I John 4:5-6
5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
One of the comforts of being in church is being surrounded with fellow believers. Is it just that Christians like being around people who agree with them? To anyone who actually goes to church, that statement is hilarious! Christians are a free people, therefore while they do have common beliefs on the truths taught in the Bible, they have a wide range of opinions on earthly things. They express their ideas and frequently disagree. If Christians exhibit such a variety of thought, what is their common bond? What defines a person as Christian?
At the core, Christians are those who know God through Jesus. How does one know God? By listening to God’s Word, the Bible. Those who listen to the teachings of the Holy Bible are those who know God. Those who will not listen to God’s Word are not from God and will allow no place for God’s Word in their lives. This difference between truth and error hangs on whether one knows God through His Word or not. Without the Word, there is no truth.
Knowing God, through His inspired Word, we are the workmanship of God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, teaches us to know ourselves through God’s Word. There we learn God’s Will for us. We see what perfect Love looks like and how God would see that love fulfilled (made perfect, or complete through action) in our lives. We also come to see that we have fallen short of the glory of God through every failure of love, which is the definition of sin.
But, where our love fails, God’s love succeeds. Jesus came and offered Himself on the cross for our forgiveness. In love, God chose forgive and give life through His Son. In Jesus, we see what true love looks like. By the words of Jesus, the words of the Holy Scriptures, we are called to repent of our sins, trust in God’s Son Jesus for our forgiveness. We are encouraged and set free to follow Jesus’ example.
The willingness to listen is a gift of God the Holy Spirit. Through this gift, we are given faith in Jesus and the certainty of eternal life. When we are gathered among other believers, we may have a variety of opinions on earthly things, but these are insignificant in view of what we share in Jesus. In Jesus, God shows that He knows us, and has come to meet our greatest need. Through faith in Jesus, we know do God, and rejoice to listen to His voice.
Let us pray,
I thank you Lord God for the gift of your Word and that you have created faith in my heart. May I always be among those who know you and listen to your voice. May your Gospel continue to bring joy and comfort to those who have yet to know you. May all those hearing your voice this day for the first time, come to faith, repent and know your love in Jesus. In your name, AMEN.