What is the meaning of 1 John 4:6? We are from God John speaks for himself and the other apostolic witnesses, firmly identifying their message and their very lives with the Lord’s own work. Literally, they belong to God—called, commissioned, and continually kept by Him (John 17:6; Romans 8:16). This anchoring truth gives believers confidence: •The gospel did not originate in human imagination (Galatians 1:11-12). •Those who are born of God share the same spiritual family (1 John 3:1-2). •When trials or controversies arise, we start with the settled fact that God owns His people (2 Timothy 2:19). Whoever knows God listens to us To “listen” means more than polite hearing; it involves eager reception and obedient response (James 1:22). Everyone genuinely converted by God’s grace will recognize and embrace apostolic teaching: •“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). •The Thessalonians accepted apostolic words “not as the word of men, but as the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). •Lydia’s heart was opened “to heed what Paul was saying” (Acts 16:14). When Scripture is proclaimed faithfully, God’s children instinctively resonate with it, because the same Spirit who inspired the Word indwells the hearer (1 John 2:20). Whoever is not from God does not listen to us Rejection of apostolic doctrine exposes an unregenerate heart. The Lord said, “Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 8:47). Note the pattern: •The natural man “does not accept the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:14). •Satan blinds unbelieving minds (2 Corinthians 4:4). •False teachers run ahead without abiding in Christ’s teaching (2 John 9). Persistent refusal to heed Scripture is not a mere intellectual difference; it is spiritual evidence that one remains outside God’s family. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception Discernment is straightforward: measure every voice by its agreement with the apostolic Word. •“Test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). •The Spirit of truth guides into all truth (John 16:13); He never contradicts Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17). •The spirit of deception (literally “error”) promotes doctrines that deviate from the revealed gospel (1 Timothy 4:1). Practical helps: -Keep a Bible open whenever you hear teaching. -Ask, “Does this align with the plain meaning of Scripture?” -Refuse messages that twist, add to, or subtract from apostolic truth (Galatians 1:8-9). summary 1 John 4:6 draws a clear line: belonging to God is proven by a willing, obedient ear to His Word delivered through the apostles. Those who listen demonstrate the Spirit of truth at work; those who refuse reveal the spirit of deception. Our safest compass is the Scripture itself, and our assurance comes from hearing, believing, and obeying the unchanging message that originates with God. |
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