Knowing the Spirit of God & Overcoming the Spirit of Antichrist
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
If you watch any US news you would know that the source of your news greatly affect your outlook and lifestyle in this world. If you were an American raised on CNN or converted to their progressivist agenda - not only get bits of information that are true gut a whole narrative story, and interpretation, a whole set of values. On the political right if you grew up watching Fox News- or converted to their republican and their version of civil -religion have quite a different narrative and interpretation and set of values! Ask the candidates and this reality will cause both of them to say watch out for false news. Well, Congregation John in seeking to make confused, tired, discouraged Christians to grow into mature Christian, with deep but humble assurance and confidence. IN this passage he is asking you and me: What message is defining your life , shaping it daily , influencing your perspective, direction your behavior and your values? Is the input of your thought life, emotional-life - Hollywood, secular political commentary, is it pop music, is it words of our culture without God and Christ; or is it the Word of the Spirit of the Living Christ. Do you have news in your life? Is it fake, incomplete news or is it the greatest news - the good news the gospel?
There are cosmic realities so much greater than physical realities we taste and touch in daily life. And every bit as relevant as the law of gravity to your physical life, the realities of light and darkness, good and evil, love and hate, truth and error to your inner spiritual life - emotional, moral. And John has been saying you can know you are in Christ, you have life and truth and are in His way - when you see the fruit of those spiritual realities changing in you - ethical test (your sin radar), you actually start increasingly dealing with sin and living life of obedience, you recognize the pattern of sin from the beginning - cain jealousy and hatred not just murder… and you see the self-giving, self-sacrificing love - being poured in your action to others. And we have seen how when we take these tests for assurance, confirmed in these realities - result is confidence which especially shows up in new powerful way of praying as God’s partners! But now John returns to the tests, this time doubling down on the doctrinal test. And he says, when you have that confidence, when you have that prayer - we know 1 John 3:24
Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
And no sooner does he say that we will have this Spirit abiding in us, live that confidence Christian life, that John says , watch out the Spirit of God isn’t the only spirit out there. There is a spiritual reality - not just darkness, evil, hate, but the spirit of antichrist - not talking about little antichrists already gone out in the wold, active pulling apart churches and pulling whole cultures away from God, but the spirit of the antichrist. Not a world leader of a world government, but he spirit of the antichrist is the influence of the Father of lives, Satan. We was coming and is in the world already, and John wants assured Christians, not to live in fear, nor especially not to be deceived by the Spirit of Antichrist. His great concern negatively, is that assured, confident Christians do not believe or listen to people in this world, and their ideas that have the source of their thinking in the world, in rebellion against God;
but positively that assured, confident Christians make their their source of thinking and living is in from heaven, from God, from the Spirit of Christ. Do you get that the word anti-Christ -doesn’t just mean against Christ, but more specifically it means in the place of Christ. John says, behind every teaching in this world, there are ultimately only two spirits: the spirit of error is the spirit of the AntiChrist - who is of this world, ruler of the kingdom of darkness, dominion of this world-system, deceived but subject to lies of antichrist.; and there is the spirit of truth, specifically the truth about Christ - not just narrowly salvation, but as the Lord of life, the Ruler Exalted to highest position, truth from heaven life from heaven, that gives truth in fullest orb way. And John is saying, this whole world’s story, your story and mine, is about the conflict between those two forces. But here is the good news they are not equally and ultimate. Look at our text 1 John 4:4
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.
Key Truth: We must find victory over the deception and falsehood of the antichrist by listening to the apostolic witness of Christ in the flesh!
And so the question we have this morning is whether: You are holding to this vital truth of Christ coming in the flesh, that apostolic foundation to all the other teaching of the gospel, whether you listening to understanding, taking to yourself that truth is bringing victory over lies in your life! And so poignantly, this bread representing the body and life, and work of the Person of Jesus. The bread comes from heaven given for the life of the world - this bread to be taken into you spiritually and symbolically - is to be a picture that God’s truth will bring victory over Satan's lies in your life!
