Test the Spirits

Does this teaching confess Jesus?

Interpretation

Not all messages have the origin with God. While there is a spiritual element to every “religious” message, the believer must test the spirits because there are many false prophets. Today, there are a multitude of spiritual and religious messages. Even those who claim to be agnostic or atheists are still claiming a spiritual reality. The greater danger to the believer is probably not falling into the trap of embracing no spiritual truth, but rather embracing false doctrine or even a “don’t know, don’t care” attitude.

Test means that you’re observing, inspecting, and looking something over carefully. The present tense imperatives call the believer to continual vigilance. In order to test something, there must be a measure by which you inspect it. In a class, if you take a test, there is an answer key. If you write a paper, there is a rubric to follow. The spirit of the message can be measured by what John writes in verse two.

Here is the test: does the teaching embrace Jesus Christ…in the flesh? The test doesn’t center around whether or not Jesus was real. Even most secular scholars and scientists believe Jesus was real. The key to this test is in the flesh. John is referring first back to the opening paragraph of his letter — “the word of life…was made manifest.” His letter greeting assumes some familiarity with the incarnation and John’s gospel message: “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1; 14).

The temptation may be to take this verse as a stand alone verse. But, there is certainly more to the incarnation than just Jesus’ birth. John 1:14 notes that Jesus is full of both “grace and truth.” It’s important to bear this in mind. Among the many things implied by “grace” is the fact that Christ would come as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, pointing to His sacrificial death as the atoning sacrifice (1 John 2:2). Second, He is “truth,” which is to say that He is the standard by which all truth is measured. He is, according to Hebrews, the last and final and greatest message of God (Heb.1:1-2). All the fullness of God dwells in Him (Col.1:19).

The bottom-line question that must be dealt with is this: what are you going to do with Jesus? In some form or fashion, our answer must copy the apostles’: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Matt.16:16).

Finally, in the first part of verse three, John draws the line in the sand even darker: every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. John has mentioned this previously (2:22), and circles back to it now. If you do not embrace Jesus, as He has been faithfully taught revealed first in the incarnation, second in His ministry, third, as He was proclaimed by the apostles, and finally preserved for us in Scripture, then you are against Christ. This rejection of Jesus has been in the world and will continue in the world until Christ returns. This shouldn’t be a surprise, for John even notes in his gospel that Jesus came to His own people and even they didn’t receive Him (John 1:11). Matthew’s gospel records the parable of the landowner and tenants who ultimately kill the landowner’s son (Matt.21:33-46). Further, it was the religious leaders, under the influence of Caiaphas the high priest, who sought an opportunity to put Jesus to death (Jn.11:53) because it’s better for one man to die instead of the whole nation (Jn.11:49-51). Opposition to Christ always has and always will be the norm.

Application

It seems there is the temptation, especially in the Bible belt, to sprinkle a little Jesus on it and think that everything’s okay. You know, you have the country music world that’s “jacked up trucks and getting drunk on Friday, but I’m in the church pew praying on Sunday.” Then you have the T-shirt Jesus, “Jesus and Wine” or “Saved but I’ll Cut a Fool.” Turn on an awards show, and while it’s less common now, everyone used to thank “god” for their award. John says there’s simple test: does the message confess Jesus? Does it embrace Christ as the Son of God and surrender life accordingly?

Does this teaching inspire obedience?

Interpretation

If the Holy Spirit’s job is to glorify Christ by taking what is His and declaring it to believers (Jn.16:14), the antichrist will seek to do the opposite, denying Christ and tearing down what is true and right about Him.

The believer may be tempted to fret over the news that the antichrist’s spirit has been (and still is) at work in the world. Should we fear that we may be drug down into this false and deceptive teaching? John reminds the believer that the One who abides in us, “the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 Jn.3:24), is greater than he who is in the world. Because God dwells in us, we have overcome them. We know truth, and we obey truth, and in so doing, we abide in God and He abides in us. Through this abiding we overcome whatever false teaching may be thrown at us. We become susceptible to false belief when we forsake the call to abide. Living outside of our relationship with Christ, outside of the protection of His Word, living in rebellion rather than submission to Christ, all of this makes places us in danger of embracing the lies of the world. However, as we remain in Christ, the One who dwells in us protects us, and we overcome the false teachings.

Illustration

There have been many teachers throughout the years who could inspire their followers. Consider the number of false religions in the world. Their teachings have in some way resonated with people and they embrace false teaching. Or, consider how diabolical rulers have swayed entire nations with their words. I think of German under Hitler’s rule and how even the church, minus a few brave pastors like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, embraced Hitler’s madness. Or, think about cult leaders, and one of the true markings of a cult is that the leader is equal to or above even Scripture. They may claim a modicum of Christianity, may even self-identify as Christianity (or, as is often the case, “true” Christianity), but the mark of their true piety is not the fruit of the Spirit but obedience to the Teacher.

