True Love 6

True Love Leads To Testing The Spirits

1 John 4:1–6 NASB95

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because 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, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

1. Testing the spirits by the SCRIPTURES for true DISCERNMENT. (1)

1 John 4:1 NASB95

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

Hebrews 5:14 NASB95

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Proverbs 14:15–16 NASB95

The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps. A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless.

Acts 20:28–31 NASB95

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

2 Timothy 3:13–17 NASB95

But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

“Test”- (dokimazō) to examine, to scrutinize, to decide upon after examination, to discern

Illustration: A man hit another man’s parked car. The offender got out of his car and began to write a note. He appeared to be doing the right thing. However, the note said, “Everybody looking at me right now thinks I’m leaving my name, address, and phone number. I am not. Good luck.”

PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM! We have LOST Biblical

Discernment because we have been LAZY with Biblical Knowledge. Discernment dies without Doctrine. Many “Christian” teachings tell us we can find God within ourselves…that we are generally good. If we are generally good, then the cross is generally meaningless.

“He who begins by seeking God within himself may end up confusing himself with God.” -B.B. Warfield

Any form of “unity” or “love” that assaults God’s Word…is also a direct assault on God’s Son. We should obey what Paul tells us in …

Romans 16:17 NASB95

Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.

2. Testing the spirits by the SAVIOR for true DEVOTION. (2-3)

1 John 4:2–3 NASB95

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, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

“confesses”- (homologeō) to profess devotion or allegiance, to declare openly or /publicly

1 Corinthians 12:3 NASB95

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

2 John 7 NASB95

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

Devotion and sin cannot live together. Devotion will drive out sin or sin will choke out devotion. It is simple…Whatever kills our devotion to Jesus is sin.

Psalm 25:5 NASB95

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.

Devotion grows by being led in the truth, so false doctrine undermines this growth by replacing the truth with lies.

3. Testing the spirits by the HOLY SPIRIT for true DESTRUCTION. (4-6)

1 John 4:4–6 NASB95

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Philippians 3:18–19 NASB95

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

John 16:33 NASB95

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Ephesians 6:10 NASB95

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

“overcome”- (nikaō) to conquer, vanquish, subdue, to prevail…this word is “nikaō”, but a related word “nikē” literally means victory.

We do not fight FOR victory…as Believers we fight FROM victory!

Through the cross we are victorious LEGALLY, but by the Spirit we can be victorious LITERALLY.

God doesn’t want us to go out and SEEK victory by the works of our hands, because He has already SECURED victory through the nails in His hands.

Illustration: The pressure in the ocean’s depths can crush a diver. But if they descend inside a pressurized diving bell, it exerts pressure outward to protect the diver from destruction. When Believers go into the world, extreme pressure will be felt. Like the diving bell, the Spirit inside of Believers exerts the worldly pressure outward to protect Believers.