The Root of Resilient Love: The Spirit of Truth (1 John 4:1-6)

Intro

There was once a beautiful kingdom called Veritas. In this kingdom, truth and love were inseparable companions. They lived side by side in perfect harmony. The kingdom flourished under their benevolent rule, and its citizens embodied the virtues of honesty, sincerity, and compassion.

In the heart of Veritas stood a Tree of Reflection. It was a magnificent tree known for its shimmering leaves, each holding the essence of a profound truth. People from all corners of the world would come to sit under its branches and ponder life's mysteries.

One day, a young girl named Mira wandered into the kingdom. She was a very curious young lady who was burdened with doubts and uncertainties. Life had thrown many challenges at Mira and she sought guidance and understanding. Drawn to the Tree of Reflection, Mira hoped to find the answers she sought.

As she sat under the tree, she noticed a peculiar sight. Truth and Love, personified as wise and gentle beings, were tending to the tree with immense care. Their presence exuded a seemingly tangible wisdom and warmth, drawing Mira closer.

Mira mustered the courage to speak, "Truth and Love, I come seeking answers. I'm lost and confused."

Truth and Love exchanged knowing glances, understanding the importance of their shared virtue in guiding the young girl. Love stepped forward and spoke softly, "Dear child, truth and love are intertwined like the roots of this tree. Embrace honesty, for it is the foundation on which love blossoms."

Truth nodded in agreement and added, "Indeed, love without truth is like a bird without wings – it cannot soar. Embrace truth, for it clears the path for love to flourish."

Mira listened intently, her heart touched by their words. She realized that love without truth was merely an illusion, and truth without love was cold and sterile. The two virtues needed one other to create a harmonious existence.

With newfound clarity, Mira purposed in her heart to uphold truth and love as her guiding principles. As she left the kingdom, her heart brimming with gratitude, she carried the wisdom of Veritas within her.

As the years passed, Mira's commitment to truth and love enriched her life and the lives of others around her. If ever she found herself slipping back into her old doubt, she would remember that truth and love require one another to be complete. She would then return to this guiding principle and continue on. Over the years, she became a beacon of light, spreading truth and compassion wherever she went. Her actions inspired many to seek the same unity of truth and love in their own lives.

The Kingdom of Veritas continued to thrive, its citizens cherishing the precious virtues that Truth and Love exemplified. For in this realm, truth remained the foundation, and love blossomed like the most beautiful of flowers – a testament to the power of embracing truth as a virtue, forever intertwined with love.

The Kingdom of Veritas in our story has many similarities with the Kingdom of God. God Himself is the true personification of the virtues of love and truth. As in Veritas, truth and love are inseparable in God’s character and thus in the kingdom which flows from Him.

Knowing that this is true, it is important for us to take a moment and to reflect on two of the most critical functions of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian, and those are to root us in the truth and to reveal falsehood to us. God knows that if we do not have truth, we can never truly love and so He has set about, by His Spirit, to root us in truth that we may love truly.

Truth

I. We are commanded to test the spirits (1)

Reason 1: To determine their origin.

Are they from God of are they from the world? Those are the only two options given to us by the Lord.

Matthew 6:24 NASB 2020

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Reason 2: Because falsehood is prevalent.

It can be said that there are more false prophets than true ones in the world. This has been the case from the fall until now.

Even those who give us truth mixed with some error are false prophets in the general sense. It is only those who are rooted in the pure truth of Christ who are true proclaimers of Him.

It is important for us to realize that even false prophets will often speak truth. It takes wisdom from the Spirit to sift the truth from the error.

Gold miners are painstaking in their commitment to eliminate both sediment and fools gold from their pans.

Christians must be even more committed to sifting truth from error in ourselves and in the world around us.

What is at stake for us is more than material prosperity. What is at stake is the revelation of God’s glory through us, and even life itself for those whom we may influence.

II. We test the spirits by the Gospel which we have been given (2-3)

Those operating from the Spirit of God will always uphold the true Gospel message handed down to us by Christ.

The Gospel is the true message about who Christ is, what He has done, who we are in light of this, and what we must now do in response.

This Gospel was handed down to the Apostles by Christ Himself and has been handed down to us by those they discipled.

This Gospel is summarized in the ancient creeds, the modern evangelical confessions, and is upheld by all Christians from every age.

Those who compromise the core Gospel message in any way reveal themselves to be operating from the spirit of the world.

III. Every person’s life flows either from truth or from error (4-6)

The truth of God’s word is the natural home of all who are under the influence of the Holy Spirit. (4)

If we have overcome the lies of the world, it is because the Holy Spirit in present in us. (4,6)

"Truth must necessarily be stranger than fiction, for fiction is the creation of the human mind and therefore congenial to it." -G.K. Chesterton

The lies of the world are the natural home for those who are under the influence of the spirit of this world. (5)

This is one of the reasons why people have such a hard time with the Christian faith. When lies are your nature, truth will seem unnatural.

The spirit with who we have communion dictates the people with whom we have communion.

Plainly spoken, those who are of the Holy Spirit of truth will naturally have communion and affinity with the saints of Christ.

John is clear, as are Christ and the other Apostles, that our love towards fellow saints is a clear test of the genuineness of our faith.

How we view and relate to the church of Jesus truly reveals something about which spirit is in us.

Those who are of the spirit of this age will naturally have communion and affinity with fellow citizens of this world.

Consequently, this is why they often have animosity towards Christ and His people.

Gospel Application

According to Paul the Apostle, love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.”

The Christian understanding of love is always rooted in truth. It is not a flight of fancy, nor is it a mere feeling or emotion. To be sure, feelings and emotions are real and must not be ignored, but they must not be our rule. Our rule is Christ, the Living Word which means He is ultimate truth incarnate.

John 14:6 NASB 2020

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

“Where I found truth, there I found my God, who is truth itself.” -St. Augustine

As water nourishes a plant, so truth nourishes love. The church and the world will never know real resilient love unless we root ourselves in the truth that is the character of Christ.

So who is God? He is Christ, the ultimate personification of truth and love.

What has He done? He has personified love by refusing to rejoice in falsehood, but destroying it by His cross and empty tomb that we might rise up into true love rooted in truth with Him.

Who are we? We are people who were rooted in falsehood, far worse off than we ever could have known but who have been broken free from our old nature and are now being planted in truth by the Holy Spirit because God has loved us dearly.

We are no longer rooted in the old human nature in Adam, but in truth through Christ. Our new reality produces a new vision for everything in us and a fresh passion for truth which enables us to love like Christ has loved us.

Challenge

What will we do? Each of us must engage this question.