Testing the Spirits
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Point: Are you able to detect false teaching from the real? False teaching and false teachers exist today in the church. How does one know the true teachers and teaching from the false.
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now.
You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them.
We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
The Spirit of the Lord has spoken. God wills it! Anyone can appeal to the witness of the Spirit to give creedance to their prophecy or teaching, but the mark of true inspiration is one’s confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Any teacher or teaching that denies this fact, is inspiried by the antichrist. In fact, anyone who denies the teaching of the twelve apostles of Christ, and the writings of the Bible, is not of God, but of antichrist. True of False?
All who abide by the commandments of Christ are of God. Those who do not, are of the antichrist. True of False? Our answer determines if we know the spirit of truth and/or the spirit of error. The false teachers of John’s day were claiming that their “secret knowledge” rested on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Were their tongues or prophesy of the Spirit? Claiming the validity and truth of their message because of unusual “acts of power” or “words of spirit” was a sign of God’s blessing… or were they?
The apostle Paul warned the members of his churches to “try” the spirits (1 Thess. 5:21; 1 Cor. 12:1-3; 14:29). John warns the brothers and sisters of his churches, the same thing, “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Why? Because there are false spirits and true spirits. There is good and there is evil. There are angels, and there are demons. There is God, and there is Satan. There is Christ, and there is antichrist. There will be, and there is lies, falacy, and deception. Would you be able to discern and detect the false teacher and false teaching, from the truth?
Jesus said this about the days to come, Matthew 7:15-16
“Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
What did John say was the key to detecting wolves, false prophets, false teaching, and/or the spirit of error? The confession that God came in the flesh of Jesus Christ. For what purpose? To redeem man from original sin and it’s consequences. To relieve man from the wrath of God when Adam and Eve rebelled against God for all of humanity, in the Garden. To release man from the clutches of death, into eternal life with God.
Listen to what Brian McLaren has to say about his progressive version of the Gospel:
[Jesus] came to announce a new kingdom, a new way of life, a new way of peace that carried good news to all people of every religion. A new kingdom is much bigger than a new religion, and in fact it has room for many religious traditions within it. This good news wasn’t simply about a new way to solve the religious problems of ontological fall and original sin (problems, remember once more, that arise centuries later and within a different narrative altogether). It wasn’t simply information about how individual souls could leave earth, avoid hell, and ascend to heaven after death. No, it was about God’s will being done on earth as in heaven for all people. It was about God’s faithful solidarity with all humanity in our suffering, oppression, and evil. It was about God’s compassion and call to be reconciled with God and with one another-before death, on earth. -Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Chrisitanity, p.139, Kindle
Jesus did not come to announce a new kingdom, but the original kingdom, that has existed for all time. He did not come to announce a new way of life, but a return to the original way of life…life with God. He did not come to announce a new way of peace, but the original way of peace…peace with God through trusting Him and believing in Him. God thus became very personal in the God-man Jesus Christ. Born of the virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, knowing no sin, but bearing the sin of man on the cross, Jesus arose from the grave, exalted to heaven, to the right hand of God the Father, having paid death, in full, the debt of man, sin no more. What ‘religion’ or ‘religious traditions’ has achieved peace with God, through the sacrifice of a perfect man, both fully divine and fully human? None. So how can peace be achievable for any religious man-made tradition, other than the way established by and made possible by the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? It cannot. There is no room for ‘other’ gods because Jesus will not and does not share His glory with another!
I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols.
Who is Yahweh? The Hebrew name for God. Your translation may say ‘LORD’ in capitals. The Bible proclaims that Jesus, the Word is God (John 1:1; 10:30; 1:18; 20:27-28).
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Father and I are one.”
No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don’t be an unbeliever, but a believer.” Thomas responded to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
There is room for only one God-man and there is only one way to God the Father and that is through God the Son. There is no other way, no other religion, no other religious tradition (John 14:6-7). Jesus Christ is the only way and His way and rule is supreme! There is life in no other. Believe, trust, and obey in only One…Jesus Christ.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you know Me, you will also know My Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
Yes, the Kingdom Gospel is about loving God and loving People, but only through the one God-man…Jesus Christ; His way, His commands, and His work and will. God does not merely stand with us in solidarity as we suffer under oppression, suffering, and evil; He shows us the way, gives us the strength, the power, and the love to stand with Him, under the oppression, suffering, and evil, that He said would come our way, not because of us, but because of our love, belief and loyalty to Him…Jesus!
For it has been given to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,
And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.
Jesus is no imp who has no power over suffering, pain, and death, who merely holds our hand as we suffer. Jesus is the One who bore our suffering, pain, and death at the cross, on the cross, and through the cross. He now holds the keys over death and Hell, and will judge both the living and dead at His judgment seat to come (Rev. 1:18; Acts 10:42-43).
