26. 1 John 4:1-3: Test The Spirits

The Warning to Test the Spirits in 1 John 4:1-3

1st John chapter 4 verses 1 to 3. Hear now the inspired word of God. Beloved, do not believe every spirit but test the spirit 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.

Let's pray. Father once again as we look into your infallible word, your word which is inspired by the Holy Spirit, we ask that you would churn up our hearts that Father that we would be ready to receive what you have to say to us and in understanding it we pray that you would help us to apply it to our lives and that we would become more like our Savior Jesus Christ.

In his name we pray. Amen. Please be seated. In 1964 the Supreme Court handed down a decision concerning the reliability of information for obtaining search warrants. The police had used a confidential source as probable cause to obtain a search warrant and the defense argued that the source was not reliable and therefore the search was unconstitutional.

In their decision the court established a two-pronged test for reliability. First the source must have firsthand relevant knowledge that a crime in fact had been committed and second facts must be submitted to show that the source is in fact reliable.

Now just some 20 years later the Supreme Court abandoned that two-pronged test and established a new criteria and the principle of the new criteria was called a totality of circumstances. In other words looking at all the circumstances would a reasonable person conclude that evidence of a crime was located at that location and that the police had reliable information.

The details of those decisions are not important for us this morning. The point is the court tries to keep unreliable or false information from affecting the criminal justice system because unreliable information can sway a jury one way or another and actually affect the outcome of the trial and we've seen it happen both ways.

We've seen innocent men convicted and we've seen guilty people going free based upon false testimony and both of these are serious miscarriages of justice but as serious as those situations are how much more serious the effects of false testimony in the spiritual realm where not just a jail term but eternity is held in the balance.

The Church Must Not Believe Every Spirit

Look at verse 1 of the chapter we're beginning chapter 4 of 1st John. Beloved, do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone into the world.

This is an important, extremely important warning from the Apostle. He's telling the church be cautious. Don't believe everything you hear. My father used to tell me when I was a boy he says don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.

Not quite biblical but a pretty good advice but the admonition from John is is clear. Test the spirits and so we're going to examine the necessity and the reasons for testing and how do you test the spirits but first it's important to set this warning in its proper context.

Remember John is writing in this letter he's writing this letter within 40 years of the death resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. The church is still young and very immature. The revelation of Scripture was nearing completion but had not yet been codified into one book as we have the Bible today.

So a new revelation was not uncommon under apostolic authority and so there was a need for caution because the possibility of error coming into the church was was quite high and in the present case we find that it had already occurred.

Remember John's words in chapter 2 of this very epistle. He says children verse 18 children it is the last hour and just as you have heard the Antichrist is coming even now many Antichrists have appeared from this we know that it is the last hour and then he gives those words they went out from us because they were not really of us for if they had been of us they would have remained with us but they went out so that it would be shown it would be demonstrated that they are not of us.

One of the things we know about the early church is that the errors gravitated to the extremes and it was usually along the lines of putting importance on either doctrine or on the other side experience truth or emotions and that is clearly seen in the New Testament epistles.

The church in Corinth was profoundly experiential in fact they were so experiential they were getting drunk while celebrating the Lord's Supper and their meetings were practically free-for-alls with uncontrolled misuse of the gifts of the Spirit so much so that Paul has to write a reprimand but all things must be done decently and in orderly.

That's addressed to the church. Then on the other side Paul also wrote warnings to the Galatians who were returning to the law and suppressing the role of grace. Remember his warning to them in Galatians 1 verse 6, I am amazed says Paul that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel which is really not another only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ and even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you he is to be accursed and then for emphasis he repeats that same warning over again so we see that extremes of either side either radical experience or a strict adherence to the law was rearing its head in the early church and we see the Apostles giving strong warnings calling him anathema and that's human nature isn't it.

True Worship in Spirit and Truth

We see this even in the Old Covenant during during the life of Christ. Remember during Christ lived during the Old Covenant period even during the life of Christ remember his encounter with the woman Samaritan woman we read it this morning in John chapter 4 that providential encounter is significant for us.

There is so much to be learned in that Jesus gives important information concerning worship and of all people to this immoral woman sitting by the well drawing water. And some of it is germane to our text for this morning because during that conversation it becomes apparent that Jesus is no ordinary man.

In fact I love the way it was. I perceive you're a prophet you think. And that causes her to make some statements said really a question in verse 20 of John 4 she says our fathers worshipped in this mountain.

And you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. He's basically she's saying which which is right. And a verse 21 Jesus gives her a little bit more information than she asked for Jesus said to her woman believe me an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the father.

