Trust, But Verify: Testing the Spirits

1 John 4:1 - Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Main point: It is essential that Christians take proactive measures to ensure we follow God's teachings.

Introduction:

As we begin our study of 1 John 4:1, we are reminded of John's deep affection for his spiritual family. His opening words, "Dear friends," reveal his genuine care for the church and his profound concern for their spiritual well-being. As a faithful shepherd, John is keenly aware of the dangers believers face, and he earnestly warns them about the threat of false teachings. These dangers are not distant or abstract; they are authentic, immediate, and may even be found within the church.

John's message is similar to the adage "Trust but verify," which President Ronald Reagan popularized in the 1980s during nuclear treaty negotiations with the Soviet Union. Although initially a well-known Russian proverb, it became crucial to building trust in agreements. It sounds simple, but its deeper application teaches us an invaluable lesson: it’s not enough to trust; we must also take proactive steps to verify the truth.

This principle is not only wise for international treaties but is also deeply relevant to our spiritual lives. When John instructs the church to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God," he’s calling us to live out a similar vigilance. The directive to "test" is not solely about fostering suspicion but about ensuring that the teachings we receive are in harmony with God’s revealed truth. Much like in a business setting, where you might challenge longstanding practices to ensure their validity, we are called to scrutinize every teaching to see if it truly comes from God, especially when false prophets abound.

In his own experience as a leader, President Reagan recognized the importance of verification to avoid deception. The same principle applies here: false teachings, like the unexamined deals or assumptions in business, can lead us astray if we don’t carefully evaluate them. Many are led to believe things that are not entirely true simply because they’ve heard them repeated or they’ve only been exposed to a portion of the truth.

As we reflect on John’s call to spiritual discernment today, we are reminded that we, too, must take the time to “trust but verify.” Our spiritual well-being and the church's vitality hinge on our readiness to test the spirits, ensuring that we adhere only to teachings firmly rooted in the truth of God’s Word. As God's children, we may take this responsibility seriously—testing everything and only in the truth of the Gospel.

In this sermon, we will explore three main points:

The Command to Test – We will begin by examining why John tells us, “Do not believe every spirit.” This command isn’t just a warning; it’s a call to actively engage with the world of spiritual teaching and to develop a keen sense of discernment.

Why Testing the Spirits is Essential—We’ll examine the spiritual dangers posed by false teachings, explore the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding us, and examine how the Scriptures help us discern truth from error.

Practical Steps for Testing the Spirits – We will discuss how we can practically “test the spirits” in our daily lives. How do we apply biblical discernment to the messages we hear and the teachings we encounter?

As we’ve seen, John’s warning to “not believe every spirit” is not just a cautionary statement but a call to action. We live in a world where voices claiming to speak for God are abundant, and not all are trustworthy. John’s command is deeply relevant to us today, urging us to engage thoughtfully and carefully with the teachings we encounter. This leads us to the first part of our passage—a critical command that sets the tone for the rest of our discussion: “Do not believe every spirit.” Let’s now focus on why John gives us this command and how it serves as both a protection and a challenge for the Christian life.

Verse 1

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

As we reflect on John’s directive, it is crucial to recognize that it serves as a strong command rather than a casual suggestion: "Do not believe every spirit." This highlights the necessity of discernment in spiritual discernment." In its command form, the word "believe" carries a strong rebuke. John is not just warning against gullibility but urging believers to test what they hear actively. This goes beyond mere agreement; it requires actively engaging with spiritual teachings.

John’s forceful command to “do not believe every spirit” comes from a deep concern for the health of the Church. The church congregation led by the Apostle John confronted challenges from false teachings like Gnosticism, which distorted core Christian beliefs, leading to a dilution of the gospel message and erosion of Christian values. These teachings, based on a mistaken view of the physical and spiritual realms, presented a twisted perspective on salvation and spiritual purity.

[Spirit’ refers to an incorporeal being who inspires the person: do not believe every spirit (who speaks through a person). The spirit is either the Holy Spirit or an evil spirit that dwells within the antichrists.]

[Human spirits are to be tested to see if they are spokesmen for the Spirit of truth or the spirit of error.]

