Test the Spirits 1 John 4:1-6

Scripture Introduction:

There is a show that my wife and I like to watch called I Can Hear Your Voice. It’s kind of a game show. They have contestants who lip sync—some of them are really bad singers and they are lip syncing to the voice of someone who can sing. Others are lip syncing to their own voice—and they are good singers.

For the first part of the show you are trying to spot the bad singers. But at the very end the goal is to have a good singer left. If they are you win $100,000.

It’s difficult because you really don’t know what to go by. There isn’t a set standard to determine if someone is good or not good. You can be fooled by someone lip syncing. And the panel judges—who are there to help out the contestant—will come up with some ridiculous things… “You know I think that guy swallows funny…he’s a bad singer.” “You know she really goes cross-eyed as she hits that run—I think she’s a good singer.” It’s all over the place.

It feels kind of similar like that in our day. So many claims to truth—or even claims that there is no such thing as truth. What is fake news? What isn’t? How do we know what is truth?

Just like in that show we have rival claims. Each of the singers are presenting as if they are legit.

This isn’t new though. John had the same thing in his day. A group of false teachers were going around saying that they were telling the truth. And here is something we should keep in mind in all of this…in this context it’s two people/groups of people claiming the name of Jesus. We’re following Christ. They are…as we will see in the text, “false prophets”.

The question before them is this… “if somebody is claiming—this is the way of truth, this is the path to God, this is what Christians do, this is the faithful way, this is Jesus....” How do you know what is legit?

John tells us.

1 John 4:1–6 ESV

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

John says, “test the spirits”. What he’s telling us that there are behind every teaching the Spirit and a spirit—the spirit of antichrist. Then he’s going to give us the way to know which is which.

But before we dig into that, we need to do a little bit of ground work.

First, we need to talk about how we come into a text like this.

We have 6 objects up here.

A basketball, a blanket, a knife, flowers, a first-aid kit, and a flashlight.

Which one do you choose?

You’ve got a question, don’t you? What am I choosing this for? Or maybe you don’t. Maybe you’re just assuming…maybe you’re bent a certain way. You pick the basketball because you like to play. Or maybe you pick the blanket b/c you think it might help with your sermon nap.

But what if I told you that you were in a war. You probably aren’t picking that basketball…you’re picking the knife…I think.

But what if you’re going to go on a date...okay, pending on how shady of a date—the knife might still be an option, I guess. But more than likely you’re going to pick some flowers…

You get my drift here. Whatever you think you’re getting yourself into you pick a fitting object.

Now…that’s easy if we’ve got a knife here…but what happens if I take the knife away and say…, “pick an object”. Now you’ve got to get creative. You start thinking about how these objects might possibly be used in your fight.

Here is why I’m saying all of this…we are in a culture that is very polarized. Almost everything is a fight. And we make assumptions in this—assumptions that we are in the right, we are on team Jesus, those other guys are not, and we need to use everything at our disposal to help us win. We’re in a fight.

And so we go to a text like 1 John 4:1-6 and it’s talking about testing the spirits. And we live in a culture where it’s fight, fight, fight. And so we pick this passage up and start getting a little stabby with it.

Now, I’m not saying it couldn’t be used to equip in a battle. Or to be a shield. But we need to come into a passage like this humbly. It’s not meant to be a battle text as much as it is an encouragement…it’s more like a study guide and less like a sword.

Which leads to our next foundation building…why does this matter? Why does theology matter? Why does doctrine matter? Why does truth matter?

Again…I’m saying this because if we’re in a battle for truth sometimes we can forget what we are even fighting for? Is it just to win? Is it to protect a way of life? Is it for others? What are we fighting for?

What is John fighting for? Why is he telling them this? I’m going to assume that John is following in the path of Jesus. And Jesus, when he was talking about remaining in the vine, obeying commandments, loving one another—all those same themes John is about…Jesus said this:

John 15:11 ESV

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

It’s for beauty. It’s for joy. I heard a great illustration for this once:

Imagine trying to admire a beautiful evening sky with a dirty windshield. Once they cleaned the windshield, they were able to fully see the beauty. Windshields work best when nobody notices they are there. Our theology is like a windshield--it allows us to see the beauty and glory of God more clearly.

Some theology, we might argue, is so bad that it entirely obscures our view. As an example, a theology which denies the deity of Christ would obscure the glory. You wouldn’t want to stay in the car to see a sunset with a fully darkened windshield.

And that’s what John is saying here. He’s talking about a fully darkened windshield. Their teaching obscures and denies who Jesus really is.

