Test the Spirits1 John 4:1-6

May 15, 2011

As We Read ...• Remember that we have one side of what

was probably a dialog– Even though this does not appear to be a

personal letter, as such• When the writer addresses a specific

issue or makes a specific statement or poses a specific question, he is likely dealing with a specific problem

• John had probably become aware of problems within a church and was writing to address them

What Do You Think Of?• What do you think of when the Bible

speaks about “spirits”?

Samuel• 1 Samuel 28:11

– 11Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said. 12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” 13The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a spirit coming up out of the ground.” 14“What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 15Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

He Abides in Us ...• 1 John 3:24

– 24The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

• According to John, how do we know that God dwells within us?

• What Spirit is John speaking of here?• What are the ramifications of the giving

of this Spirit?

Other Spirits?• 1 John 4:1

– 1Beloved, 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.

• What does John mean when he writes “test the spirits?– What are we testing them for?– How does one do that?

• If they aren’t from God, where are they from?

• How are these spirits manifested?• What is a prophet?

Examine Everything• Paul gave the same advice to the church

in Thessalonica • 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

–  19Do not quench the Spirit; 20do not despise prophetic utterances. 21But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22abstain from every form of evil.

The Litmus Test• Deuteronomy 18:20-22

– 20‘But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21“You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’ 22“When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

God in the Flesh• 1 John 4:2

– 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 

• Remember John’s situation ...• The Greek carries connotation of

continuing in the flesh• How are we to recognize the Spirit of

God at work?• How does a spirit confess Jesus?

In Corinth ...• 1 Corinthian 12:1-3

– 1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. 3Therefore 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.

• Do we really believe this for what it says?

• Is the Spirit involved when someone utters these words?

Other False Teachers• Philippians 1:15-18

– 15Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; 16the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. 18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.

The Spirit of the Antichrist• 1 John 4:3

– 3and 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. 

• How are we to know which spirits are which?

• Who or what is the antichrist?• John says they had heard that it was

coming and that it is now here

In Philippi ...• Acts 16:16-18

– 16It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

In Ephesus ...• Acts 19:13b-15

– 13b ... some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 

We Have Overcome• 1 John 4:4

– 4You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 

• Who have we overcome?• By what means?• We have overcome ... Already!

– The battle is won– The outcome is certain

• We have One who is greater that the one in the world?– What does that mean to us?

Truth vs. Error• 1 John 4:5-6

– 5They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6We 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.

• Who are “they??– False Prophets– Anitchrist– Those who deny– The ‘other” Spirits

• How would this statement be received by the world today?

Spirits Today• Are these same spirits at work today?• How would we know?• How would we identify them?

Questions?• Next week

– “Eternal Life: Eternal Death” (1 John 5)