Daily Thoughts from 1 John: Test the Spirits (4:1-6)

Daily Thoughts from 1 John: Test the Spirits

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. 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, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 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. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 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 John 4:1-6 ESV)

We always feel a little trapped when someone says they are telling us what God is telling us, that they are a prophet.  This gives them God’s authority.  Perhaps that is why we might be tempted to despise prophesyings (1 Thessalonians 5:20).  But John is encouraging his readers, as Paul did, to test the spirits.

From the biblical author’s perspective prophecy comes from either the Holy Spirit or an unclean spirit.  Discernment is always needed.  This has always been the case (see Moses’ instructions in Deuteronomy 13 and 18).  False prophets are particularly part of the campaign of the antichrist who is coming.  His spirit is already at work in advance of his appearance.

The one speaking by the Holy Spirit has a message consistent with the apostles.  And that message is that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.  This means Jesus had a real body and he himself is the Messiah.  The Christ spirit did not come upon him or depart from him at any time.  He is one unified person, the Son of God, the God-Man.

This was not the message of those who left.  But this church overcame them by the greater power in them from God.  The world will always support any message that gives people more excuse for running their own lives.  The view that Jesus is not the Christ come in the flesh leads to my establishing my own righteousness and earning merit from God as I seek to cleanse my own soul.  This is because if Jesus is not the God/Man then his death cannot be a sacrifice sufficient to cover the sins of the world.  I have to make my own atonement. True believers, however, will always listen to the true message of the apostles, the genuine gospel of human inability and divine rescue.