Gold Tried in the Fire - Robert J. Wieland
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that can flourish only where <strong>the</strong> true Christ of <strong>the</strong><br />
Bible has been plastered over by <strong>the</strong> enemy's<br />
counterfeit. The problem is <strong>in</strong>variably a false christ<br />
who has not truly "come <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> flesh," to quote <strong>the</strong><br />
apostle John who knew Him so well: "This is how<br />
you can recognize <strong>the</strong> Spirit of God: Every spirit<br />
that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not<br />
acknowledge [that Jesus has come <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> flesh] is<br />
not from God. This is <strong>the</strong> spirit of <strong>the</strong> antichrist,<br />
which you have heard is com<strong>in</strong>g and even now is<br />
already <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> world." 1 John 4:2, 3, NIV.<br />
Today's English Version makes that last<br />
sentence a little clearer: "Anyone who denies this<br />
about Jesus does not have <strong>the</strong> Spirit from God. The<br />
spirit that he has is from <strong>the</strong> Enemy of Christ."<br />
The word translated "flesh" is sarx, a term that<br />
refers to <strong>the</strong> fallen, s<strong>in</strong>ful nature of all descendents<br />
of Adam, a term never used of Adam's nature<br />
before his fall. John's po<strong>in</strong>t is that Christ took our<br />
fallen nature.<br />
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