Did you know you're a Pilgrim

I John 4:1-3

The Spirit of Truth & Error

Would you open your Bibles to…

1Jo. 4:6 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.

And…

2Jo 1:3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Pray

Intro

√ Truth and love

Truth and love, God is both. His nature is such that He defines for us what love and truth are – for He is love and truth!

They are inseparable qualities of God's nature and character - you can't have one without the other.

Unfortunately, while I believe that most Christians believe this to be true…

…in our behavior we are often afraid to speak the truth because we're wrongly think that to do so would be unloving!

Ex. The sincere cultist

I'll often hear people wonder aloud why I make such a big deal about…

Cults

False religions

In fact, some people have walked out on me because I do point out the false teaching of these cults. They’ll say things like…

“Isn’t it enough that they ‘believe’”?

“Their such good people”

…while ignoring the error that these groups teach and the distructive ends the error leads to.

√ Jesus – our example

Yet, if we look to Jesus for our example we find that He never missed an opportunity to speak the truth in love.

Ex. His conversation with Nicodemus– Jesus lovingly rebuked Nicodemus for his spiritual ignorance and gave him the truth.

Here's a good model for our conduct toward those involved in false religions, cults, or sin…

"Truth without love is dogma that does not touch the heart. Love without truth is sentimentalism that does not challenge the will. When truth is spoken in love, God's Spirit can use it to change a person's mind".

John speaks of both truth and love in his letter. He moves back and forth like a champion boxer setting up the enemy for the final punch!

Jab with a little love

Pop em with a little truth

Remember, John's two main reasons for writing…

Encourage and warn

…John accomplishes those ends by speaking the truth in love.

√ Last week we looked at how it is that we can identify God's true children by observing His Nature in their lives, specifically…

…by looking for His agape love in their lives.

This week John moves back to the Truth issue reminding us that while the child of God is marked by His love…

…they are not to be gullible regarding the Truth!

Ap. Truth and love

May I suggest that it is not loving to leave a person in spiritual error. Rather, it is far better to correct those in error in a spirit of love - potentially offending them now…

…but saving them from an eternity in hell!

The test of Truth (vs. 1)

1Jo. 4:1 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.

√ The test of truth

First of all we find that John warns us…

"not believe every spirit" - vs. 1

It is imperative that we as Christians recognize that not every spiritual experience, or spiritual power, is of God!

Ex. The woman in Philippi

Acts 16:16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.

Acts 16:17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

Acts 16:18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

Notice first of all that this girl was possessed with an evil spirit. Secondly, notice what she was saying…

“These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

Interesting! The girl is speaking the truth, but it is by the inspiration of an evil spirit! Paul recognizes that even though she is speaking the truth…

…that she is doing so by the power of Satan and so casts the evil spirit out of her!

Why would Paul do that?

Because he recognized the tactic that the devil has been using from the beginning…

…begin with truth and then mix in a little lie!

Ex. Satan’s lie in the Garden

Gen. 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

Gen. 3:2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;

Gen. 3:3 “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

Gen. 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

Gen. 3:5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Did you catch the lie? Satan begins with truth (vs. 1), slips in a lie (vs. 4), and closes with truth (vs. 5).

Back to Paul in Philippi; while the servant girl was speaking the truth, Paul recognized that she was doing so by the power of the devil.

He knew that she already had quite an influence over the people in that city and that it was only a matter of time before the demon within her would begin mixing in lies – so, he cast the spirit out!

This example ought to rock you right out of your chair! The reason is that Satan's most powerful deception is to begin by speaking a little truth…

…then subtlely mix in his lies.

Ap. Be discerning!

John tells us in our text that we must be discerning when it comes to spiritual things, not every spirit or spiritual experience is from God!

√ The great counterfeit

You will recognize that this very tactic which Satan uses is employed by all of the cults. They don’t come right out and tell you that working for the devil…

…rather, they come to your door and ask you something like…

"Are you concerned about the safety of your children?"

