He Belongs to Me and I Belong to Him!

 

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.  This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God  is love. This is how God showed his love: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us,  we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if  we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in  God." I John  4:1-15

 

We all like to be acknowledged.  Have you ever been in the position that someone who knew you pretended that they did not know you?  It is very painful to be overlooked by someone. At one point in my life, I had someone who was very close to me, look right through me.  And then they left the place pretending that they had never seen me there.  It was crazy!  That was the most hurt and rejected I have probably every felt in my life.  To be publicly ignored by one of the most important people in my life was devastating.

 

I  wonder if the Lord sometime feels that way about us.  There are times that we are not as quick to acknowledge him as we are at other times.  There have been situations in my younger years, when I wanted to blend in with my friends and so I would leave the Lord unacknowledged.  Perhaps I would choose not to pray over my meal because no one else prayed.  Other times I have heard people making fun of Christians, but I have not always interrupted them and acknowledged that I belonged to him.  I wish I had those moments back!  I love the Lord so much.  The idea of  me ever failing to give him the place in my life that he deserves,  hurts me to even think about.

 

We  have to acknowledge the Lord if we are truly born again.  We have to know him, who he is, what his character and heart are all about.  We have to know him as Savior,  Lord, the Son of God and the Son of Man.  We have to know him as the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah.  And after knowing him, we must choose to align ourselves with him.

 

We cannot deny the one who saved us!  If he is living on the inside of you, you have to give him the place and honor that he deserves.  This acknowledgement is proof that your relationship with God is right.

As a girl who was infatuated, it was very exciting when this very cute guy (now my husband) noticed me. It was even more thrilling when he asked me out on a date.  But, when the day came that he asked me to be his girlfriend, and later his wife, I felt so ecstatic!  Being acknowledged as someone he loved and wanted to spend his life with, was very affirming to me.

 

Jesus is the Lover of my Soul. It is my duty, my joy and delight, to acknowledge him before men!  He is he Son of God, to fail to acknowledge that, is to fail to know him at all!

 

Dear Lord, help me to acknowledge  you in all that I say and do.  Help my life honor you and my love for you. In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

Sherri