Our Daily Duty to Discern Spirits | 1 John 4:1

All right, let's begin by turning to our Bibles in 1st John chapter 4 now. 1st John chapter 4 verse 1. 1st John chapter 4 verse 1. God's Word says,. So, before I start here, I wanted to again wish everybody a happy Father's Day.

You know, you can often tell the spiritual maturity and quality of a church by its men, by the men in the church. And I'm grateful for that because I think we pass with flying colors. We've got some really good, strong men in here who do not go with the flow and the tide of this world, especially with the spirit of feminism that's rampant in our day.

And so, it's so important to emphasize strong masculinity, masculine fatherhood, like the Bible does. And that's going to be relevant in these verses as well. So, as you can see from the sermon title, I'm going to be covering primarily our duty to discern spirits, our daily duty to discern the spirits.

And we're going to examine what discernment is in 1st John 4 verse 1, line by line and phrase by phrase. I want to take a... there's a lot to unpack here. I don't even know if I'm going to finish verse 1 in this sermon, but I think you'll really appreciate what God's Word has to say to us in this verse.

The Meaning of "See" in 1 John 4:1 and the Greek Text

First thing, I want to cover some technicalities, some interpretive issues here. You'll notice in verse 1 that it says, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.

Now, I was a little surprised here because the Greek does not actually use the word see. That actually was added in for clarity in the LSB and several other translations as well. But you'll notice also that it's not italicized in the LSB.

Usually when the LSB adds words for clarity, they italicize them, but this wasn't italicized. So that took me by surprise because I was going to go somewhere with that, but it's not there, so I didn't go there.

Some modern translations have similar phrases to draw out the meaning of the words. Like the Net Bible and the HDSB, they use determine. They use determine. So, dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God because many false prophets have gone into the world.

But it's the older translations that actually do a better job of translating the verse more precisely, more exactly. The King James and New King James, for example, say, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits.

Test the spirits whether they are of God, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Young's translation, literal translation, also similarly says, Beloved, every spirit, believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world.

So the reason I'm bringing our attention to this is because sometimes the LSB hides these things, and I wasn't expecting it to. So you just want to be aware of that. But it's still good to consult other versions and the Greek, if you can, because I thought that was a little, like, it's kind of misleading that I didn't at least italicize it.

But it doesn't change the meaning of the verse or anything. It does help to explain what it means. But if we're going to be more exact, then it wasn't really necessary to add it there. So now, the next interpretive question here, that I'm sure you're all dying to find out the answer to, is what are these spirits that John is referring to?

What are these, the spirits? The neomata. Neomata is the Greek word for spirit. It's like, pneumatology is a doctrine of the Holy Spirit. So the issue is not a translational issue. It does say spirits.

And to test every spirit. And so some think that the spirits in this verse refer to angels and demons. So angels and demons. To supernatural otherworldly beings. Others think that it refers to men. To men.

So either men who are from God, and therefore confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, like the passage later on says, or to men who deny this doctrine of Christ. And instead are speaking perverse things.

Like Acts 20 -30 says. When Paul warns against the savage wolves that are creeping into the church. So, Gordon Clark in his commentary says this about the verse. The spirits whom John has in mind are not the demons and satanic angels.

I thought that was interesting too, how he distinguishes them. He distinguishes demons from satanic angels. Which is actually biblically correct. He continues, though Satan no doubt inspires them. Satan no doubt inspires these men.

But rather, these spirits are men. They are preachers. Religious leaders of whatever sort. Who teach error. Who teach lies, falsehood. Now, I need to kind of clarify, add a little bit to Clark's definition here.

Because it could refer to both. We can't lose track of the fact that the verse here refers to both kinds of spirits. The ones that do come from God, and the ones that don't. So it's not just referring to evil men or evil spirits.

It's referring to both kinds. And it's for that reason that it cannot refer to angels and demons. It can't, at least not directly, refer to angels and demons. Because they are not the same kind of spirit.

Right?

