Greater Is He

“Greater is He”

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

OPENING: - Often when we look around at the condition of the world and especially the condition of the church in the world today, we can be discouraged after trying to defend the Word of God and hold up a standard of Holiness causing us to feel as though we are fighting a losing battle. It often seems as we are losing to false teachers, ideologies, traditions of men, and opinions because we see they seem to be experiencing a level of unprecedented success while others who are acting justly, who love mercy and are walking humbly are struggling to survive both naturally and spiritually.

The Bible says in Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge”. I believe the people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge because a lot of the ones that are supposed to be delivering the unadulterated Word of God are often rejecting the truth for popularity, prosperity, and personal agendas. Therefore, the people sitting in the pews are victims because of the arrogance and misconduct of the pulpits. Now let me also make it clear that I am not saying all preachers, pastors, bishops, apostles, and evangelist are doing this there are many who are indeed preaching the unadulterated Word of God, they are holding up a standard of Holiness, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking care of the orphan and widow and making disciples according to the Word of God, but there are some bad apples in the barrel and unless we remove them or at least make people aware of the rottenness they are spreading before they themselves become rotten.

Although sometimes it may seem like a losing battle, we must understand that Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

PRAYER: -

SCRIPTURE: - 1John 4:1-4 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 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: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”.

1 John 4:4 “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world”. That scripture is often used as a motivational verse for everyday living. People will quote that verse when dealing with a demanding and unreasonable boss, an unfaithful spouse or so-called friend, when dealing with obstacles in their life and to encourage people that they can make it and all of that is o.k. and true.

What many people fail to understand is the purpose behind that scripture and not understanding the purpose is a lack of knowledge which will ultimately lead to destruction. This verse in its context has nothing to do with dealing with unreasonable bosses, unfaithful spouses, double-crossing friends, nor is it just a motivational verse to help someone overcome an obstacle of life.

Sadly, many false prophets, preachers and teachers themselves use this very verse to support their false doctrines, promote the own agendas and ideologies, and to propagate such things like the prosperity gospel or hold tithing as a prerequisite of salvation while they sit back and build up their personal bank accounts and watch as souls are lost and on their way to a Hells damnation sitting in the pews of the church listening to water downed sermons and chasing after fairytale dreams of prosperity, mansions, and fancy cars because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world.

1 John 4:4 has become another marketable catchphrase. People wear it on T-shirts, have it on cups or hats but they fail to understand the context of the scripture.

John is trying to assure the people that their salvation is sure, they don’t have to be swayed by the false doctrines and the traditions of men and the false teachings of Gnosticism that are spreading through the early church. He is encouraging them that they can overcome the false prophets that are going around spreading damnable doctrines and lies.

Gnostics believed that truth comes from personally applied knowledge and experience. They believe that human beings contain a piece of God within themselves, which has fallen from the immaterial world into the bodies of humans. Some Gnostics believe that the God was not only evil but Satan himself. They believe instead of trusting in the unadulterated Word of God that a person needed new and special revelation to understand the hidden meanings of scripture. These false teachers would sometimes claim that they had visions or new prophecies not found in scripture and that they had divine authority to impose these revelations upon the church. So, the people were confused because they were hearing something that sounded good, that seemed to be true, and they believed that it was indeed coming from God. Sounds a lot like the false teachings of many today that run around teaching lies like since Jesus isn’t here in the flesh and I am then that is talking about me, God gave me a special revelation and told me to preach my experiences because that is more relevant for today than the Bible, or God told me that the people need a new gospel because what was good for grandma isn’t good for today’s generation.