A. The Source of Spiritual Truth & Falsehood in Your Life.
In our text John makes reference to both big Spirits and little s spirits. The Bible describes God the big Spirit, the Lord the Giver of Life, with the Father and the Son - omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient. Third Person of the Trinity, searches out the deep things of God, not because ignorant, but full knowledge knowing of the Person of the Trinity, and as the Father, plans, Son accomplishes, we’ve sen particular role of the Spirit - coequal and coeternal God, is to apply. And this is true as in John’s gospel Jesus says, send the Spirit upon his body the church in full measure - he take what is mine and make it known to you! This is teh SPirit that dwells in each believer individually, Think of eternal God creator of heaven and earth, dwells with me! We are going to have to see what is the primary place of this SPirit in an assured and confident Christian’s life. That’s what we are shooting to discover.
But there are small s spirits in our passage too. When John begins our chapter with 1 John 4:1
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.
Small spirits, are created spirits. You have on e and I have one, Christ had a full human nature with a human spirit. Angels have or are spirits, with no material though appear in visions and even appear with physical manifestation. But they are in essence created spirits. Then fallen angels, demons are such spirits. And the head of the demons, Lucifer who within the first 6 days of Creation, not only created but - defying God in his freewill, fell taking 1/3 of those spirits with him in his rebellion. From the beginning a liar, think of how deceived Eve, and how got Adam to live as if he didn’t need mediator. How Cain - though the gospel spoke by God Himself, resisted need for forgiveness and atonement , ministry of a Christ. Satan crouching at his door, - live without the Messiah, Christ, Divine Forgiver in your life. Live life on your own by yourself without true God.
That is the message of behind all demonic teaching, not first of all here’s magic or occultic Satan worship - but anti-Christ, replace God’s mediator with teaching that you can do life on your own. Paul says, that’s what behind anti-God teaching sneaking into the church: 1 Timothy 4:1
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,
Not big occultic practices, and teachings about demons and evil spells. Satan is much more subtle than that: like with Eve twisted half truths, to suit self-centred living. May even use the same language and terms - but eh intent is for you and me and even whole churches to wiggle from the reign of God’s gracious reign, to reign our lives for ourselves. This isn’t just about teachings that consciously and obviously push God out, but subtle ones that “good people” believe that dethrone the God of the Bible. And this is why John later says in the book of Revelation 20:7b-8 that Satan’s main job is deceiving the nations, see that in spades in the last days.
And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.
But not just lasts days issue: Revelation 12:9 after the entrance of Christ into the world is described, and Stan couldn’t stop His work, after Christ accomplishes salvation and God prevents Satan from deceiving all the nations, as the gospel goes to all lands no and grows. Even still we read:
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
That's the spiritual background behind the battle between ultimate truth and error, between people living in self-love or the love of Christ, between spiritual darkness including and controlling our lives and relationships, the light of truth and holiness!
But the last way that John identified the source of the lie that rages against the truth of Christ in our world and in your life, is a Poster of the Church’s Most Wanted Enemy. This is not a national or military war, so not going to arrest and execute these enemies. But John does say a real war, and people really deceived by Satan - seeking to replace the Living Christ with a life lived on our own, without God, there are spirits that are flesh and blood people like you and me that are a source of error. John's instruction is that you and I not believe them, don’t listen to them, not give them our pulpits, our ears, or our eyes!
Jesus Christ says, wolves in sheep clothing. He says: , Paul to the early church from your own midst, teachers, … He says It’s not our business to judge those outside the faith, nor to have judgemntal attiude, but must judge among ourselves. Gifts of spiritual discernment! Test = smelter, refiner, jeweler - is this doctrine pure!
In John’s day it was people teaching error about Jesus not truly God become incarnate - fully God and fully human. Those false teaches saying sin doesn’t apply to them, they don’t need forgiveness of the Cross - they don’t recognize Jesus fully God and fully man in heaven as our only Mediator. And in our day - plenty of teachers isninthe church - say salvation is by your effrot, , not Christ’s along, say salvation is you having right faith and prayer and then God giving you health and wealth prosperity. The absence of any real teaching about Jesus betrays - And so John says the source of this teaching is false prophets. 1 John 4:1b
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.
A true prophet in the OT was to be recognized in Deut 18 by whether words came to pass. Even if they did listen to
Discerning False Prophets: Deut 13:1-3
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
In Jeremiah’s days, false prophets - say peace peace when there is no peace, only give the king messages he wants to hear. Twists it to be out of agreement with law and gospel of the Scriptures. In the apostolic era, without complete NT, prophets delivered Words from God, Agabus… But some false prophets even do miracles says Jesus. And so Paul gave another test similar to Deut 13.