Angels and demons are different kinds of spirits. Angels are angels. Demons are the spirits of the Nephilim. The giants who were hybrids of the fallen angels. The satanic angels, like Clark refers to them.

And human women. So that's a different kind. But the apostle here is using the word spirits to refer to the same kind. But in a different sense. Some are good, some are bad.

Right?

So that's why this is referring to good and bad men. Because they're all men. They're all the same kind of nature or spirit.

Okay?

So these warnings in this passage are therefore against the many false prophets. Because we obviously, it says right there. It's because many false prophets have gone out into the world. So it's against many false prophets who are men.

Who are nevertheless inspired by deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.

Right?

Against antichrist teachers and the spirit of antichrist. Which the passage also refers to. Because the spirit explicitly says that in later times, some will fall away from the faith. Paying attention to deceitful spirits.

Doctrines of demons. By the hypocrisy of liars. Who have been seared in their own conscience. Who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods. Which God created to be shared in with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

Right?

1 Timothy chapter 4. Notice too, the repeated contrasting pairs. All throughout scripture and here as well. How the Bible often pairs up. This pairing up of lies. And those who blindly follow them. And sometimes willingly follow them.

But blind in the sense that they don't. They reject the truth and are therefore blind. And of the truth and of those who discerningly follow the truth. And therefore follow God. So John here, and I've talked about parallelisms before.

And John here is employing a type of parallelism. Between the spirits and the many false prophets.

Okay?

And that's back in verse 1 of chapter 4. The Amplified renders it this way. The Amplified Bible. Beloved, do not believe every spirit speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet. Instead, test the spirits to see whether they are from God.

Because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world. Now, like I just covered. The Amplified is not quite right here. Because it's rendering spirit as supernatural, otherworldly spirits.

Speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet. No, this verse refers to the actual men. Primarily. Directly. So all those technicalities being established now. We can continue in our unpacking of discernment in this verse.

In this passage. You'll recall that discernment, in part, is to know this. That he abides in us by or from the spirit whom he gave us. Which is what 1 John 3 .24 says. It is to know the truth about ourselves being united to Christ.

And the truth about God. And to know the source of truth. Which is, of course, God himself. His son. His spirit. From his spirit. Like the verse says. And his revealed word. His revealed word. Holy Scripture.

That's the source. And likewise, discernment is also to test the spirits to see whether they too are from God. We know we are from God. By the spirit abiding in us. And bearing witness that we are children of God.

But also we have the spirit of discernment. That empowers us to test the spirits to prove whether they too are from God. Now, okay. So, I want to ask ourselves this question now. Does discernment really matter all that much to God?

Is discernment really that important to him? To God? Or is it a lesser, minor, you know, secondary issue? And I've already given myself away if you sat in any one of my previous sermons.

Probably.

But humor me here. I want to explore this because this is really fascinating. Remember, though, that the Bible, while the Bible defines discernment in different ways. The particular definition of discernment based on this verse is the ability to perceive, distinguish, or judge something clearly and accurately.

It involves a deep understanding and insight that goes beyond mere surface level observation. Discernment is often associated with wisdom and spiritual insight. Enabling individuals to differentiate between truth and falsehood, right and wrong, good and evil.

Discernment is a recurring theme in the scriptures. Emphasizing the importance of spiritual insight and understanding. It is considered a gift from God. Take note of that. Take note of that. Essential or necessary for making wise decisions and living a life that aligns with his will.

Okay, so that sounds pretty important, right? That does not sound insignificant or trivial or minor. But what sayeth the scripture? What sayeth the scripture? And that brings me to a correction here that I needed to make from last week.

I said, Isaiah 14 .9, my wife caught me and I think all of you caught me too because you were confused that I was reading a different verse. I meant Hosea 14 .9. Hosea 14 .9 says, whoever is wise, so let him discern these things.

Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of Yahweh are right and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them. Okay, very important verse there. That speaks to this issue of discernment.

But let's dig a little deeper now. Turn with me to 1 Kings 3. 1 Kings 3, starting in verse 7. Remember here what Solomon asked God for and how God responded to Solomon's request. 1 Kings 3, starting in verse 7, God's word speaks.

