Test the Spirits

Test the Spirits False teachers deny the incarnation

1 John 4:1-3 (NET Bible) 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

Test the Spirits “His warning is clear: behind every statement is a spirit, a pneuma, but not every spirit is the Spirit of God.” –NAC

Test the Spirits Incarnation: The view that Jesus Christ took on a human nature, including flesh.

John 1:1-2, 14 (NET Bible) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory – the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.

John 8:56-59 (NET Bible) 56 “Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Judeans replied, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!” 59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area.

Test the Spirits “Jesus, then, was not created, He was eternally existent with the Father (and the Holy Spirit). His birth by Mary was merely an incarnation, not the beginning of His existence which was eternal.” –M.S. Mills

Test the Spirits False teachers deny the incarnation

Test the Spirits False teachers deny the incarnation False teachers reject the apostolic teachings

1 John 4:4-6 (NET Bible) 4 You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world’s perspective and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

Test the Spirits Two options Source: The evil one Messenger: antichrists Message: lies about God Embraced by: the world

Test the Spirits Two options Source: The evil one Messenger: antichrists Message: lies about God Embraced by: the world Source: God Messenger: apostles Message: truths about God Embraced by: believers

Test the Spirits “In the history of the church, apostolic doctrine has always been the means by which the Holy Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood can be effectively distinguished. True Christianity is apostolic Christianity.” –BKC

Test the Spirits “Spiritual activity is not necessarily Godly activity. We must be discerning. We must listen and evaluate carefully the message and messenger against the infallible authority of Scripture.” –NAC

Test the Spirits Application a) Believe rightly about Jesus.

Test the Spirits Application a) Believe rightly about Jesus. b) Test the teachings you hear about Jesus.

Test the Spirits Application a) Believe rightly about Jesus. b) Test the teachings you hear about Jesus. c) Learn and obey the apostolic teachings.

Test the Spirits Application a) Believe rightly about Jesus. b) Test the teachings you hear about Jesus. c) Learn and obey the apostolic teachings. d) Empty yourself for others.

Philippians 2:5-7 (NET Bible) 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.

Test the Spirits “Many men have sought to become gods, but only one God ever sought to become a man.”