling Holy Spirit.
For John it was very simple to determine if one was truly ‘born of God’. He observed their actions and attitudes to see whether or not they practiced righteousness and loved their neighbors. He plainly stated the truth that no one who is truly born of God can continue to sin. God’s Holy Spirit would bring conviction and lead them to repentance. Additionally, just knowing about Jesus Christ and even becoming a member of the church was not a test of true relationship. Deception was being promoted through the false teachers who were still practicing sin while claiming to know God. John referred to them as ‘antichrists’ who had been part of the church but had departed from truth. (1 John 2:18)
Have you ever observed someone whose talk and walk about being a follower of Christ did not add up? How would you evaluate your spiritual maturity and ability to spot deception? How does John’s letter help you to understand true spiritual rebirth?
Prayer: Father God, Thank You for John’s plain letter concerning deception and how to recognize it in my own life and in others. Fill me again today with Your Holy Spirit and discernment of spirits that I might avoid the spirit of antichrist in our world today. Amen.