You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know for salvation is from the Jews. Now just let's pause there for a minute. Jesus tells her flat out that their worship the worship of the Samaritans was not doctrinally sound.

He says they are worshiping in ignorance. But we know not only from Scripture but from extant sources. They were enthusiastic. They had quite some interesting worship services very experiential. On the other hand the Jews knew the truth.

In fact they had been entrusted with the very oracles of God but their worship had become dead and lifeless. So we see the extremes. On one hand you had enthusiastic heretics and on the other hand you had dead orthodoxy.

And Jesus shows her that neither of those is correct. And he tells her what true biblical worship should look like in verse 23. But an hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit.

And that's a small s spirit and truth. For such people the father seeks to be his worshipers. Biblical worship must be in truth that is it must be doctrinally sound but it also must be enthusiastic. There should be feelings and emotions.

In other words experiential. Both must be present but in the right balance to be acceptable worship enthusiasm is to be guided by the truth of God's Word. I picked three hymns this morning very specifically to accompany this this sermon because I believe that they are all excellent examples of a biblical balance of how music to be used in worship.

Each one is somewhat emotional although not in the same way. Each one though is very biblically sound. The words are scripturally true and it is the truth of the words of those hymns coupled with the appropriate music that moves the soul.

Look at the first hymn we sang to God be the glory. So I want to get up and I want to march when I hear that because it's a rousing song it's lifting our hearts to praise and give God the glory. Putting him at the centerpiece.

It's arousing. I mean you can't help but be excited almost when you finish singing that hymn and expire. It inspires the soul to praise God based upon the truth to God be the glory great things he has done.

There's a sermon. There's a string of sermons the great things of God and the music assists the truth to accomplish the purpose. So you see that biblical balance of truth and and enthusiasm. The second to that we sang it is well with my soul.

And how great how sweet and awful is the place. I can't get through those without getting a tear coming to my eye or a little catch in my throat because they are so so moving. But it's the truth. How sweet and awful is the truth.

Why was I a guest when thousands make a wretched choice. Why. Oh God. Why you chose me. Emotion and experience guided by truth and doctrine. There's your biblical balance. True worshippers worship in spirit and truth.

The Reformation, Puritanism, and Modern Church Drift

So let's continue a little brief history. The New Testament canon is completed. The church now has the full Bible. So the problem of within the church of worship and doctrine and balance it's there should be no more.

We have the whole Bible no more problems in the church if only that were true because not too long after that we have a period called the Middle Ages sometimes called the Dark Ages which is almost defined by excesses of the church.

The gospel message is almost lost almost and along come two men Martin Luther and John Calvin and they see the excesses. And they stand on solar script Torah and they strive to bring true worship. Once again they stood against the organized church in protest against the excesses of both sides.

And we see in the Protestant Reformation the same issues are in dispute truth doctrine versus experience and tradition. And this is played over and over again throughout the history of the church. We see it again with the Puritans and the Anglican Church.

But thank God for the church in America where we've got it all together. After all we have numerous translations of the Bible. We all have readily access to it. How many. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many different Bibles I have in my study.

So these issues must be gone now. Of course when I say that my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek because we have seen the extremes to the max in the church in America today we've seen churches abandoning clear biblical teaching based upon nothing more than sentiment and emotions.

We have churches posting a rainbow for a sign and I don't mean to remind us of Noah churches ordaining women because Paul misspoke from the culture of his day. And I could go on. But you know the current situation in the church as well.

So the admonition of John is as crucial today in our church in America as it was for that first century church. Look again at verse 1 beloved do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone into the world.

Why Testing the Spirits Is a Biblical Command

Which brings us to the next point the necessity to test the spirits. What is in this. Why should we test the spirits. First and foremost it's a command of Scripture that should end it right then and there.

But and John tells us in both negative statement followed by a positive statement in a come in an imperative sort of way. It's not a suggestion and look how he puts it first. Don't believe every spirit now that should go without saying.

But you want to know something. In my experience both in law enforcement and as a pastor people are gullible and Satan is shrewd. And the lie can be wrapped and presented in such a way that it sounds reasonable and even logic.

Do you have any idea how many people fall prey to scams every year just in America. According to the Kiplinger report people lost more than 10 billion dollars to scams in 2023. 10 billion. That's with a B people have lost their savings and even their homes to scam artists.

So again how much more devastating and consequential to fall prey to false doctrine and counterfeit religion. But the warning is not just concerning false doctrine. We're told to test the spirits but even a theology that is out of balance.

So the first part of John's admonition is don't believe every spirit. The second part is the positive command but test the spirits. In other words John is saying do your due diligence to make sure that the spirit is from God.

