God's Holy Fire: 'To Whom Are We Listening?'

Sunday, December 8, 2024

But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.
— 1 John 4:6 MESSAGE

Key Thought

How do you know the people who have the true Spirit of God? John reminds us that they are the ones who listen to the Spirit's authoritative messengers. Why do we trust the Scriptures? Because they are:
  • Inspired by the Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21),
  • Guaranteed true by the Spirit (John 16:13),
  • Used by the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), and
  • Understood by people who have the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:6-14).
When anyone claiming to speak by the power of the Holy Spirit brings a message that conflicts with the original proclaimers of the truth, that person is not speaking the truth and is not being led by the Holy Spirit but by the spirit of deception.

Today's Prayer

O Lord God, please use your Holy Spirit to guide me into all truth so that I will recognize when others do not speak your truth. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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Illustration

Illustration of 1 John 4:6 MESSAGE — This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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