1 John 4:1-6Test the Spirits May 13, 2012
At the turn of the century the world’s most distinguished astronomer was Sir Percival Lowell. He was esteemed for his study of the solar system and had a particular fascination with Mars. He was certain that there were canals on the surface of the Red Planet and that these canals were proof of intelligent life there. The rest of his life was spent squinting though a giant telescope in Arizona mapping the channels and canals he saw. He was so highly regarded that his teachings gained wide acceptance.
Since that time our space probes have orbited mars and even landed on its surface. The entire planet has been mapped and no one has seen even one canal. It is now believed that Percival Lowell had a rare eye disease, which is now called ‘Lowell’s syndrome’ and it causes a person to see the bulging blood vessels in their own eyeballs.
Humankind, from its limited perspective, has offered many error-filled ideas. The world looks at God, and salvation through sinful lenses. The sinful mind looks at salvation through the lense of self-righteousness. The sinful mind looks at having a relationship with God through the lense of work-righteousness.
With 38,000 different Christian denominations, and with all these churches teaching a little differently—and no they don’t teach the same, otherwise they would be united—with all these churches teaching a little differently, it’s hard to know what’s true. Or is it?
“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.”Test the spirits. Try them. Look beneath the surface to find the source of what it being said. It the message accepted because of the messenger’s charisma, or sincerity? Or is it accepted because it is from God. Test the Spirits, John says, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
.5
- 1
- 1.5
- 2
- 2.5
- 3
- 3.5
- 4
- 4.5
- 5
Topic: #41 of 182 for Sermons on Unconditional Love
Scripture: 1 John 4:1-4:11
Denomination: Lutheran
Date Added: May 2003
Audience: General Adults (31 - 49)
Keywords: none (Suggest a Keyword)
John used this litmus test in his day. “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.”The false prophets of his day claimed that Jesus was not the Son of God.
John doesn’t identify the false teaching he is dealing with, but most likely it is a form of Gnosticism. Gnosticism teaches that a person needs to have superior knowledge. The Bible’s knowledge is good, but not enough, they say. Knowledge is God, really. If I have that superior knowledge, then I am better than you are.
Gnostics also believed in dualism, which meant that the spirit is good and matter is evil. And if the body is evil, then it really doesn’t matter I do with the body. This led to gross immorality, or strict asceticism.
So, according to Gnostics, then, Jesus couldn’t have been God because his human body was evil. It only looked like he had a body. They taught that Jesus only a man at birth. He was the natural son of Mary and Joseph. They taught that the divine nature fell upon Jesus at his baptism. And that the divine Christ left the human Christ before he died. It only looked like he died. One of the Gnostic gospels tells us that Jesus only appeared to die. And if the body is evil, because matter is evil, then it doesn’t really matter what I do with the body.
But if you were a Gnostic, you had a inflated view of yourself. You were someone with a superior knowledge, greater than the Bible. And this inflated sense of self led to lovelessness. If you were a Gnostic, you either were completely immoral, or you felt by your good life you could earn God’s favor.
So John writes, “Test the Spirits.” “Do not believe every spirit.” So you can see why John would say, “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.”Gnostics wouldn’t acknowledge that Jesus Christ was God. Anyone who does not teach Jesus is God does not teach for God.
Test the Spirits. One of the problems churches have today is that they take this test and make it the only test. “Well, that church acknowledges that Jesus is God, so they must be from God.” This is not the only test. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Well, what about Jesus command, “Judge not, lest you be judged.” So we can’t judge? A little later Jesus said, “With the manner that you judge, you will be judged.” Judge harshly, and you will be judged harshly. Jesus is safeguarding against hypocritical judging. He also said, “Get the plank out of your own eye before you can see clearly to remove the speck in your brother’s eye.” To be able to judge that your brother has a speck, one has to judge that he has a speck in his eye. Just get rid of that plank in your own eye first.
Maybe your problem isn’t recognizing the plank in your own eye. Maybe your problem is failing to point out the speck in your fellow Christian’s eye. If you speak up for the Bible, you’ll be criticized for being closed minded. If you speak against sin and immorality, you’ll be accused of being unloving. If you don’t stand up for one of the more difficult doctrines in the Bible, you’ll be labeled as legalistic. So, it’s just easier to keep your mouth quiet, say nothing, not rock the boat. John talks of the spirit of the “antichrist coming into the world” and we don’t point it out. A Spirit that is instead of Christ, and we keep our mouths quiet?
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26) Who shouldn’t experience Jesus’ shame on the last day? What child of God didn’t fail to test the spirits? What child of God didn’t miss out on an opportunity to speak the truth in love? What child of God didn’t miss out on opportunities to show Jesus that he is more important than anyone or anything else? Just based on this one Bible passage, I’m condemned.
How’s this for a loving spirit? God has a knowledge that mankind needs and shares with the world. God has a knowledge that doesn’t lead to arrogance and pride, but to humility, joy, and gratefulness. Knowledge that is unknown to mankind is revealed by God. Wisdom from God that is only wisdom, with no lies, or half-truths. Jesus spoke only truth and he spoke only in love.
How’s this for wisdom? That Jesus was true God from eternity, having no beginning and then taking uon himself a human nature at his conception in Mary’s womb. That Jesus as true God and man lived and died. Yes, he ate and drank and slept as God and man. Yes, he performed miracles, died and rose again as God and man. God and man lived and died and rose again. Jesus is man so he could live and die and he was God so his life and death would count for everyone.
What a spirit! What wisdom. What love. As John says, “The blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from every sin.” “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but for the sins of the whole world.” “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God.” “…How we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts.”
God’s wisdom is simple and beautiful. God’s truth sets us from guilt, from God’s condemnation. In God’s wisdom and love he sent Jesus to pay for sin, defeat the devil, empty death of its power. There is no wisdom like God’s wisdom. "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil"(1 THESSALONIANS 5:21,22).
The false prophet does not come out openly and say he is a false prophet. Rather, false teachings creep in because people like to hear only what they want to hear. Not everyone wants to hear about his sin. The false prophet will ignore that. But until we see our own sinfulness we cannot appreciate God’s gospel of forgiveness. Some teachings in the Bible are hard to accept, so false prophets add their own teachings, or subtract what they dislike. Peter said this would happen. "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear"(2 TIMOTHY 4:3). Dear friends, test the spirits.
Thankfully the Lord does not leave us on our own. We are given the weapons of God himself to defend against those who are against Christ. In the last chapter of Ephesians, Paul describes the weapons every believer is given to defeat the false spirits in this world. "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God".(Eph. 6)
You have the ability to test the spirits. You have the ability to recognize and overcome the assaults of Satan. You have the ability to withstand the assaults of false doctrine that seeks to harm your faith. “You dear children are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you in greater than the one who is in the world.”
Dear friends, test the spirits. There are many false spirits and false teachers who take away from the truth of God’s word. Remember that God’s wisdom is superior to any earthly wisdom that can be discovered in this world. And God’s wisdom leads to salvation, which leads to content, to a clear conscience, to humility, to love for fellowman. The worldly wisdom I’ve talked about this morning was focused on selfishness and self-love. By God’s free grace, you are given the privilege and insight to test the spirits. In this testing of what is right and true you will recognize the Spirit of God. Recognizing the Spirit of God you will also listen to the Spirit of God. Listen and follow God’s Spirit because of his great love. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will"(ROMANS 12:2). Amen.