Spirit Testing June 19, 2016 Enthusiasm is no guarantee of truth - Law

Jesus is the Issue 1 Corinthians 2:2 - For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified 1 Corinthians 3:11 - For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:24 Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit Whom He has given us.

1 John 3:24 Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit Whom He has given us.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, Whom you have from God? You are not your own,

John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. 

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22  And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and Who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

2 Corinthians 5:5 He Who has prepared us for this very thing is God, Who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.

1 John 4:1 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.

G. G. Findlay It is a common but perilous mistake occurring even in books of Christian evidence, to treat the supernatural as synonymous with the Divine.

Acts 19:19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

1 John 4:1 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.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons

1 John 4:2-3 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.

Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Acts 17:11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

1 John 4:2-3 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.

For Our Consideration Do you have the Holy Spirit in your life? How do you know? How do you determine the Spirit of truth vs. error, and what does test the spirits mean to you? Why is it so important that Jesus came in the flesh? (Hint – read Westminster Confession VIII if you don’t know)

Prayer Focus Thank You Lord for Your many promises for now and eternity Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, comfort and correct us Thank You for Your Word that renews our minds