Christianity is about reconciling man to God through Jesus Christ, not reconciling believer to non-believer, or reconciling the Christian with the World. There is nothing that the follower of Christ needs to be reconciled to the world about. He or she, actually needs to learn to run away from the ways of the world, into the arms and ways of Christ. And the only way that is possible is by dying to self, picking up your cross, denying yourself, and following Jesus as Jesus followed the Father.
Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.
The huge problem and heretical teaching about Progressive Christianity, or the Emmergent Movement, is the denial to pick up one’s cross and follow Jesus. Progressive Christianity embraces a living dualism and gnostic gospel that Jesus can be slotted into one’s life instead of giving one’s life over to Jesus. Pastor Sam Allberry of the United Kingdom, writing in his book, “Is God Anti-Gay?”,
“If someone thinks the gospel has somehow slotted into their life quite easily, without causing any major adjustments to their lifestyle or aspirations, it is likely that they have not really started following Jesus at all.” -Sam Allberry, Pastor, UK, “Is God Anti-Gay?”, p.11-12
Slotting Jesus into my life is not following Him, it is fitting Him into who I am. I am still in control! I pick and choose what works for me in my life, lifestyle, and worldview. Slotting Jesus into my life is a living dualism that Jesus condemned.
“No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.
The principle is: you cannot serve two masters. One is either all in on Jesus or one is a living dualist, looking to slot Jesus neatly into the confines you allow Him to exist in, calling upon Him to save and serve you, like a genie from a magic lamp that you rub for your wish. Progressive Christianity denies following Jesus to the cross, bearing the cross, and denying oneself. Have I, do I, deny Christ?
John Pavlovitz, American Pastor and author of the liberal left says this about Progressive Christianity,
Progressive Christianity is about not apologizing for what we become as we live this life and openly engage the faith we grew-up with. There are no sacred cows, only the relentless, sacred search for Truth. Tradition, dogma, and doctrine are all fair game, because all pass through the hands of flawed humanity, and as such are all equally vulnerable to the prejudices, fears, and biases of those it touched. -John Pavlovitz (Another Gospel, Alisa Childers, pg. 71)
The problem with the statement, is that it casts doubt upon the Bible being truthful, inerrant, inspired, and ultimately the authoritative Word of God. It casts doubt about the witness and testimony of the Apostles, who lived and walked with Jesus, even upon the words and person of Jesus himself. Jesus and the apostles were susceptible to prejudice, fears, and biases of the day. The Holy Spirit was possibly unable to speak and guide those upon which He rested and wished to direct and communicate with and through. Orthodoxy comes under attack and primary pillars are shaken.
The statment of Mr. Pavlovitz denies the authority of the apostles of Christ, of which the Apostle John is. John says, “Anyone who knows God listens to us,” (1 John 4:6).
We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
The Apostle John means listens to our teaching and follows our teaching. All true Christ followers listen and follow the teachings of the apostles because they are the direct witnesses, receivers, and authorities of Jesus, and on Jesus. They were Jesus’ chosen vessels to share His love, teachings, and commands through, via the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. What arrogance and spiritual misdirection one must have to deny, refuse, and reject the teachings of Spirit, Scripture, and Supremacy of Christ!
Jesus gave the apostles His direct authority to make disciples via the teachings He taught them and commanded them.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
This highlights one of the prime beliefs of Progressive Christianity, or the Emmergent Movement, that Scripture, the Bible, is not inerrant, infallible, nor Holy Spirit-inspired, and/or authoritative. You can pick and choose what works for you. Absolute truth, is not, nor cannot, possibly be known. Postmodernism, the rejection that absolute truth can be known, has invaded church. John’s verdict: Progressive Christianity on this point alone must be rejected. This is antichrist, this is error, this is the spirit of deception.
Without an inerrant, infallible, Holy Spirit-inspired, authoritative Bible, how do you know what you know is real, is true, is right? How do you know it is of God? That it is God’s Word? How then do you believe in Jesus, if He existed, and His story? How does an errant, fallible, uninspired, unauthoritative Bible embolden and gird your faith? It does not. It is just a good book, no better than the best philosophy book on any shelf library. One’s faith is nothing but fairies and wishful thinking. Jesus is nothing but a liar, or at best mislead and misinformed, but definately not Messiah.
So, am I living a dualistic life? Do I live with a denial of self? Do I bear the cross that Jesus calls me to bear? Have I slotted Christ, and His gospel into my life, calling upon Him whenever He fits best? Or is the Bible the authority in my life? Believing and knowing that it is the Word of God, spoken by God, recorded in, and by, the Spirit of God, upon which I can base my faith in Christ upon. Do you know what is truth and what is deception? Without the Bible you would know nothing. Without the Spirit speaking, and enabling men to hear, and hear right, you and I would know nothing.
Know the Word, know God, know right from wrong, know what is true from what is deception. Pick up your cross and follow Him. Test the spirits.. Denying yourself is part of the deal in following Christ. Amen.