But some theology is like a dirty windshield. The view of Christ isn’t entirely obstructed, likely not even mostly obstructed. We can stay in the car and still enjoy the sunset together—and maybe even help our friend by grabbing some Windex.[1]

I like how one writer put this, using that illustration:

I am concerned that many…today do little more than celebrate how wonderfully clear their theological windshield is. But like a windshield…theology is not an end in itself. It is simply a window to the awe-inspiring universe of God’s truth, filled with glory, beauty, and grace. Do we need something like a metaphorical windshield of clear, biblical truth to look through as we hope to marvel at God’s glory? Absolutely. But we must make sure that we know the difference between staring at a windshield and staring through one. (Greg Dutcher, Killing Calvinism, Adelphi: Cruciform Press, 2012), 14

Truth matters because the glory of God matters. If we miss this, if truth just becomes about having the cleanest windshield and you’re only arguing about the windshield and your whole passion becomes about the windshield—you’re missing the point of it.

Now, I think we might be in a little better shape to really engage this text. If I’ve got people claiming to be following Jesus, if I hear a message, how do I know it’s legit. If I’m supposed to test the spirits---how do I do this? What do I use to see what passes and what fails?

How do I know which displays the glory of God? What will lead me to honoring Jesus? Loving others well? All of that?

John gives us a couple of ways to tell.

First, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh…Now, the specifics of that are connected to John’s situation. These false teachers were early Gnostics—that meant they believed all matter was evil. And thus Jesus couldn’t have come in the flesh. He wasn’t really human.

That’s why John says what he does. While that is still true today—you need to affirm that Jesus Christ is fully human, in order to be affirming that which is truth. But if we want to universalize this, meaning extend it out just a little further, we get a little clue by that title “antichrist”.

When I hear that I start thinking end times stuff. And who is the antichrist…and start thinking of a specific individual. But that’s not what John is thinking here. It’s anything that sets itself up against Christ.

And this isn’t just beliefs about Christ. Yes, an accurate Christology is what we need here. To believe the truth we need to believe what is true about Jesus. That is the core of reality. But it’s also believing about the WAY of Jesus. That means things like the fruit of the Spirit.

If I argue that Jesus is God in flesh but I do so with a spirit that is not loving, joyful, peaceful, gentle, self-controlled, etc. then I’m just as guilty of antichrist.

Likewise, if I’m super kind and gentle and it looks like I’m exhibiting the fruit of spirit but I’m speaking untrue things about Jesus—then I’m also guilty of antichrist spirit.

This is what John is saying here. The Spirit is Christ-centered. He points a spotlight on the truth of Jesus and the way of Jesus. I like how JI Packer says this. He says:

The Holy Spirit’s distinctive new covenant role, then, is to fulfill what we may call a floodlight ministry in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. So far as this role was concerned, the Spirit “was not yet” (John 7:39, literal Greek) while Jesus was on earth; only when the Father had glorified him (see John 17:1, 5) could the Spirit’s work of making men aware of Jesus’ glory begin.

I remember walking to a church one winter evening to preach on the words “he shall glorify me,” seeing the building floodlit as I turned a corner, and realizing that this was exactly the illustration my message needed.

When floodlighting is well done, the floodlights are so placed that you do not see them; you are not in fact supposed to see where the light is coming from; what you are meant to see is just the building on which the floodlights are trained. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you see it properly. This perfectly illustrates the Spirit’s new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Savior.

Or think of it this way. It is as if the Spirit stands behind us, throwing light over our shoulder, on Jesus, who stands facing us.

The Spirit’s message is never,

“Look at me;

listen to me;

come to me;

get to know me,”

but always

“Look at him, and see his glory;

listen to him, and hear his word;

go to him, and have life;

get to know him, and taste his gift of joy and peace.”[1]

[1] J.I. Packer, Keeping in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in Our Walk with God, 2nd ed. (GrandRapids: Baker, 2005), p. 57

If it’s not centered on Jesus, then it’s not the work of the Holy Spirit. And when we say “centered on Jesus” it’s the Jesus as revealed in Scripture. A Jesus that is filled with the fruit of the Spirit. A Jesus that is full of grace and truth. The Jesus that is with sinners and tax collectors and turns his back to the temple system. The Jesus who is God in flesh. Fully God, fully man. The Jesus who walked on water, and who got in the boat with the disciples. The Spirit focuses upon Christ.

Then John, as he is so prone to do, encourages his hearers—his “little children”. He says, “you’ve overcome the world.” You are from God. Greater is he that is in you...

What an encouragement this is. Because a word like this can be a little scary. Oh man, you mean to tell me there are things that are false all around me? That I can fall off on my right and on my left....oh, man. That’s terrifying. How do I know I’ll stand? How do I know I’ll make it? How can I be sure that I won’t be led astray?

He’s saying…keep clinging to Jesus…I know you will. And take heart that He that is in you is greater. The Spirit is more powerful than the spirit of the world.

It’s like this story I heard about a guy who was out in the woods and watching as a little young bear cub wanders off a little too far from its mother and gets lost.

