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OCTOBER: Walking with God

October 10

ALL THINGS

...the same anointing teacheth you of all things...
1 John 2:27

John does not teach here that a Christian knows everything. “But surely,” says someone, “when it says ‘ye know all things’ (verse 20), doesn’t ‘all things’ mean just that?” But if you think that, then you must mean that every Christian knows everything—astronomy, geometry, the classics, and everything else that is in the realm of knowledge—which is patently and obviously ridiculous! No; we must take these statements within their context. John obviously does not mean secular knowledge.

Does he then mean spiritual knowledge? No, he does not mean spiritual knowledge in every sense either, for this good reason: If John is here saying that every man or woman who receives the Holy Spirit automatically knows the whole of spiritual truth, how can you apply the New Testament teaching about growing in grace and in knowledge? How can there then be any development in our knowledge and understanding? Not only that, I think we can say that if that were true, then there would be no need for the New Testament epistles. Clearly that is not the case. John’s reference to “all things” here is a reference to the particular subject with which he is dealing.It is not an all-inclusive, all-comprehensive statement.

John does not teach here that because of this knowledge every Christian is infallible. For if the unction of the Holy Spirit means that every Christian knows everything, it would follow that every Christian would have to agree with every other Christian about every aspect of Christian doctrine. But that is not the case. There are divergences and differences among Christians who manifest the Holy Spirit in their lives—about the question of baptism, about the prophetic teaching, about church order, and many other subjects. Added to that, Christians—good Christians—have from time to time fallen into error.

A Thought to Ponder
John does not teach here that because of this knowledge every Christian is infallible.

From Walking with God, p. 125.




Today’s devo is taken from Walking with God Day by Day © 2003 by Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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Walking with God Archive

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May
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July
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