Growing In Faith
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Posted: May 27, 2023
Author: Kerry Lytle 1 John 4:1, New Living Translation “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” |
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In 1 John 4:1, we are instructed to test the spirits to see whether or not they are from God. But what does it mean to test the spirits? And how do we distinguish between the Spirit who is from God and a spirit who is not?
1 John 4:1-6 identifies two different spirits. The first is called “a spirit from God,” “the Spirit of God,” and “the Spirit of Truth.” The second is identified as “the spirit of a false prophet,” “the spirit of antichrist,” and “the spirit of falsehood.”
The first is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, who leads us into the truth. The Holy Spirit will never deceive us or otherwise lead us astray. Instead, He will always lead us into the truth and a closer walk with God.
The second spirit that John mentions is a deceitful spirit, a fallen spiritual being working through a false prophet or teacher whose purpose is to lead us astray from the truth.
This spirit may look and sound very appealing (2 Corinthians 11:14), but under their sheep’s skin, they are vicious wolves looking to devour the flock (Acts 20:19).
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 warns us that “such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” So, the reason for testing the spirits, for testing all religious teaching, is to see if it is truly from God or if it is a lie from Satan and his servants.
The test is to compare what is being taught with the clear teaching of the Bible. The Bible alone is the Word of God; it alone is inspired and without error. Therefore, the way to test the spirit is to see if what is being taught is in line with the clear teaching of Scripture. If it doesn't line up with the Word of God, dismiss it as false teaching.
Testing the spirits means that we must know how to “examine the Scriptures.” Rather than accept every teaching, discerning Christians carefully study the Scriptures. Then they know what the Bible says and therefore can “test all things and hold fast to what is true.” In order to do this, a Christian must “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The Word of God is to be “a lamp” and “a light” to our path (Psalm 119:105). We must let its light shine on All the teachings; the Bible alone is the standard by which all truth must be judged.
So, how can we test to distinguish between the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of a false prophet?
First, what is the fruit they produce?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us about false prophets. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:15-16, NLT).
Jesus tells us that one way to recognize a false prophet is to examine the fruit they produce. Are they preaching one thing, but living and treating others the opposite way? Are they displaying the Fruit of the Spirit that is mentioned in Galatians? Are they looking to serve and not to be served?
The false prophet may be able to disguise their fruit for a time. But ultimately, it will be shown for what it is. Don’t be taken in by smooth talk. Pay attention to the fruit that is produced. Is it helpful to the church or detrimental?
Second, does it line up with Scripture?
Peter warns us about false prophets who will secretly introduce destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1). Heresy is a doctrine that is contrary to what the Scripture teaches. Sometimes heresy is obvious, but other times it can be very subtle and have the ring of truth to it.
Listen carefully to what a person is saying. How well does it line up to the Bible? 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture is given to us by inspiration from God. And, since God does not lie (Titus 1:2), we can depend on the Bible to always be a reliable guide to truth.
For this test to be effective, we need to have a good understanding of what the Bible teaches. This means knowing more than just a few favorite verses or passages. The false prophet will frequently sprinkle passages into their message that seem to support their position.
Search the scriptures for yourself to see how well what they say conforms to what God’s inspired Word says.
Be careful, false teachers may sprinkle selected verses into their teaching, but at its heart, it is contrary to what is found in the Bible. So, test what you hear against the Scripture. And reject what does not conform to it.
Search the scriptures for yourself to see how well what they say conforms to what God’s inspired Word says.
Another way to test the spirits is to evaluate who they honor. The Holy Spirit, and those led by Him, will seek to honor and glorify God.
The false prophet, on the other hand, might give lip service to honoring God. But they have no real interest in glorifying God. Instead, the focus of their efforts will be elsewhere.
Their words and actions will demonstrate what is important to them. If they are constantly promoting “their ministry” rather than the Lord’s work or themselves rather than the God of the Bible, that should serve as a warning sign.
A final test is one that can be difficult to discern. We need insight from the Holy Spirit. We need the prompting of the Holy Spirit. You need first to be in tune with the Spirit, listening to Him in your daily life.
And, if you are, He will make clear to you if the one you are hearing is proclaiming a gospel other than the one from Scripture. Listen to that prompting of the Spirit and look for other signs that would verify the Spirit’s warning. Listen to Him and turn from that teaching if you get that "feeling".
