DTS Devotional

A counselor was out with his group of young campers one dark night. With only a flashlight to guide them, the boys were frightened by the darkness and wanted to turn back. But the counselor assured them that even though the light would shine only a short distance in front of them, it was enough to lead them back to the camp one step at a time. Jesus, our Light, guides us through love and truth when we wander from Him. He loves us and draws us back again.

We come now to an important doctrinal section of 1 John. The apostle wanted to be sure his readers understood that love must be grounded in truth; so he encouraged them to be discerning about what they believed, especially regarding spiritual things (1 John 4:1-6). Acceptance of the Incarnation becomes the demarcation line for truth and error.

Though the spirit of the Antichrist already permeates the world, believers have overcome that force through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. False teachers, whether in John’s day or ours, come out of society, and their teaching finds its basis in this world’s systems. All false cults and heresies originate in the mind of man. Only the truth of Christianity comes from God through revelation.

So what can we expect? Opposition and strife. When we proclaim God’s truth from His Word, we should anticipate that many will reject it and will scorn the messenger. Let’s make sure we measure results by our relationship to the pure truth of the Gospel, not by some interpretation we happen to treasure. Remember, God holds us responsible for sharing the message; responses remain in His hands.