Suddenly, the bear cub encounters a ferocious pack of timber wolves. A full grown bear might not have a problem—but this little bear cub is in trouble. They begin circling the bear cub…this isn’t good.

But the guy who was watching this whole thing unfold suddenly saw coming out of the woods behind the little bear cub—it’s mother. But the bear cub didn’t know this yet. She was unaware of her presence and so he did what he knew to do…he raised up his little paws and lets out the biggest roar he can muster. It isn’t much…but shockingly the timber wolves put their tail betwen their legs and go running back into the bushes.

Little did the bear know that his mother was right behind his ferocious roar—bearing her massive frame and terrifying the timber wolves.

God is greater than the world system. When He flexes His muscles…he is able to illuminate our minds to the truth and cause heresy and error to run from our midst. Some day this will indeed happen…all error will fall and God’s truth—the truth—alone will stand.

John is encouraging his “little children” and us that this great God is not only behind you to encourage you and to help you—but He is actually living within you. The Spirit of God will lead us into all truth and will direct us away from error.

This is why I think we do well to entrust people to the work of Christ. I can’t chase this rabbit long—but this was the strategy of John Newton. He talked often about “banging notions into peoples heads” and how fruitless that was. But rather if we lovingly share the truth as we see it in Christ and leave people up to the work of the Spirit—we will find how often the Lord does this work.

Or maybe we could say what Spurgeon did…that God’s Word is like a lion. We don’t really need to defend it as much as we need to simply let it out of the cage. Proclaim the truth of Jesus and watch the spirit work.

Verse 5, though, tells us that this isn’t going to be easy while we are still here. “They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them”.

Again…this is where it’s important that we make sure we’ve got our definitions correct. We can tend to think of “the world” as something like godless liberalism. That which is outright and obviously opposed to the Lord.

And we should. But we also miss that when Jesus often spoke of “the world” in the gospel of John…he was actually talking to the religious leaders. They were also “of the world”. There is a secular worldliness and a religious worldliness.

How can you tell the difference? Well, it’s the gospel. It’s the good news of Jesus. It’s all about Christ. Just listen to what is being talked about…listen to the goal…how much of it is Christ? Is it about the truth of who Jesus is and His work…or is it something else?

What I’m saying is that when John is talking here…the Gnostics weren’t going to look like “the world” as we might picture it. They were very religious. They’d talk about things like holiness, about following the path of God, about being enlightened, about the afterlife, all of this stuff. They’d even say things like “the world”…all matter…is evil. We need to beat ourselves up and get it out of there…or they’d go the other way…whatever you do in your flesh doesn’t matter—live it up, but so long as your spirit is clean.

But John says it’s all of the world—because it isn’t about Jesus. It’s not about take up your cross and follow Him. It’s not about loving others, even your enemies. It’s not about turning the other cheek. It’s not about entering into the brokenness of the world and redeeming it. No, it’s something entirely different.

But the world listens to them. It appeals to them. On multiple fronts.

Then John turns to his hearers again and says…but that’s not you. You listen to us—which means—you listen to the truth which Jesus handed down to them. You adhere to the gospel. And the Spirit of God within you affirms this…The Spirit affirms truth and exposes the spirit of error.

That’s how you know the difference. Is it pointing to Jesus?

God created you. God created us. He created us for rest, rule, and relationship. To put that differently he created you for a place, a purpose, and a people. All those longings that you have in your heart for these things—it’s put there by God.

But God’s Word tells us that humanity forfeited this high calling. Each of us has laid this aside and tried to pursue these things on our own. We made shipwreck of this high calling. As such we’re now separated from God, in a broken world with broken people, and we’re living lives marked by futility. We are outside all of those beautiful things.

And we can’t get back. Not on our own. Because trying to make it on our own is what got us here in the first place. You can’t keep digging the hole and get yourself out somehow.

But thankfully God didn’t leave us to ourselves. God took upon flesh. Fully God and fully man. He does this to redeem us and to redeem what God had created. He did it to rescue us and bring us back to Eden. To restore all those things within us.

It’s only through being connected to Jesus—being in union with Christ—that we are restored. Just as John is saying here…it’s all about Jesus.

You see…the false teachers in John’s day were telling a rival story. All the great stories, religions of the world are trying to answer these questions. How did we get here? What are we here for? Why are we so messed up? How do we get back?

They had answers to this. Just like our world does. But John is telling us—here is the answer to these questions. It all centers upon Jesus.

And so will you repent and believe. Drop the other stories you have. And embrace Jesus. Drop the other efforts and embrace Jesus. Be connected to Jesus.

He’s telling his hearers—I know you, I know that you’ve done this…and because of this I have confidence. You’re going to be led into all truth. Someday error will pass away. Just keep clinging to Jesus, believing truth, and sharing truth.

Can you say that today? That you are connected to Jesus? If not.