1 Tim 6:3-4
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,
Do you get it, no matter how charming, how clever plausible, no matter how eloquent some teacher may be - the test is does this teaching witness to Christ and His Truth. All other teachings ultimately fads that will come and go, but the gospel of Christ is the litmus test , and the only truth that endures! It alone comes with supernatural power. So Paul said 1 Cor 12:3
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.
So be aware that there are two spirits in this world, one of the Holy Spirit, one of anti-Christ - do the hard work of discerning the voices in the church, and in the world, in your consumption of news, media, music, movies. How much of each are you hearing nin your life, How much are heeding? But identifying that there are false prophets and lying spirit behind them in our lives, is only a first step. You also need to know
B. The SUBSTANCE of the teaching of the Spirit of God and of the spirit of antichrist.
How can you know that a teaching is from the Spirit of God and connect your life up to it? like an electric care plugged in at charging station. How do you know what the teaching is that should be like big fat diesel fuel nozzle, doesn’t fit my gas tank and shouldn’t go into the car of life? That’s is in 1 John 4:2
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
So you have the spirit of the person teaching you, the spirit of the angelic or demonic influence, and the Spirit of the antiChrist or of the living Christ behind all teaching in this world. And spirits including yours and mine - in hearing teaching will com to agreement and confess that teaching. Literally means to say the same thing, Gk words word speak , and the same. SO a confessional Christian, a confessional church -is’t a polite Canadian who says sorry all the time. No, to be confessional is to be deliberate in agreement with a body of knowledge passed down through time that is the substance of your faith. What is that body of teaching? Let’s unpack what the substance of the Spirit's teaching is:
Jesus the historical flesh and blood person, 2000 years ago is a Savior that what Jesus means. But not just any Saviour, the one prophesied to be a Christ, an Anointed One, the Anointed Prophet, Priest and King provide and protect His people - raised up on eternal throne of an eternal kingdom. But look so carefully he has come. Not just appeared in human history like Napoleon or any human born into this world. Come from God, he existed before his conception, he is from heaven, from God, He is 2nd Person of the Trinity, and here is the real substance of the message. The Son of God came in the flesh!
That’s the foundation of the gospel. He took on human life, redeems every part of it, He shares our sorrows, and our sin, he in the flesh paid the penalty - This is speaking of His incredibly wonderful Person - the God-Man, It is speaking of His wonderful Work. He not only died as the God-man but by the eternal Spirit through Whom He gave up His, life, By that Spirit he also took it up again, being raise by the Father - He rises in the flesh - accomplishing the most total salvation - you can imagine - heals every part of our human nature and our human body, - defeats death - reestablished a dominion. And John is saying every teacher, saying, every spirit who - brings this message from Heaven, the Word Made flesh, Life from above, true redemption, touching every part of our lives, reconciled to the Father by the blood f the Lamb. This Christ set up as the forgiver that changes every relationship and the Mediator that not only gets you access to the Father, but also reigns a new kingdom - this is the message that God in heaven so loved the word sent His Son into the World, message from above - so even though truly in the world, not of it, redeeming it! That’s the substance of the teaching, and its compacted and symbolized in the bread and wine - who Jesus is and what He does.
And John is saying, discern where that teaching is in your life that message that Person from above? We are to do this individually - Spirit of God dwells in us individually, Word of God preached and read - ignited in our soul. Do you read about Jesus, listen to his offices, work, his person, and attributes. Belgic Confession, a systematic theology, But more this is a corporate discipline of spiritual discernment - the church is to be a guardian of this deposit. Not that we are obscure obstructionists, making mountains out of mole hills, but major on the majors - discern whether someone more fascinated by speculating on the end times, or getting rich of healed, -whether those preoccupied with Spirit - whether they are teaching truth to base our lives on. Ask your elders, myself - is that right?