Test the spirits. There are indeed many false prophets out in the world today, deceiving many. Don’t be one of them. Learn to recognize the spirit of a false prophet or teacher and not be taken in by them.
1 John 4:1-6 identifies two different spirits. The first is called “a spirit from God,” “the Spirit of God,” and “the Spirit of Truth.” The second is identified as “the spirit of a false prophet,” “the spirit of antichrist,” and “the spirit of falsehood.”
The first is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, who leads us into the truth. The Holy Spirit will never deceive us or otherwise lead us astray. Instead, He will always lead us into the truth and a closer walk with God.
The second spirit that John mentions is a deceitful spirit, a fallen spiritual being working through a false prophet or teacher whose purpose is to lead us astray from the truth.
This spirit may look and sound very appealing (2 Corinthians 11:14), but under their sheep’s skin, they are vicious wolves looking to devour the flock (Acts 20:19).
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 warns us that “such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” So, the reason for testing the spirits, for testing all religious teaching, is to see if it is truly from God or if it is a lie from Satan and his servants.
The test is to compare what is being taught with the clear teaching of the Bible. The Bible alone is the Word of God; it alone is inspired and without error. Therefore, the way to test the spirit is to see if what is being taught is in line with the clear teaching of Scripture. If it doesn't line up with the Word of God, dismiss it as false teaching.
Testing the spirits means that we must know how to “examine the Scriptures.” Rather than accept every teaching, discerning Christians carefully study the Scriptures. Then they know what the Bible says and therefore can “test all things and hold fast to what is true.” In order to do this, a Christian must “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The Word of God is to be “a lamp” and “a light” to our path (Psalm 119:105). We must let its light shine on All the teachings; the Bible alone is the standard by which all truth must be judged.
So, how can we test to distinguish between the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of a false prophet?
First, what is the fruit they produce?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us about false prophets. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:15-16, NLT).
Jesus tells us that one way to recognize a false prophet is to examine the fruit they produce. Are they preaching one thing, but living and treating others the opposite way? Are they displaying the Fruit of the Spirit that is mentioned in Galatians? Are they looking to serve and not to be served?
The false prophet may be able to disguise their fruit for a time. But ultimately, it will be shown for what it is. Don’t be taken in by smooth talk. Pay attention to the fruit that is produced. Is it helpful to the church or detrimental?
Second, does it line up with Scripture?
Peter warns us about false prophets who will secretly introduce destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1). Heresy is a doctrine that is contrary to what the Scripture teaches. Sometimes heresy is obvious, but other times it can be very subtle and have the ring of truth to it.
Listen carefully to what a person is saying. How well does it line up to the Bible? 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture is given to us by inspiration from God. And, since God does not lie (Titus 1:2), we can depend on the Bible to always be a reliable guide to truth.
For this test to be effective, we need to have a good understanding of what the Bible teaches. This means knowing more than just a few favorite verses or passages. The false prophet will frequently sprinkle passages into their message that seem to support their position.
Search the scriptures for yourself to see how well what they say conforms to what God’s inspired Word says.
Be careful, false teachers may sprinkle selected verses into their teaching, but at its heart, it is contrary to what is found in the Bible. So, test what you hear against the Scripture. And reject what does not conform to it.
Search the scriptures for yourself to see how well what they say conforms to what God’s inspired Word says.
Another way to test the spirits is to evaluate who they honor. The Holy Spirit, and those led by Him, will seek to honor and glorify God.
The false prophet, on the other hand, might give lip service to honoring God. But they have no real interest in glorifying God. Instead, the focus of their efforts will be elsewhere.
Their words and actions will demonstrate what is important to them. If they are constantly promoting “their ministry” rather than the Lord’s work or themselves rather than the God of the Bible, that should serve as a warning sign.
A final test is one that can be difficult to discern. We need insight from the Holy Spirit. We need the prompting of the Holy Spirit. You need first to be in tune with the Spirit, listening to Him in your daily life.
And, if you are, He will make clear to you if the one you are hearing is proclaiming a gospel other than the one from Scripture. Listen to that prompting of the Spirit and look for other signs that would verify the Spirit’s warning. Listen to Him and turn from that teaching if you get that "feeling".
Test the spirits. There are indeed many false prophets out in the world today, deceiving many. Don’t be one of them. Learn to recognize the spirit of a false prophet or teacher and not be taken in by them.
