Truth and Love #9

Truth and Error

I John 4:1-6  (NKJV)

Test the Spirits

I John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because 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 of God, 3 and every spirit

that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. NKJV

Why do we test the spirits? There are many false prophets

Prophet – someone who claims to speak words from God

How do we test the spirits?

1. Discernment

Proverbs 2:3-5 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver,

And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. NKJV

Philippians 1:9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. NKJV

2. The Word of God

Acts 17:11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. NKJV

3. Wise counsel

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

But he who heeds counsel is wise. NKJV

In John’s day the biggest debate was the humanity of Jesus, today the biggest debate is His deity “spirit of Antichrist” – opposition to the truth of Christ Of God or of the World

I John 4:4-6 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not

of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. NKJV

God is truth

I John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. NKJV

Satan is behind all error

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. NKJV

We don’t need to fear the enemy because God is greater and with Him we can have the victory