So now, O Yahweh my God, you have made your slave, this is Solomon speaking, your slave king in place of my father David. Yet I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. In other words, I lack knowledge.

I lack discernment. And your slave is in the midst of your people which you have chosen. Which you have chosen. Note that too. A numerous people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give your slave a listening heart to judge your people to discern between good and evil.

For who is able to judge this glorious people of yours? And it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. I'm going to repeat that. And it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this very thing.

And God said to him, because you have asked this thing, that is for wisdom and discernment, and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies.

In other words, to kill them, his enemies. But have asked for yourself discernment to listen to justice. Behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart.

Given you. Take note once again that it's a gift from God. So that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall no one like you arise after you. I have also given you, given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.

Amen. This is a powerful word from God. Now ask yourself again, does this sound like God puts a high premium on discernment or what? God has always considered discernment to be a high priority in the Old and New Testaments, in both.

But there's an important reflection here that we need to take to heart in the life of Solomon, in the object lesson of Solomon and his life. Because he's a particularly sharp example, an extreme example, that helps us to see more clearly that while discernment is extremely important to God, extremely important, high priority, high priority, among the highest of priorities, it is not the only thing that matters to God.

It is important, but it's not the only important thing that matters to God. You know, and I've often heard, I've often heard Christians explain or define wisdom as knowledge applied. As knowledge applied.

You may have heard that as well. That knowledge is one thing, but wisdom is the application of knowledge, right? But then I was thinking about this and I'm like, well, but Solomon contradicts this definition like horribly.

Solomon completely contradicts his definition of wisdom. Because God gave Solomon more wisdom and more discernment than anyone else. So that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.

So, okay, that's interesting. But nobody had more wisdom than Solomon, except for Christ himself, who is God, the God man. Yet sadly, what happened to Solomon? Solomon catastrophically failed. To personally apply his wisdom and discernment.

For King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh. Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women. He just had the whole buffet of pagan women. From the nations concerning which Yahweh had said to the sons of Israel, You shall not go along with them, nor shall they go along with you.

For they will surely turn your heart away after their gods, their false gods. But what does it say next? Solomon clung to these in love. Oh boy, Solomon is in trouble here. Solomon clung to these in love and he had 700 wives.

Princesses and 300 concubines. And his wives turned his heart away. Why? Because they were mostly pagan. They were heathen pagan wives who had detestable idols. And they brought them into Israel with them.

Now it happened at the time that Solomon was old. His wives turned his heart away after other gods. And his heart was not wholly devoted to Yahweh, his God. As the heart of David, his father, had been.

Ouch.

So even though King David had less wisdom and discernment, King David was better able, he applied the wisdom he had better than King Solomon did. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians.

And after Milcom, the detestable idol of the Ammonites. And Solomon did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh. And did not follow Yahweh fully as David, his father, had done. Man, oh man. If you can't say amen, you ought to say ouch.

Solomon messed up royally. Catastrophically, right? He had wisdom, but he didn't apply it.

Okay?

Now, don't misunderstand me and don't misunderstand the Word of God here. This does not mean that we should instead become pietists, rejoicing in humble ignorance and emotional upheavals instead. And not worry about knowledge.

Oh, because knowledge puffs up, right? No, that's twisting the scripture. Knowledge in that same chapter rejoices... I mean, love in that same chapter rejoices with the truth. You can't have love without truth.

So Solomon's problem was not that he had too much wisdom or discernment. We have to be careful when people say things like this, because who gave it to him? Who gave Solomon all this wisdom and discernment?

Was it not God? God gave it to him. And God does not give us stones in the place of bread.

Right?

He's a good father who gives us good gifts to those who ask him for them. And that's what Solomon did. He asked God for wisdom and discernment, and God provided it to him in abundance like no other man before.

Now, so what then was Solomon's problem? Well, if you remember the series that I preached on, Knowing Your Enemy, Solomon's main problem was his flesh. It was his sorry, out-of-control flesh, a lack of self-control, a lack of flesh control, and a lack of self-restraint, a flesh restraint.

