Are you from God? (1John 4:1-6) 041107
We all like to be associated with important and famous people. Some might want to be remember for something significant. This gives us a sense of security and also a sense of importance or self worth. And I have been attaching my self worth with how people valued me, my ability and my work. I know this is wrong, but this is my tendency.
I think, this is also the phenomenal even in the Christian circle. Many people like to be known as a member of particular mega church, or have their roots in some long standing traditional denomination church, or even associate themselves with certain successful ministry or some gifted Christian worker.
I have nothing against mega churches, traditional denominational churches (I have a denomination), and I am certainly not against gifted Christian servant of God or God-anointed ministry. I thank God for what He is doing through them as they are blessing others. But I am worried for the followers who might not understand that it is God that they should be following, not the mega church, traditional denominational church or famous Christian worker.
Apostle John reminded that his readers are from God (v4, v6). This is the important thing. John was even very cautious about the kind of spirit whereby his readers were involving with and encouraged them to test the spirit to see if it was from God (v1-3). And the test is always the identity of Jesus Christ our Lord.
The teaching and the acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the Lord of our life is very important and fundamental. Jesus identity as fully human and fully God is crucial and the key. His miraculous birth, His life and ministry, and His death and resurrection are basics. These must be taught and understood. Anything which is not accordance to these, it is not from God.
Seek the Giver, not the gift. Whether it is mega church or traditional denomination church, if the fundamental is not taught and understood by the members, something is not very right!
Recently, I did a research paper on Lordship Salvation. That is to examine: what must I do to be saved? Is it enough just to receive Jesus as Savior? Or must we also receive Jesus as Lord, then we can be saved? My finding is that we must receive Jesus as both Savior and Lord before we are saved.
Once we are saved, we know that we are from God. I am from God. Not because I belong to a denominational church, not because I am a theological student, and not because I am of association with a famous Christian worker or involve in some successful ministries. It is because I put my faith in Jesus and I know who Jesus is as man and as God, and Jesus is my Savior and my Lord. Are you from God too?
HHS…
Abel…
