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“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:2-3).
The Apostle John wrote his epistles later than any of the other New Testament writers, and by the time he wrote, bad teaching was already starting to come into the profession of Christianity. Among other things, the truth that Jesus Christ is God and man in one Person was being attacked.
John points out that this is the work of Satan, and the spirit of antichrist. We are to be on guard against the work of evil spirits.
An unbeliever cannot confess Jesus Christ as Lord, for he or she is not indwelt by the Spirit of God. It is only by the Spirit of God that we can submit to Christ as our Lord. Once again, all this emphasizes the importance of confessing Christ after we are saved. In addition, it will give you a special joy in your heart to confess Christ to others!
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