It is a failure to apply all the wisdom to his own life. To his own life. Because remember, Solomon was wise, and people would come to him from all over the world, and he was able to wisely judge between difficult situations for other people.

But when it came to himself, he was a big, jolly hypocrite who indulged his flesh and got in trouble with God because of it.

Right?

There's so many lessons here, but I want to just chew on that and move on and continue to build on this passage in 1 John 4. So now we understand that discernment is a good gift from God. It's a good gift that comes from God.

The unbelievers, people who reject God, don't have discernment. They reject it because you can't have discernment without the truth.

You can't.

Those are not... Those are not... You can't have one without the other. Turn with me then to 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Corinthians 12. And we'll start in verse 7. So here in the passage on 1 Corinthians 12, we find some insight into this discernment.

What this discernment is. Starting in verse 7. But to each one is given... Note that again. Is given. Is gifted the manifestation of the Spirit for what is profitable, for what is edifying. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to someone else faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the workings of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of Spirits, or the discerning of Spirits, to someone else the various kinds of tongues, and to another the translation of tongues.

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually, just as He wills. Not as we will, but as He wills. For even though as the body is one, and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many are one body, so also is Christ.

He has many members, but has one body. In like manner. And we ourselves are united to Christ. For also by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body, in Him, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Okay, so this gives us a little more insight into this matter of discernment. The gift of discernment is a blessing and benefit of our union with Christ and His Spirit. The Spirit that manifests these gifts to us and gives them to us.

So, likewise the anointing of truth, which 1 John also talks about at length, whereby God equips us with His means to teach us the truth and distinguish it from error.

Right?

So, discernment, again here, is the distinction, differentiation, or discernment of spirits.

Okay?

A gift given to the church by the Spirit, together with the other gifts of prophecy, miracles, healing, and the like. Now, there's a connection here, right? Because the distinguishing or discerning of spirits in 1 Corinthians 12 .10 refers primarily to what 1 John also says.

Especially to the ability to discern true and false teaching. True and false teaching and true and false teachers. That's who the spirits are. They are men. They are men who are inspired either by the devil and his antichrist spirit, or by God and His spirit, and therefore lines up in alignment with His word.

Right?

They all are one in Christ. So, and whether it is from God or from antichrist, whether it comes from God or from the devil.

Right?

That's the contrast. Some, however, take this to mean that only some receive the gift of discernment, but not others. Because it says individually one is given, and to another is given the distinguishing of spirits.

And they say, well, that implies not to another.

Right?

So not everyone then is required to discern the spirits. Does that sound right to you? Or does that totally contradict just about every passage the Bible speaks to when it comes to discernment? Does God give discernment only to some and not to others?

Well, that is true in one sense, because He does not give discernment to the reprobate.

Right?

He does not give discernment to unbelievers. That's why they don't believe the truth. Instead embrace the lie. But remember, who does John address directly in chapter 4 verse 1? Who is he addressing? It says, if you turn back over there with me, it says, beloved.

Beloved. Beloved means all, each and every believer. Every one of us believers. That's who 1 John is referring to. Now, that's not to say that while elders and pastors are especially required to exercise discernment, in part to guard the flock from the savage wolves, the Antichrist, nevertheless, we are also, as elders and pastors, commanded to model and teach discernment to the church so that every one of you can learn to discern rightly for yourself and to judge for your own selves, like scripture repeatedly teaches all throughout.

Now I have, this brings me now to an axiomatic public service announcement. That's a big word. Axiomatic means a first principle. It's a foundational principle. So this is a very important principle that we need to live by.

Every one of us, not just pastors and teachers and elders, but discernment. So I forgot to ask ourselves this question. Who then has the duty to discern? The obligation, the responsibility, who is commanded to discern and how often must discernment be exercised?

Now we understand now, more clearly I hope, that everybody is commanded to exercise discernment.

Everyone.

