Who do I listen to? – Lesson 12

1 John 4:1–6 ESV “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.

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

4:3 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.

4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

4:5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

You have heard that men speak about 7,000 words a day and women around 20,000 words a day.  However, I could not find the study that gave those numbers.  But I found this:

“In 2007, a study led by Dr. Matthias Mehl and published in the scientific journal Science, researched 396 people (210 women and 186 men). Each person had an electronically activated recorder that automatically recorded 30 seconds every 12.5 minutes – hence capturing a total of 5% per day.

Their findings: women speak 16,215 words per day and men speak 15,669 words per day. This result, in terms of statistical significance, is not even remotely close to different.”

Whether men speak more than women or women speak more than men, it really does not matter.  What matters is who you listen to for living advice, marriage advice, and eternal advice.

Today, they inundate us with many voices and opinions. It is hard to distinguish who to listen to for instructions, advice, and guidance. In the realm of politics, there are two sides of opposing views looking at the same thing from different perspectives. In the realm of world news, there are two and three sides to every situation and event happening around the world. In the realm of living advice, there are hundreds of different viewpoints, advice, instructions, and guidance on marriage, children, money, and living. Who do you listen to? How do you determine what is right advice or instruction and what is terrible advice and instruction?

Be very careful who you go to for instruction in life!  Guard your life and guard your heart by testing the instructions and opinions others share with you.  Also, guard your soul because there are many false preachers and teachers around the world today.  

John addresses this in chapter 4.  He is talking to believers not to be deceived by false preachers and teachers.  We know he is addressing believers because he calls them “Beloved.”

This could be the most crucial advice the church receives today because to the number and easy accessibility of teaching today.  With a smart phone, tablet, computer, or television, you can access thousands of so called Bible teachers today.  The number you can listen to is staggering.

One of the greatest problems facing individuals today is the access to thousands of different voices over the internet which is so easily accessible from one’s phone.  Problem is determining which voice or influence is true and which is false.

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.””

Why is it so dangerous?  Because false teachers and preachers look just like true Bible preachers and teachers.  They dress appropriately, speak well, educated, charismatic, draw people to them, and so much more.  They teach about morality, marriage, handling finances, education, social issues, justice, giving, helping, serving, and many other things.  They are well liked by many and can have huge followings.

Proverbs 12:26 ESV “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

Several years back, a church member brought me an article he read on the internet.  The article sounded great with some good advice in it.  Words were right, advice was morally strong, family oriented, and conservative in approach, but the author was a false teacher.  Everything on the looked great on the initial review, but when looking deeper into who wrote the article, it was from a cult which did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

These false teachers are so deceptive because they can even teach the life lessons from Jesus and encourage others to copy how Jesus lived.  Yet, they deny the deity and humanity of Christ.

How can we know what is true with so voices speaking?

Romans 16:18 “For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”

2Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

2Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

2Corinthians 11:15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Galatians 1:6 ¶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

Galatians 1:7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Galatians 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

2Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

2Timothy 3:13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

The key to recognizing a false teacher is his position on who Jesus Christ is.  A false teacher or preacher denies Jesus came in the flesh and is the Son of God.  They will deny one or both doctrinal positions on Jesus:  His deity and His humanity.  They deny the Incarnation of Christ, that God came in the flesh to save man from his sins.  They will do it subtlety.

Don’t just believe but test the spirit (teachings) of the preacher, teacher, or other.

1 John 4:1–3 ESV “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.

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

4:3 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.” 

Matthew 24:4–5 ESV “24:4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.

24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.” 

John gives a grave warning in verse 1.  Do not believe every spirit or influence, but test them.  I have heard individuals say, “Well, so and so said it so it must be true.”  Just because someone says something does not mean it is automatically true.  They could be mistaken.  They could have said it wrong.  They could have been deceived themselves.

Therefore John warns others to try the spirit or influence to make sure what one is saying is the truth.  Especially dealing with eternity.

John writes this letter so a person can know whether he is saved.  His desire is for a person to have the assurance of his or her salvation.  His warning is for trusting in a false hope for eternity.

I believe the greatest tragedy in a person’s life would be to think everything is right for eternity and realize too late he believed in a false salvation.  How tragic to trust a person’s teaching only to discover to later the person was a false preacher or teacher.  Therefore, John instructs each person to test the spirit (influences, preacher, teacher, etc.) for himself.

Three important words

Believe

This is the Greek word, 4100 pisteu/w pisteuo {pist-yoo’-o}  •  from 4102; 1) to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in 1a) of the thing believed 1a1) to credit, have confidence.  Believe means to trust as true and faithful.  We are not to have a blind faith or trust in things, but to put our trust in Christ alone.

Test – Try

This is the Greek word, 1381 dokima¿zw dokimazo {dok-im-ad’-zo}  •  from 1384; TDNT – 2:255,181; v •  AV – prove 10, try 4, approve 3, discern 2, allow 2, like 1, examine 1; 23 •  1) to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals 2) to recognise as genuine after examination, to  approve, deem worthy   

To test to make sure it is what it really is – reference to metals to prove that they are really the metal of worth and not a fake.

