Selections from The Holy Bible and personal essays and commentary
The King James Version of the Holy Bible, quoted in the passages on this page, are in the public domain and are here for spiritual, non-commercial, and educational purposes only.
The good example of a righteous life may speak much louder than a lot of carefully chosen words on the printed page. The Holy Word of God found in the Bible is accurate and dependable - much more so than anything that any one might say or write.
1 John 4:1 - Beloved, don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
The apostle John told us to test the spirits - to be aware of the spiritual nature of other people so that we do not follow false teachers and fall into bad habits or traps set by the evil one. But, we are not to judge others unless we are perfect ourselves - from the sermon on the mount.
Paul, Saul or Sha'ul, the apostle to the Gentiles wrote - I Corinthians 6:9 - I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners; yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world. But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Don't even eat with such a person. For what have I to do with also judging those who are outside? Don't you judge those who are within? But those who are outside, God judges. Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.
Paul clearly stated that we are to separate ourselves from evil and put it out of the church. This was partially to encourage the backslidden saints to return to a closer walk with God. But, it was clearly intended to encourage believers to shun or put out of the congregation those who were called a brother but not behaving like one. How many churches live up to this standard today? Many churches don't observe the Biblical commandments and standards for their membership because they're afraid of offending men and women but not afraid of offending God. According to the moral standards that Paul is speaking of, most of us would be shunned by the few believers able to live up to God's high moral standards. None of us can even approach a high moral standard of living without faith, trust and dependence on the transforming power of God.
The gift of salvation and the promise of eternal life is freely given to those who trust in Jesus as their savior. Those who believe, pray, read the Bible and allow themselves to grow in spirit and truth by trusting in Jesus and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit are brought into the family of God and will spend eternity with Him. You can read more about Jesus in the Gospel of John.
