1 John 4: The Spirit of Truth
Friday, December 12, 2025
Casting out fear, recognizing the anti-Christ, remembering that we are God’s little children, loving because we are first loved by God. John, Peter and Paul all try to convey to the faithful the importance of remembering Jesus’ message that we follow those who live in the Spirit rather than against it. They warn Christ’s flock about the cleverness of the darkness; they tell us that our journey through a life of narrow gates will be a refining experience that will sharpen our perception so that we better discern real truth from falsehood and deception.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)
Peter, the foundation on which Christ builds his Church on earth, describes the subtle way that darkness will intrude on our thinking, and he reminds us of the surety of the consequences for succumbing to that darkness.
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. (2 Peter 2:1-3)
Paul tells the Thessalonians – and us – that we must stay away from even the fringes of evil; its power to deceive it is far too potent for us to combat. Iniquity often disguises itself as goodness and we may be taken in and taken over before we even recognize that something ugly has dressed itself up as a radiant goodness. Paul tells us to . . .
Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.(1 Thessalonians 5:21-24)
Today we spend time with the Beloved Apostle as he too warns us that our faith is a powerful guardian against malevolence. In his beautiful letters that describe the ineffable experience he has as Christ’s companion, John calls us to a faith in God that will overcome the dark enemy . . . for whatever is born of God conquers the world. John writes these things to us who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that we may that we have eternal life. And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the request made of him.
This is the spirit of truth we are asked to seek and identify.
This is the Spirit of truth we are called to follow.
This is the Spirit of Truth we are invited to live.
May we answer this call, this invitation, this voice of God. And may we follow this voice willingly for it brings us to our only sanctuary against the false teachers who roam the world dressed up in glorious garments that have the appearance of goodness and light, but which are in reality woven of the glittering deceit of dishonesty and fraud.
A re-post from November 17, 2011.
Image from: https://catholictt.org/2024/05/19/sunday-may-19th-the-spirit-of-truth/
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