…and then walk you through some Bible passages in which God speaks comfort to parents.

Then, once they've won your confidence, they slowly begin to introduce the lies of their false teaching. But by that time you're convinced that they are messengers of God.

So, be discerning! Just because a person uses a Bible or quotes scripture doesn't mean that they are a servant of God.

For example, Paul warned the Christians at Corinth to discern between the authentic and the counterfeit…

2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

2Co 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

Ex. Pharoh’s magicians

They produced counterfeit miracles!

The point is that just because a person…

Sounds like a Christian

Teaches from the Bible

Produces signs and wonders

…does not mean they are God’s servants or that they are speaking the truth.

So, how does the Christian protect himself from the lies of Satan?

The testimony of truth (vs. 2-3)

1Jo. 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

1Jo. 4:3 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.

√ The Testimony of truth

Note the test John gives us, he tells us that we can discern the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of error by the testimony (witness) they give about Jesus.

Pretty simple isn’t it!

Bottom line is this, the Spirit of Truth testifys that Jesus…

“has come in the flesh”

Or as J.B. Phillips translates vs. 2…

“that Jesus Christ actually became man”

So, any spirit that denies this truth is not the Spirit of Truth.

√ Let’s get practical

Let’s apply the Bible’s test of truth by looking at the testimony of some false religions and cults regarding the Person of Jesus Christ.

That is, let’s take John’s simple test and apply it to those who claim to speak God’s Truth.

For the purpose of our discussion we’ll define false religions as those religions did not come out of the Christian faith, and cults as those religions or systems that did come out of the Christian faith.

False religions:

What do they say about Jesus…

Budhist – deny the exisitance of a personal God, therefore Jesus cannot be both God and man.

Islam – believe that Jesus was a great prophet like Moses, and Elijah, but that he was no more than a man.

Hinduism – believe that Jesus was one of many incarnations of Ramha, but that he was not unique from other men.

Bahai – believe that Jesus was a man upon whom the “Christ spirit” came upon (at his baptism) and left at his crucifixtion. They believe he was one of many Masters (avatars) throughout history, but that he was not the unique God/Man.

…so, if we use the simple test which John gives us we must conclude that all these religions are false and motivated by the spirit of error.

Cults:

What do they say about Jesus…

Joseph Smith and the Mormon church - believe that Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer and that he began life as a human being, but attained godhood through his work on earth. They do not believe that he was God before he came to earth, nor do they believe that he is the same as God the Father (Adam).

FYI; for you readers of historical fiction, “The wedding ablum” by Marian Wells does a good job exposing the false doctrine of the Mormon church.

Jehovah’s Witnesses – depending on who you get on your door step they’ll tell you either that Jesus was a perfect man, or that he is Michael the Arch Angel, but that he is certainly not God. (p.s. J.W.’s are a spin off of Adventism – as was David Koresh and the Branch Dividians!)

…so, if we use the simple test which John gives us we must conclude that all these religions are false and motivated by the spirit of error.

Please note, if you have an argument with my conclusions your argument is not with me – it’s with God who gave us the test by which to discern the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of error.

√ The orgin of the spirit of error

You might be wondering…

“Where do these people get all these strange ideas about Jesus?”

Great question – the Bible gives us the answer!

1Tim. 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

John tells us in vs. 3…

1Jo. 4:3 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.

The orgin of all false religion, false teaching, and false doctrine is the devil himself!

The devil’s desire is to rob Jesus of the worship that He alone is due.

He accomplishes that in part by seducing people to worship a false Jesus, a Jesus who is the God/Man revealed in Scripture.

So, you can protect yourself from the spirit of error by simply looking for the testimony of truth regarding the Person of Jesus Christ.

√ Love and Truth

Remember, the child of God is marked by God’s love in their life, but they must also love the Truth. John calls us to both truth and love.

Guard yourself and love others enough to share the truth in love.