Application

Just because a teaching inspires obedience doesn’t mean it’s legit. But, every teaching that is of Christ should, in some form or fashion, inspire our obedience. Let me return briefly to something we mentioned a few weeks back. It should remind us of John 15:5. Jesus is the true vine, and we must remain in Him. He is the source of life and on-going spiritual vitality. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. So, how do we abide in Christ? Here are a few disciplines:

Embrace the truth about Christ and center your life on it.

Regularly intake Scripture.

Pray.

Obey.

Surround yourself with other believers who are doing the same.

Does this teaching accord with the Apostles' teachings?

Interpretation

Here is John’s final test in this portion of Scripture: does it line up with the Apostles’ teachings?

If the world embraces the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16), then the speech of the world would lead others to embrace the same thing. Ultimately, it boils down to rejecting the Lordship of Jesus, rejecting Christ as He has been preached and proclaimed, rejecting what has elsewhere been described as the faith once-for-all delivered to the saints. If we reject Christ in the flesh, we necessarily reject His demands on our lives, thereby embracing the list of vices from 1 John 2. The worldly speech of these false prophets is gladly embraced by people who belong to the world. It’s a nasty, “birds of a feather” embrace of non-truth. Not only do they hear what the false prophets teach, but they are eager to obey. And, Paul warned of a time when people would no longer endure sound doctrine, but rather, having itchy ears, would surround themselves with people who only spoke what was pleasing to them (2 Tim.4:3-4).

Why are we surprised and judgmental when the world believes and behaves like the world? Don’t we struggle with those same temptations? And who restrains us? Is it not God Himself? Is it not the grace of God that protects us and guards us and keeps us? The lost will act like lost people.

The opposite of verse 5 and those who listen to the message of the world is verse 6 — those who belong to God listen to those who belong to God. It seems us is a reference to apostolic preaching and teaching. All those who embrace Christ as coming in the flesh are from God, and the apostles were the first ones called by Christ to represent Him and proclaim His gospel. By extension, all who follow Christ are now His disciples, possessing His Spirit (1 Jn.3:24), are purified by Christ (1 Jn.1:9; 2:2), and now belong to God as His children (1 Jn.3:1).

Whoever embraces God’s revelation will know the Spirit of truth, and whoever rejects God’s revelation lives by the spirit of error (“inadvertent incorrectness understood as if wandering away from the path to one’s destination.”) The fact that we are from God is evidenced by our embrace of the apostolic (or biblical) truth. We listen to God’s Word with the intention of submitting to it.

The world, on the other hand, does not listen to biblical truth. The gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor.1:18). The world rejects the truth of God for a lie (Rom.1:21-23). There is a way that seems right in their own eyes that actually ends in death (Pro.14:12; Rom.6:23). Unknowingly, they embrace a system of values that it utterly empty (Eccl.1:2) rather than humbly worshiping God and having their way determined by His wisdom (Pro.1:7; 3:5-6).

Illustration

Is not the Word of God, the closed canon, the completed Bible a marvelous thing? But, have you ever wondered how these 66 books were determined to be authoritative? You know what the question ultimately boiled down to? Apostolic authority.

During the second century a.d., the heretic Marcion produced a list of his approved books of the Bible. Marcion held that the Old Testament God was an evil god of wrath, so he eliminated the Old Testament and those places in the New Testament that favorably referred to the God of the Old Testament. To answer Marcion, the church formulated once and for all the list of true books of the Bible.

For the most part, the church simply listed the books that had always been recognized as the Word of God. Questions were raised about a few short New Testament books, like Jude and the letters of John, but the church determined that these were truly Scripture because they had always been recognized as apostolic, and because there was nothing suspicious about their content. A couple of other books, such as the First Letter of Clement and the Shepherd of Hermas, were proposed for inclusion, but the church did not include them because the authors of these books themselves indicate a clear difference between their authority and the authority of the apostles. None of the other books in circulation were seriously considered because they were obvious frauds. (Taken from the Ligonier.org).

Application

This is the Word of God. It reveals who God is. It reveals what God wills. It is the only measure for true life and faith, godly word and deed. May we be convinced and convicted by it, our consciences seared by its truth, that we may embrace it as the the giants before us have. May we study it fervently, because it contains the very words of God. May we live it faithfully, for this is the path of truly glorifying God.