1 John 4:1-3 ESV 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 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.

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

It should come as no surprise that we live in a world of deception and deceivers. From dirty politicians to conniving lawyers, shady salespeople, scheming telemarketers, misguided media personalities, misinformed journalists, greedy retail spokespersons, so-called friends, and even immoral preachers, someone always seems to have a message to present that will persuade us to act in a certain way, support a certain cause, spend our money for a certain reason, or believe certain information or principles. It is especially true that deception is more widespread and prevalent today than it has been. Why? Because of the forms of communication that control the flow of information, it is easier to deceive, easier to spread deception, and easier to mask or distort the truth. For instance, because of the internet, more people can easily and cheaply present their message without having to verify their facts or information. Because of the media, fictional scenes can be contrived to seem so realistic that all but the most perceptive can be fooled. Because of the impersonal nature of all of these means of communication, we are rarely able to know the persons who do the communicating: their concern for accuracy, their commitment to the truth, their motivation for communicating, their concern for people, or anything else important about them. If there has ever been a time for testing the spirits, it is in this generation. 

John has already addressed this subject of deception in 1 John 2:18-27. Now he comes back to it to explain what we must do, know, and expect.

WHAT WE MUST DO: Test the spirits. We might call this “spiritual discernment.” It applies to all communication that comes our way, but is especially directed toward communication of a spiritual nature about spiritual doctrine or spiritual principles or spiritual truth. The spiritual is more important, because of eternal life and death issues involved. If I am deceived about a certain investment opportunity, I might lose some money because of a bad investment. If I am deceived about how to be saved, I stand to lose eternal life. Which is more important to lose my possessions, my fortune, even my life, or to lose my soul eternally? When anyone has a spiritual experience to share, a spiritual lesson to apply, a spiritual truth or principle to teach, we must ask ourselves what spirit is motivating, energizing, encouraging, and enlightening them (the Holy Spirit or an evil spirit). Just because a person seems genuine or sincere, doesn’t mean that they can’t be deceived or deceive others. I have known people who were genuinely sincere and sincerely wrong. The reason we must exercise caution, restraint, and discernment is because many are trying to deceive (“many false prophets have gone out into the world”) in the world today. They have taken their message to the airways and the unperceptive and undiscerning are duped.

WHAT WE MUST KNOW: Apply the Christological test. Every cult and distortion of Christianity may have different idiosyncrasies and strange ideas, but all share one major flaw. They all distort, confuse, or deny the truth about Jesus Christ. Even this name points us to the truth. His earthly father and mother were instructed to call him Jesus. This name points to his human nature and his mission as the Savior of mankind. When I was a child, I thought that Christ was the last name of Jesus (like Daniel SHAPLEY). I soon discovered that Christ is his title. He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. This speaks of his divine nature. He is the creator of all things, the sustainer of all things, the one who was with God in the beginning and who was God. You must believe that Jesus IS the Christ (1 John 5:1) and you must believe that he HAS COME in the flesh (1 John 4:2). This is the clear testimony of Scripture, Jesus is truly God and truly man. As God, he came into this world without sin and committed no sin. Therefore, he could give his perfect life as a sacrifice without blemish for us imperfect and sinful humans. As a man, he could identify with our weaknesses and frailties, and become a merciful, compassionate and legitimate substitute for sinful humans. Look at the teachings and gauge them according to the Bible. If what they teach about Christ matches what the Bible affirms about him, they are teaching the truth. If not, reject them quickly and flee back to the truth.

WHAT WE MUST EXPECT: The spirit of ANTICHRIST is at work in the world. Even Satan seeks to present himself as an angel of light and so do his demons. We must not be shocked or surprised by what we see happening in the world. The world system has never acknowledged God or adopted his ways. If you were of the world, the world would love you, for the world loves it own, those who follow its ways. Christians have always been ridiculed, mocked, ignored, and even persecuted because we have determined to follow God, causing us to run counter to the culture, whatever that culture may express. We believe in the gospel and have confidence that it is the power of God unto salvation, but we also know the the power of sin, sinful human nature, and a godless system. Therefore, we must keep our guard up, testing the spirits, discerning the truth amid the deception, lies, and cover-ups.