1 John 2 v 24 - 29

The Christian family is one of equals: no one superior or made to feel inferior from anyone else. Because when we become sons and daughters of God, we receive the Holy Spirit and He is our guide and protector. I've got a friend who became a Christian, aged eighteen, on his first evening in church. He had grown up in a non-churchgoing family, but felt the pull himself to see what it was like. Anyway, shortly after his conversion, he went for some reason to another church and heard from a preacher who was questioning whether Christ had physically died on the cross. So up my friend got and walked out in the midst of the service! It is good to learn and there will always be others who know more about the Bible or have some radical life experiences to tell you about, but it is essential that we all recognise that we are all equally loved and received by God. I know that the passage in Scriptures where Jesus invited the children to come to Him can be made twee, but remind yourself that children were treated as inferior until they reached adulthood in Ancient Judea. The Truth then for a believer can be ascertained using two criteria: 1. There is an external test, is what is being disseminated consistent with Biblical teaching? 2. There is an internal test, all teaching must undergo the test of the Holy Spirit witnessing within our hearts. John goes on to answer the question about how we should live. He urges his readers to abide continually in Christ, so that whenever He returns, it will not be a shock to us, but simply the entry into the nearer presence of One with whom we have lived for a long time. How do we 'abide in Christ'? By right living, practical holy daily actions. Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Has He risen in your heart this morning?