And by contrast also discern the substance of the message of those deceived to live life without this Christ. That’s in 1 John 4:5
They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
Jesus the Son of God was and is from heaven for this world. But false prophets, those who speak message with no need for forgiveness, no sense of direction toward God, live for yourself, by your self , man is the measure of all things. Church can have a weightless God, that has no significance, only thing that matters is what human wants, man in the centre not God! The spirit of the antichrist and those manifesting that direction - they speak from the world. Now the world says a lot of useful things even in not Christians. Science, - common grace learn and appreciate and participate , as we bring those truths into fuller biblical perspective. But the sense John uses world, isn’t just physical creation or all the people of the world, but that system in rebellion against God. Surely, you see on TV, video, internet - that the source of so much of the messaging we are hearing is not from God, but from rebellion against God. From the most basic categories Christ reveals in his word in regard to marriage, gender, to the definition of life, to the core issues of how am I saved, its it God’s work half way and mine the rest. As a church we are to discern whether Word of Christ by the Spirit of Christ holding sway! And you now what - the world listen to worldlings!
And that brings us to the point of application in our text. The world listens to Christ-less teaching. What about you? I’m not talking about whether you listen to news, history science. I’m talking about the tea teaching that shapes your world-view, the teaching that you base your wisdom, and your living, and your relationship with God and others one. Is that from the living teacher Christ, or by default with the culture around you is that from the spirit of antiChrist and devoid not only of God but of the God-man who saves Jesus?
C. Listen to the Apostolic Word WITH the Spirit We are to Overcome (Vv.4,6)
i HOPE YOU REALIZE THE THINKING AND TEACHING AND WORLDVIEW IN OUR CULTURE AND IN THE CHURCH CULTURE can be from the world in the negative sense, it can be from the spirit of antichrist - not necessarily against Christ but replacing the role of Christ in your life and mine. If you are living daily without thinking and relating to Christ this is probably a big handicap in your spiritual life. But Paul doesn't want us fretting over the influence of Satan, aware and prepared but not fretting. 1 John 4:4
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.
How in the world are little old you and me going to overcome the spirit of antichrist and his teachers? How by faith are we to overcome the world? The word is Nike, like Just Do IT, Swoosh - I’m moving to victory. And John says you can have this confidence to Just DO IT. Say little children, less in comparison to how big God or the antiChrist are, and more because all who trust Christ, instead of being children of the devil, owned and deceived in bondage, are children adopted because of Christ sacrifice, born from above by the Spirit.
This is what it means to be from God, not just created physically by Him, but re-created, regeneration from within by His Spirit - and those born from above, trusted in the Christ - they receive the inheritance Christ one, co-heirs with Christ, and gift Father gave to God-man was fulness of the Spirit which he share with u! This is what v.6 means when it say We are from God, but then it adds the consequence:
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.
The consequence of receiving Christ and His Spirit is that believers listen to the us! Who is the ? The apostles who were touched and handled Word of life - we listen to their word, the holy Scripture!
It is so interesting that John doesn’t quote the OT, but does refer back to his gospel to back up His points. And in the gospel of John, the Spirit given in new way after Christ death and resurrection, is described as primarily working by the WORD! John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Jesus prayer is that we’d be sanctified by the Spirit - but in the same breathe by the truth, your Word is Truth. Jesus says: John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Remember having the confidence adopted, and indwell by the Spirit that is how you become a power praying Christian. Connection between assurance, in the Spirit and prayer. So too here even more a connection between the Spirit and the Scriptures. I’ve said many times: Word without the Spirit we dry up, Spirit without the Word blow up; But Word with the Spirit grow up!
This morning as you hear Jesus saying, I am the bread that came down from heaven, the true bread of life -eat and drink what it represents , even Christ - have eternal life. When you do this Jesus says abiding in Him abiding in these Words, you’ll not only know God, but you’ll discern the difference between the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error in your daily life.
That is his promise - that He knows us even as he lays his life down for us as the good shepherd: John 10:14
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
Know Jesus like this, but look at the promise
John 10:3b-4
To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
Know His voice, be led out into this world by his direction, rely on the Person, ad Offices, point your family, your work, your life in the direction of His kingdom. May this food be truly spiritual food that keep us communing with the Shepherd but also hearing His voice. For though we are in the world, we are no longer of it, but we are from God - following the Spirit of God and the Word of God!
As you take up the bread and wine- know that you receive not fake news, but the good news, and you receive in the Spirit who will make you a overcomer through this Person and his Work of Jesus. Amen.
Q. 24. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.