Everyone has the same requirement to exercise discernment and to discern the spirits. The teachers and preachers and prophets, whether they are from God or from Antichrist. Now, how often though? Is this just once in a while?

Every now and then? Only when something comes up or what? And this is where we must understand, this brings us back to our first principle now, that discernment is a daily necessity. A daily necessity and duty that we all must practice.

All the time. All the time. In order to not believe every spirit, but instead to test every spirit. Not some spirits.

Every spirit.

Every spirit. To see, to prove, to discern whether it comes from God.

Everyone. Everyone.

Including me, including anybody you listen to outside of here.

Everyone.

We need to prove with the scriptures and with sound doctrine, like the Bereans did, which we will visit later on. So, as good soldiers of Christ, as good... We are all soldiers in God's army.

Amen?

As good soldiers of Christ, we must know both our friends and our foes. Our allies and our enemies. A good soldier knows both. And if he doesn't know one, he will be a liability rather than an asset. You'll do more harm than good to yourself and to others if you don't have both.

A knowledge of both. A discernment of both. What is good and what is bad. Our friends and our allies. And our enemies. Our foes. So we should therefore test every spirit, and especially the ones that claim to come from God.

Especially those. Because that's the one that will try to deceive you the most. The one that claims to come in the name of God. But just in case these verses have not been clear enough, have no fear, beloved, because the analogy of scripture is here.

So turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 5. Verse 21. Commend these passages to your memory. I encourage you to commit them to your memory because they are very important. They are foundational to our Christian walk.

1 Thessalonians 5. Verse 21. The Apostle Paul admonishes us to examine.

Examine.

What's that word here?

Examine all things.

Some things? No. All things.

Everything.

And hold fast to that which is good. That which is good, and likewise to abstain from every form of what?

Evil.

Okay?

Now this word. Notice this word here.

Examine.

The Greek word is the same exact word that 1 John and other passages use. It's dokimasdete. The same word.

Examine.

Discern.

All.

So not just all spirits, but everything else. Examine everything. Everything you look at. Everything you watch. Everything on the radio, on TV that you listen to. It doesn't matter. Examine all of it.

All of it. In order to hold fast to that which is good and abstain from every form of evil. Isn't that what discernment is? Knowing good from evil. There you have it. It's even more explicit and hardcore.

Here. Discernment is a powerful weapon that God gifts us with.

Right?

It's kind of like Lord of the Rings where I forget who gives them the sword, the bright sword, the orc sword that glows whenever bad guys are nearby. When orcs are nearby. That's in a way what discernment is.

It's a spiritual sense of being able to see good from bad. Truth from error. It's a powerful weapon, therefore, but it is also a lifestyle. Discernment is a way of life, as you can see. In order to discern everything, that has to be a part of who you are.

You have to make that a part of your everyday life and routine because that's what it is. It's a lifestyle. We should practice discernment on everything. Even on what we eat, as I've preached on before, because there are antichrist agendas even in food and stuff that we put into our bodies.

We got to discern everything. Nothing should be taken for granted in this life, in this world, that does not come directly from God. So, ask yourselves then, is your lifestyle reflective of what these passages teach us?

Does your lifestyle reflect one of constant daily discernment of everything? Of all things? Because I can tell you right now, there's many churches that don't teach this. They will say, oh, you know, only when something comes up.

You know, if something comes up, then you have to practice discernment. No, I'm sorry, but you are totally derelict and negligent of what Scripture teaches. It's black and white. This is not something that requires special interpretation.

It's black and white. Good and evil. Discernment required for both, for knowing both. But there's good news here, beloved. If you don't find yourself, if you find yourself lacking or struggling in this area, it's yours for the taking.

It's yours for the taking. Because James 1 .5 says that if any of you lacks wisdom, Sophia, wisdom, knowledge, or discernment by extension, like Solomon did, right? Solomon lacked it, but he asked God for it and God gave it to him in abundance.

Let him then ask of God who gives us, gives to all generously. Remember, it's a gift. He gives it to us generously and without reproach, without negative consequences, which also sheds light on Solomon's problem.

