Is It Really God?
The Jesus Filter

Scripture Reading: 1 John 2:5-6

But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Let’s examine what the Apostle John is telling us in the scripture for today. First, John tells us that obeying God’s Word is the qualifier for those who want to be made complete in God. In other words, if you are interested in being right with God and being pleasing to God in every way, you can be! To accomplish this wholeness in God, we simply obey the truths taught in the Bible.

The second truth John teaches us is how to know when we are truly “in” God. Most people question their faith and the reality of their walk with God, especially at first. The apostle is giving us a method to settle that doubt: True faith imitates the life of Jesus! Anyone not walking as Jesus did is not in God and God is not in them. To truly walk as Jesus walked it’s obvious we need to learn how Jesus walked. This takes a life-long study of God’s Word. Every day that we read our Bible, we can learn one more aspect of walking like Jesus. Obedience to that knowledge, which means changing our lifestyle to conform with the lifestyle of Jesus, is critical to our continued growth!

This discussion fits into this week’s devotionals because it describes our second filter: The Jesus filter! When God nudges us, it will be consistent with the Jesus model. God will never nudge you to do something that would be contrary to something Jesus would do. The once popular phrase WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) is always appropriate to ask when filtering a nudge.

Father, grant me a discerning spirit, full of your wisdom. Help me to know the difference between true and the false. In Jesus’ Name, amen.