One of the central tenets of Gnosticism was the belief that physical matter was inherently corrupt, contrasting with the perceived purity of the spiritual realm. This led to two major distortions:

According to the Gnostics, sins committed in the body held no significance as they believed the material world had no link to the spiritual domain. This meant that actions, even sinful ones, had no actual consequence.

Some also propagated the idea that every physical pleasure was inherently sinful. The Gnostic viewpoint not only devalued creation but also misconstrued the biblical teaching that, despite its fallen nature, the physical body is still an integral part of God’s originally good creation.

Similar to the early church's encounter with deceptive doctrines, we also navigate a world where false messages frequently masquerade as truth, aiming to divert us from the bedrock of God’s Word.

We are now confronted with the same challenge: discerning truth from error. We are bombarded with spiritual messages claiming divine authority, some of which are carefully crafted deceptions that masquerade as truth, aiming to lead us astray from the Gospel. Some are crafted to deceive and steer us off the path of Gospel truth.

Illustration Using Matthew 4 (Give a brief summary):

Let’s turn to a powerful biblical example that illustrates the importance of discerning truth from error: Jesus's temptation in Matthew 4. In this passage, Satan confronts Jesus in the wilderness and attempts to trick him; fully aware of Jesus’ divine nature, he seeks to lead Him astray by distorting God’s Word. He quotes Psalm 91:11-12, telling Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Satan presents a twisted version of the truth, attempting to manipulate Scripture to serve his purpose.

So, what does Jesus do? He doesn't succumb to the deception. Instead, He responds with another Scripture: “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7). Jesus demonstrates the critical importance of knowing the Word of God in its full context, recognizing that even a misquoted or distorted passage can lead one astray.

This scenario in Matthew 4 directly correlates with John’s directive to “do not believe every spirit.” Just as Satan twisted God’s Word to deceive Jesus, we face daily encounters with teachings that, while appearing spiritual and claiming divine origin, are fundamentally flawed and misleading. The risk is real because teachings that distort God's Word or tell half-truths can lead us astray.

In this passage, Jesus demonstrates the importance of discerning the truth by testing spiritual messages against the full counsel of God’s Word. He doesn't simply accept a spiritual message because it sounds good or comes from a seemingly authoritative source. Instead, he tests it against the full counsel of God’s Word. Likewise, we must be vigilant and examine the teachings we encounter, ensuring they align with the whole of Scripture.

Just as Jesus stood firm against Satan's distortion of God's truth, we are called to do the same when confronted with teachings that claim divine authority but fail to reflect the reality of the Gospel. This underscores why John urges us to be discerning and test the spirits, as not every seemingly spiritual message comes from God.

What about miracles? What if someone could completely heal a child with cancer? What if this person had the ability to raise people from the dead? What if they could command fire to fall from the sky just by speaking?

To better understand the gravity of John’s warning, we turn to the Old Testament, where the danger of false prophets is made abundantly clear. In Deuteronomy 13:1-5, Moses provides a specific warning about prophets who might lead God's people astray.

The passage states: “If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let us follow other gods,’ do not listen to that prophet’s words... you must purge the evil from you.”

This passage emphasizes the seriousness of false prophecy. Even if a false prophet performs signs and wonders that appear to come true, it does not guarantee that their message is from God. The key factor is whether their message aligns with God’s Word and whether it directs people to follow the one true God.

This situation reflects the concerns John addresses in his letter. False teachers may claim to possess the truth, and they might even demonstrate signs of spiritual power. However, the real test is whether their teachings conform to Scripture and glorify God. Just as Moses instructed the Israelites to reject any prophet who led them to worship other gods, John urges us to reject any spirit that strays from the truth of the Gospel.

John’s admonition to not “believe every spirit” challenges us to evaluate the sources of what we hear. We must be discerning and vigilant, rather than naïve or gullible, when confronted with falsehood. This is a matter of spiritual life and death, as false teachings can distort our understanding of God and lead us away from true salvation.

In today’s world, where voices claiming to speak for God are prevalent—on social media, in books, and from the pulpit—we must exercise similar caution. The enemy remains active (Satan’s army), seeking to deceive and mislead the unwary. As believers, we are not called to follow blindly; rather, we are encouraged to test and examine what we hear to ensure it truly comes from God.

The command to test.