1 John 4:1-6

-

Scripture 1 John 4:1-6

4 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 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. 5 They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 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. [1]

Devotion

            There was a major difference between the world in Jesus day and today with regard to false prophets. Not that we don’t have false prophets today we certainly do but in Jesus day there was a much greater belief in the supernatural in general than there is today. The people of Jesus day believed in a world that was filled with spirits. Almost every tree, rock, and river or lake, was believed to have its own spirit.

            Today we must still test the spirits to see if they are from God or not. Today it may be easier to fall prey to the false spirit because we have forgotten the admonition of these verses. The world is still full of spirits that seek to influence us in our daily lives. Believers are taught that the Holy Spirit enters a person at baptism and so cannot be filled with any other spirit in their lives. This does not mean that a person cannot be under the influence of another spirit during their lives.

            So how do we test the spirits? It is a relatively easy test to use. Any spirit that confesses Jesus Christ is Lord, the Son of God, who has come in the flesh in Jesus is of God. Any spirit that denies this truth is a spirit of error and is of the antichrist. We know the spirit of the antichrist is in the world today. Many people have come professing to be Christians and yet deny his divinity, God’s people must be able to discern the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

            The Gnostics of John’s day said that the flesh is evil. Therefore, Jesus could never have come in the flesh, That is why they tried to lead the church astray by saying that Jesus only appeared to have a body, but in reality, was a spirit. That is why John included the test of believing that Jesus came in the flesh. We still have false prophets today that do not believe that Jesus came in the flesh. They say during his life he was a prophet or a great teacher but not God in human form.

            The world accepts them as genuine teachers because they cannot discern truth from error. A person can only hear what he has fitted himself to hear. They accumulate teachers who feed them what they want to hear.

Someone who is following Christ need not worry about them because the one who is in us, Jesus Christ, is stronger than those who are in the world. Perhaps the final test of the false prophet comes down to love. If a person is filled with the love of God, we can know that person is of God if they show God’s love forth to the people. Hatred cannot be of God because God is love.

Prayer

            Almighty God keep us from false prophets with their lying signs and wonders. Keep us in your fold with Jesus as our shepherd. Lead us in the way we should go trusting in your mercy and love. Help us to love you and each other as we ought to love. May we be faithful to you dear Lord. Amen


[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Jn 4:1–6.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapt...
Read more

The Hatred of the World

-
Scripture: John 15:18-20 (ESV) 18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. Devotion:             This scripture is compelling. It explains what happened to Jesus and His disciples some 2,000 years ago. The message of God is rarely welcome news for the world. It calls out many of the culture's favorite practices for what they are: sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humankind has been adamant about trying to hide or excuse their sin. Sin causes a barrier between humans and God that humanity cannot overcom...
Read more

Reflecting on Reformation Day

-
  On October 31st, millions of Christians around the world celebrate Reformation Day, a commemoration of a pivotal moment in church history. It marks the day in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk and scholar, nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This act, challenging the practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church, ignited what we now know as the Protestant Reformation. The Courage to Stand for Truth Reformation Day calls us to reflect on the courage it takes to stand for truth. Martin Luther faced immense opposition and risked his life to speak against the corruption and abuses he saw within the church. His conviction was rooted in a deep understanding of scripture and a sincere desire to return to the teachings of Christ. As we remember Luther's bravery, let us examine our own lives. Are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, even when it is difficult? Do we seek truth in God's word and let it guide our actions? Script...
Read more