Test the Spirits
Notes
Transcript
1 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 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. 4 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. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 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.
Introduction
John has been encouraging his readers to express true love to the Lord and to each other. He has already warned them of the dangers that they will face. The Devil seeks always to attack and undermine the work that, in Christ, God has done. In these verses he encourages them to exercise true discernment and in God’s strength to stand against all that the Devil seeks to do.
Slide
1. A Warning v1
1. A Warning v1
Slide
1 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.
He wants them to realize that there are two spiritual spheres in this world: one is the domain of the Holy p 324 Spirit; the other is the domain of the devil. The Holy Spirit dwells in the children of God (3:24), but the spirit of the devil lives in false prophets who speak in his name. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001).
Slide
a. Do Not Believe Every Spirit
a. Do Not Believe Every Spirit
Slide
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,
Slide
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
Slide
b. False Prophets
b. False Prophets
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Slide
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Slide
2. A Test v2-3
2. A Test v2-3
Slide
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 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.
Slide
a. Profession v2
a. Profession v2
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
John gives his readers a formula for determining whether a spirit comes from God or from the devil: The Christian recognizes the Spirit of God in anyone who openly confesses that Jesus Christ is both human and divine, and that Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, “has come in the flesh.” Here we have the established principle for testing whether a particular teaching comes from the Holy Spirit. Kistemaker
Slide
3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Scripture teaches that the Christ is Jesus, who as our divine redeemer shares our human nature (Heb. 2:14–15). Any teaching that professes the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ has its origin in God. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.
Slide
b. Denial v3
b. Denial v3
3 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.
Slide
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
False views of Christ
Anyone who separates the human nature from the divine nature of Jesus Christ speaks without God’s authority. And anyone who denies either Jesus’ human nature or divine nature “is not from God.” Moreover, anyone who teaches that when Jesus was baptized God gave him a divine spirit, and that this spirit left Jesus when he died on the cross distorts the gospel. And last, whoever says that after Jesus’ death God appointed him Son of God fails to present the truth of God’s Word. All such teachers do not speak as representatives of Jesus Christ, have not been commissioned by God, and are not the mouthpieces of the Spirit of God in this world. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.
Relevant
Although John addresses the church of the first century, nothing has changed since that time. Today we have numerous teachers and preachers who deny that Jesus Christ is human and divine. They are not from God, says John. In fact, he labels the spirit of such denial “the spirit of the antichrist.” Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001).
Antichrist
Now he says, “The antichrist … is coming and even now is already in the world.” He thinks of “all the principles and powers, all the essential characteristics of Antichrist: what … we might call ‘the antichristian nature.’ ” That antichristian spirit is here already and expresses itself insidiously and often violently against Jesus Christ and his followers. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001).
Slide
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
Slide
3. A Contrast v4-5
3. A Contrast v4-5
Slide
4 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. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
Slide
a. From God v4
a. From God v4
4 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.
The writer wants to tell the Christians: “You, yes you, are from God.” That is, the readers ought never to forget their divine heritage. They are not only special people, born of God and called “children of God” (2:29; 3:1, 9, 10); they are also different from those people who belong to the world. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001).
Slide
29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
Slide
1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Moreover, John makes an additional claim: “You … have overcome them” (compare 2:13, 14; 5:4, 5). The use of the plural them is a reference to the false teachers mentioned in the preceding paragraph. John writes the perfect tense, “you have overcome.” In other words, they have already done so by obeying God’s commands and honouring the teaching of his Word. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.
Slide
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
God’s children can never boast in themselves but always in the Lord. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has overcome the world and has set his people free “The battle has thus been decided, even if it is not yet over. By faith Christians participate in this victory and are thus placed in a position to overcome the world for themselves.” Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.
Slide
23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
Slide
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Slide
b. From the World v5
b. From the World v5
5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
Slide
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Slide
4. A Recognition v6
4. A Recognition v6
Slide
6 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.
In these verses John voices the quiet confidence of knowing that God and his people are one. In this assurance, however, John does not minimize our responsibility to do God’s will. We, who are from God, have received the knowledge of God’s truth, have the duty to tell people about the Lord, and are his representatives. John stresses the word we by placing it at the beginning of the sentence. We, who are God’s children, proclaim the Word, and when we do so, we receive a hearing from everyone who knows God. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.
Slide
47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
Slide
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Conclusion
14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