And that that is crystal clear from the command of scripture which brings us to the second reason for testing the spirits right in the text because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is a this is not a warning of saying oh be careful because this might happen.

It's not a theoretical warning. It's a warning about a reality. It was a reality in the first century and it is a reality in our age as well. There are already false prophets in the world says John. And these false prophets come in the power of evil spirits.

They're deceptive they're enticing and they are seductive. And it's the danger that Jesus warned about in the days before the destruction of the temple. In Matthew 24 11 he says many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.

And John says that is happening now. The danger of deception is real and powerful. Listen again to the words of Jesus he said see to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will mislead many.

In other words this is just again not a theoretical issue. It's something that is real and happening. And then John goes one step further. He says the spirit of Antichrist which was also prophesied is present in the world.

So test the spirits. Why. Because they are not all from God. Third reason for the command to test the spirits. And this one is specifically for us. Because we have now 2 ,000 years of church history to learn from.

That's why we spent a little bit of time demonstrating the words of Solomon. Remember the words of Solomon. There is nothing new under the Sun. The same issues. The same heresies that appeared in the early church are still with us in the church in America today albeit with some difference nuances a little little tweaks here and there.

But they still remain and still seduce many people into their era. And most of these would vanish if churches would test the spirits. So we should test the spirits because of the testimony of church history.

You know this is so obvious. I mean it's even included in our hymnology. Another great hymn of the church. The church is one foundation written in the middle of the 19th century. Look at how Samuel Wesley describes the church though with a scornful wonder.

Men see her sore oppressed by schisms rent asunder by heresies distressed included in our hymnology. Pretty distressing. But Wesley knew that wasn't the end of the story. And I love the way he finishes off.

Yet Saints their watch are keeping the cry goes up. How long and soon the night of weeping will be the morn of song and the music again. And that him very appropriate to convey the message in spirit and in truth.

So we can see this is a clear command of scripture. Test the spirits. Don't just believe anything. It's because a guy's got a string of degrees after his name or pastor in front of it don't believe them.

Test the scriptures. So I'm gonna take just a couple of minutes and answer this question. Why don't some churches simply obey the scripture. Why don't know. Why don't they just test the spirits. I'll give you a couple of reasons.

First some people are just lazy. That's just the reality of it and they have no desire to study the word. They simply are concerned with doing quote churchy things and have no inclination to study doctrine.

They consider themselves to be good people and are comfortable just living in the status quo. And when you try to point out the need for truth they simply dismiss dismiss you and have no desire even to engage in discussion.

Unfortunately as little you can do to change the ratitude just pray that God opens their heart. Second there are those we can simply call anti theological. If you mention doctrine it's like you mentioned a dirty word.

And they will tell you that doctrine is not necessarily all we need is Jesus. After all they say doctrine is divisive. These are people who elevate experience and emotion as the standard and the measure for all of truth.

It's not what the scripture says that's important but how they feel about a certain subject. And if the scripture says something that makes them feel uncomfortable well we just won't read those portions of scripture.

Third there are those who just over spiritualize everything. Those who believe if you are just sincere and honest with yourself that's enough. Doesn't matter if you're right it's not a matter of truth.

It doesn't matter what you believe in as long as you just have faith and believe in something. In all of these views you can see the extremes of their positions. The great tendency of our age is to elevate experience over truth and doctrine.

And the fallacy is that belief in Jesus is not sufficient. You hear what I just said. Belief in Jesus is not sufficient. You must believe in the Jesus of the Bible. That's sufficiency. And to know him you must study the Word of God.

Paul said it's best in that very simple verse 2nd Timothy 215. Study to show yourself approved unto God as a workman who needs not be to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. And as soon as you do that guess what.

You become a theologian because you're engaging in theology. One last test one last reason why people don't test the spirits. They say this is a warning strictly for pastors and theologians. In other words it's not my job.

It's yours pastor. But the text belies that position. John addresses this admonition to the Beloved. I love that address. Know what it means to be beloved by Jesus Christ. That's the entire church body who John also calls my dear little children.

Now there may be a greater responsibility for pastors elders and theologians but the mandate is for all. Paul admonishes the whole church in Corinth for being immature not just the leadership. The writer of Hebrews does the same.

He castigates his listeners for not they should be teachers he says. And they're not. We're all responsible for our own sanctification. And part of that is knowing who Christ is and rejecting false doctrine which leads to our third and crucial point how do you test the spirits.

Testing by Scripture, Christology, and a Balanced Faith

First let's address a prominent error that is widespread in churches today. And that is that the manifestation of one certain gift of the Spirit is evidence of salvation. That's simply not a test given in Scripture.