It wasn't his discernment. The discernment was the solution to the problem. He just had to apply it and it will be given to him who asks. So wisdom and discernment then are both gifts from God, from our good Heavenly Father.

And we then, however, need to develop and grow in these gifts by exercising and practicing them and by taking hold of God's means, which we will continue to see later on, right? It's not just, oh, God gives it to you and you're done.

No, we are to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must grow. We must grow. So that's incredibly important for us to understand. Notice too that there is a both and here in 1 Thessalonians 5, 21 through 22.

There's a both and, not an either or, just as we've seen all throughout 1 John and all throughout Scripture. It's not just a matter of knowing the truth. It's a matter of knowing the truth and therefore holding fast to what is good, but also likewise abstaining from every form of evil.

It is knowing what evil is, identifying it, and not being ignorant of Satan's devices. Like Paul also says in Corinthians, right? It's both and. Both and. These are one of the most prominent, contrasting themes in John's first letter and all of Scripture.

Truth and error, true and false believers, God and Antichrist, Christ and Antichrists. And light and darkness, and so on. We know, we know, as believers, we are instructed to know the truth as well as the enemy.

As well as the enemy. Because to know the truth means that we also reject the lie. We must. You can't hold to both. Because truth is logical and consistent and cannot contradict itself. Let God be true and every man a liar.

You cannot hold to what is true and to what is false at the same time and in the same sense.

You cannot.

You cannot hold to a true gospel and a false one. You cannot believe there is one true God and that there are many other gods. That's nonsense. That's a contradiction. God is not the God of confusion but of a sound discernment, a sound mind, wisdom, knowledge of the truth.

The truth is logical and consistent and cannot contradict itself. Just like our Lord Jesus Christ taught us. Let your yes mean yes and let your no mean no. Do not let your yes really mean no or your no really mean yes.

Do not contradict yourself. Let it mean yes and no without any hypocrisy or contradiction or reservation.

Right?

Anything more than this is from who? It's from the evil one. It's from Antichrist. It's from the spirit of Antichrist. From Christ's Sermon on the Mount. I like how the CSB renders that passage. Let your yes mean yes and not no.

Don't contradict yourself. The truth then is mutually exclusive and incompatible with the false. They cannot coexist at all. If you try to do that, you don't have the truth. You don't have it. You have a contradiction and that's a lie.

It's false. We discern good from evil, true teachers from false prophets, good churches from bad churches as well because we are called to discern everything, test everything, including churches.

Right?

Which brings me to a very sad and very close local example of a church that I came across recently. I was listening to a sermon online from this local quote-unquote reformed church. It's a Christian reformed church.

I was so bothered by this because their denomination has the word reformed in it. They hold to historically reformed standards. And yet much to my dismay, within the first 10 -15 minutes or so, a woman gets up there and starts preaching.

Okay.

Whoa.

That took me by surprise. I was like, okay. She went on for like 20 minutes preaching and giving announcements and having folks sit down and explaining to people what the church is about and who we are and defining the church for folks and everything.

And I was just baffled.

And...

But that wasn't all. If that wasn't bad enough, it got worse. Because half of this... So there was a pastor who was a man who started preaching, but half of his sermon was videos. He played videos. And one of the videos is called God's Chisel.

I don't know if you all have seen this, but good Lord. Good Lord Almighty, help us. This is... This video shows a man explaining a message from Ephesians 2 .10 that we are God's workmanship and all this stuff.

And he starts praying to God for discernment. And when he prays, all of a sudden this man shows up and he says, Oh, I'm here. God is here. And he's like, wait, what? So God shows up as a man. Okay, well, that's not rank heresy.

Does not God... Is not God a spirit and has not a body like men? Even the children's catechism teaches you that basic truth. God is spirit and must be worshipped according with the spirit and with truth.

In spirit and in truth. And yet this kid just shamelessly puts some bald guy up there and calls himself God. Oh, God is here. That's blasphemy, okay? In case you all didn't catch that. That's blasphemy.