1 John 2:22 & 23

22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

1 John 4:2 & 3

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

Oh how I love the word of God! I have my favorite books though, and I must confess, 1 John is one of them for many reasons. One of those reasons is that it is just jam packed with wonderful doctrine that is easy to understand.

I often hear critics of Christianity harking on us because we are so “narrow-minded.” Along with many, many quotes directly from Jesus, you should memorize these few verses in 1 John as a defense. We have clearly been called to be VERY narrow minded by God. Belief in Christ alone is our salvation. . .any other doctrine is of the Devil. PERIOD. There is no room for any other goofy belief here. Either Jesus Christ is fully God (he and the father are one) AND fully human (100% flesh), or you are following Satan. Narrow minded, absolutely, God intended for it to be pretty easy to grasp. As further proof, I will quote my favorite author here:

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
-Jesus Christ

Oh Holy Father, thank you for your son. Thank you for his sacrifice. Thank you for your word that makes it so very clear how we ought to follow and seek after you. Help me to seek you and to find you today.