In fact in first Corinthians 12 Paul addresses the abuse of the gifts. And he says this very plainly. He says. All are not apostles. Are they all are not prophets. Are they all are not teachers. Are they all are not workers of miracles.

Are they all do not have gifts of healing. Do they all do not speak with tongues. Do they all do not interpret. Do they. It's clear that the Holy Spirit gives gifts as he wills and it is always for the common good of the church not for individual gratification.

Speaking other languages cannot possibly be a test for salvation since Paul says not all believers had that gift. But he doesn't just leave us there. It's almost like ah shucks Paul how does he finish.

But he says earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you still a more excellent way. Ah here's it. We should be. We should be desiring the greater gifts. And what are those gifts. Faith hope and love.

And as we've seen already in our study of this epistle there are some tests for salvation. Do you manifest in your daily life and to other people faith hope and love. The second erroneous test is a demonstration of miracles or supernatural phenomena.

It's not uncommon to hear claims of supernatural healings taking place all over the world. We see this prominently on late-night televangelist programs. And I'm not encouraging to stay up to watch them.

Some claim that this proves the manifestation of this gift of the miracles and healing. No we must test the spirits. In most cases these men who have made such claims are proven to be charlatans. The supposed healings are nothing more than staged Hollywood tricks.

And even if some can't be proven to be tricks we are to test them because the Lord told us that false prophets would come doing miracles and great wonders. So these supposed men of God must be tested biblically.

There are a number of other supposed tests that are put forward to ratify these popular ministries. Someone said well look how enthusiastic he is. Look how sincere he is. Look at the success he's having.

But none of those are biblical tests. What are the tests for the presence of the Holy Spirit. And this is the important part if your mind is starting to want to snap back now first and foremost the test is by the Word of God.

1st John 4 2. John says by this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. This goes right to the heart of the epistle. John has been refuting the gnostic teaching that God could never be flesh.

Therefore Jesus could not be both God and man. You should be able to see the grave error and consequences of anything of that nature. That means if that's true that means the gospel is false because the Spirit is testifying against himself.

And that means one of them is false. And that's the result. Soon as you say that doctrine is unnecessary. Second way to test the Spirit is that it presents a balanced perspective. In other words this when the Spirit is present it is both doctrinal and experiment experiential.

If someone says we don't need doctrine all we need is Jesus. Just ask him very simply which Jesus. For there are many false Jesus is put forward in the world. And the real Jesus can only be found in the Word of God.

So there is the beginning of your doctrine. On the other side doctrine must be experimental. What you believe must impact the way you live. And James says it best. And this is right on point. James 2 verse 14.

What use is it. My brethren if someone says he has faith but has no works can that faith save him. If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food and one of you says to him go in peace be warm be filled.

And you do not give him what is necessary of the body. What use is that. Even so faith if it has no work is dead being by itself. So the test of faith avoids the extremes and finds the doctrine that is lived out in the world that is real and genuine faith.

And then the last point is simply this test. If the Holy Spirit is present Christ is being glorified. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not to exhort exalt himself. It's not to bring attention to the person upon whom he has bestowed the gifts.

His mission is to see to it that Jesus Christ is exalted and that to exemplifies the balance between doctrine and experience. That is what happened on the day of Pentecost. This is a perfect example. The Holy Spirit comes upon the church in a mighty way.

The men began preaching the gospel in a way that everyone could understand regardless of their native tongue. Now notice that Peter when he in his explanation of what's happening immediately points not to the gift but to Christ.

He says men of Israel listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst just as you yourselves know this man delivered over by the predetermined plan and not for knowledge of God.

You nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death but God raised him up again. The ministry of the Holy Spirit always points to Christ. The Holy Spirit draws the elect to Christ regenerates their heart that they might believe and then seals them until the great glorious day of the Lord.

So Supreme Court has several functions in our legal system. One of them is to ensure that our court system is meeting out justice and they have the last word on that subject we have been given the task as the Church of Jesus Christ to live out the gospel in spirit and in truth.

And to do that we must test the spirits to see if they are from God or if they are false. And that can only be done if we study the scriptures and get to know what God requires of us and then live it out daily in our lives.

So I close with just these simple words from the first verse 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.

If you're here today and you don't know Jesus Christ that's not and that doesn't include you understand. This eternity is in the balance and the Bible has all the answers for life and godliness. And the warning to beware of false teachers is for you as well.

Don't believe something just because someone says it's true there's only one way to eternal life. Jesus said I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but through me. Let's pray.