0824 TEST THE SPIRITS

AUGUST 24 = 1 JOHN 4

TEST THE SPIRITS

It seems to have been regular practice in the early church for two or three prophets to speak, or you might say for two or three members to prophesy. Most house churches did not have a full-time paid preacher, as we might expect today. And following synagogue practice, they would have a more open teaching tradition. 

Given that culture of open-pulpit teaching, it is no surprise that the early church would have a challenge in letting those people speak. The problem is, sometimes a person would speak words from the Holy Spirit, and right after that person, another could speak and contradict or give false teaching. And without a New Testament to measure such teaching, it was a special challenge to recognize when someone might be a false teacher or false prophet. 

That might provide a context for John’s instruction here:

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

John’s instruction is still valid for today, of course. People say they have a word from the Lord for you, and you hear them out. But just saying that it is a word from the Lord don’t make it so, ya know. Sometimes, people will use a so-called revelation as their excuse and means of manipulating others. 

I have a joke that I think of from time to time, but have almost never actually said it. It goes like this: “I was praying for you yesterday, and I think you should…” It’s too subtle to say it out loud, really. But the joke is that I “imply” that God told me something, simply because I mentioned praying for you. But the punch line actually says, “I think you should.” 

But what I am saying is this exact practice. If I say what I think, nobody listens to me. If I say that God told me this or that, then they are not just ignoring me; they are ignoring God himself!

So, John says, we need to test every spirit. Every teaching. Every sermon. Every announcement. And especially future-predicting prophecies. You can’t prove that it won’t happen, until it does or doesn’t. So we must test the spirits.

But how do we test the spirits?

“This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, …”

Of course, our primary test for any new prophet is to compare the teaching with the words of Scripture. God does not contradict himself. He doesn’t change. If it is not true in Scripture, it simply cannot be true in our present day.

The test that John directs is whether the person who is speaking acknowledges Jesus Christ as being God. That’s a good starting point. 

The idea that all roads lead to heaven is quite attractive, especially if you want to attract a lot of people to your message. You can even say that Jesus was a great teacher, or that Jesus was one of the messiahs or prophets who have come along over the years. It sort of sounds like you are in agreement that Jesus is significant, and you are not against his message. 

You can even refer to the “spirit of Jesus” being in various contemporary prophets who continue in his general ways. But in truth, you don’t believe that Jesus is THE son of God, come in the flesh, who died for our sins and rose again, and is the ONLY way to salvation. Now, THAT is a very limited message that does not win you friends and a wide following.

but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. 

This is a powerful negative test, just as John had just given a powerful positive test. Jesus is THE truth. He is THE way. He is THE life. No one comes to the Father but through him. That’s pretty exclusive. And anyone who does not share in that message as part of their belief system is simply not from God. Do not listen any further. Reject that teaching and move on.

This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 

The antichrist is a single figure who is going to make an appearance in the book of Revelation. In this case, John is referring to “the spirit of” the antichrist. In other words, the person’s heart is against Jesus Christ, the message that they bring is contrary to that of Jesus, the center of their doctrine is opposed to Christ. You know he is coming. But there are many already in the world today. Beware!

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

This is a phrase that is one of the better known ones in the Bible: Greater is the one who is in you than the one who is in the world. That’s good to know when we are being tempted. It’s also good to know when our teaching or our message is being resisted or opposed by another. Jesus and his Spirit in you is greater than the spirit of the antichrist which comes and fills lots of people around you.

There is one more verse in this chapter that I want to mention, because it is only found here:

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

I heard it explained in a way that has affected me for many years now: There are two basic emotions: love and fear. We can do everything from the motive of fear. We won’t be at peace, but we will be scared into doing the right things. But if we do what we do out of a motive of love, it drives away the fear that we once had. Because perfect love drives out fear.

Next time you are not content, ask yourself if you are experiencing fear in some way. Then choose love. Follow Jesus to see how to do that. You will find that the motive of perfect love wins over fear, every time. Amen.