John encourages new and mature believers to grow in spiritual maturity. He reminds all of us about the contrasts between those who follow Christ and those who do not. 1 John says that we can tell where someone s heart is by watching their actions. In the above scenario, it was the justification used that convinced you of the other person s sincerity. John realizes that darkness sometimes look likes light.
People can be sincerely wrong, just as easily as sincerely right.
It explains that the Holy Spirit gives us our wisdom. Those without the Spirit cannot have our same wisdom. The good news is that believers have an anointing from the Spirit that teaches us about all things, what is true and not lies. By maintaining constant fellowship with Christ through the disciplines of obedience to the Spirit s prompting, keeping a continual conversation going with the Father, and reading His Word, it becomes increasingly easy to discern between truth and error. Now put yourself in this scenario.