Spirits

This is the Greek word, B4151 pneuvma pneuma {pnyoo’-mah}  •  from 4154; TDNT – 6:332,876; n n •  AV – Spirit 111, Holy Ghost 89, Spirit (of God) 13, Spirit (of the Lord) 5, (My) Spirit 3, Spirit (of truth) 3, Spirit (of Christ) 2, human (spirit) 49, (evil)  spirit 47, spirit (general) 26, spirit 8, (Jesus’ own) spirit 6, (Jesus’ own) ghost 2, misc 21; 385 •  1) a movement of air (a gentle blast 1a) of the wind, hence the wind itself 1b) breath of nostrils or mouth 2) the spirit, i.e. the vital principal by  which the body is animated 2a) the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides 2b) the soul 3) a spirit, i.e. a simple  essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting 3a) a life giving spirit 3b)  a human soul that has left the body 3c) a spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. an angel 3c1) used of demons, or evil spirits, who were  conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men 3c2) the spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels and equal to God, the divine nature of  Christ 4) of God 4a) God’s power and agency distinguishable in thought from his essence in itself considered 4a1) manifest in the course of affairs  4a2) by its influence upon the souls productive in the theocratic body (the church) of all the higher spiritual gifts and blessings 4a3) the third person  of the trinity, the God the Holy Spirit 5) the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of any one 5a) the efficient source of any power,  affection, emotion, desire, etc.  

The spirit is the influences from others.  We have both divine spirits and demonic spirits.  As children of God, we must try or test them to make sure that they are from God.  In your life you have individuals who are influencing you on how to live and prepare for eternity.  

Just because a person claims to be a teacher from God does not mean he is.

Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian

1 John 4:1 ESV “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.”

A very nice-looking young man swindled a very sweet lady in my church in Alabama out of $5000.  Dressed in a suit and tie, well-groomed, and kind, He claimed to be a Christian.  He talked about the Lord to her to convince her to invest $5000.  She did not have the money, so she put it on her credit card because she believed he was a Christian.  He stole her money.  Money she could not afford to lose.

He proclaimed one thing and was something else.  He claimed to be a Christian when he was a con artist who took advantage of a widow woman.

Do not believe every advice or teaching you receive, but test it.

Do not take for granted that every spirit that tells you, he is from the Lord is from the Lord.  We must examine or test to see if they are truly from the Lord.

The word try is the Greek word – dokima¿zw dokimazo {dok-im-ad’-zo}  •   to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals 2) to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve,  deem worthy  

Spirits – influence your life in a variety of ways

John 14:17 ESV “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.”

1 John 4:6 ESV “We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”  

Do not believe every preacher or teacher just because he claims to instructed by the Holy Spirit.

Word ‘prophet’ is used to denote religious teacher or preacher.

Where do the spirits come from?

1.  Thoughts in the mind

2.  Preaching or teaching

3.  Advice from others (family, friends, business associates, etc.)

4.  Media – television, radio, magazines, Internet, etc

5.  Actor, politician, social media influencers, celebrities, etc. 

Anyone who is trying to influence your life regardless of the manner, you need to examine to see if it is true or not.  From close associates, friends, family members, people on television or social media influencers, their teachings and advice must be carefully examined for truth.

Over the years, I have experienced individuals telling me that God told them something for me to do or some position I needed to take.  Some of the advice was great because it was biblical instructions; others were giving un-biblical advice. 

Satan is the great deceiver and will use others to deceive you into believing a lie.

2 Corinthians 11:14–15 ESV “11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

11:15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” 

Test the spirit of the preacher or teacher on what he believes concerning Jesus Christ.

1 John 4:1–3 ESV “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.

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

4:3 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.” 

Here is the great question: “How do I know this is from the Lord?  How do I know if God is speaking to me or someone else?”

When one is confronted with advice, opinions and instructions in his life, he must examine to determine if the message is truth or a lie.  It is easy to determine a lie if it is opposite of the truth radically.  However, it is much more difficult to determine the status when the lie is mixed with truth in order to confuse and deceive.  When it looks right on the outside, it becomes much more difficult to determine the true nature of the message.

Remember this incident between Peter and the Lord?

Matthew 16:20–23 ESV “16:20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

16:21 ¶ From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

16:22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.””

Peter tells the Lord that He will not suffer and die.  He did not realize this is why Christ came to suffer and die for the sins of the world.  Notice the phrase “Peter took him aside”.  He was giving the Lord advice on what needed to happen.

Yet, Jesus responded with, “Get behind me, Satan!”  Why would the Lord call Peter, Satan?  Because the devil was using Peter to hinder Jesus from doing what God the Father wanted Him to do.

One must be very careful to recognize advice from others, even close family members and friends.  Because the advice might sound good, but contrary to what the Lord is calling you to do.  

When I was leaving Mitsubishi Polysilicon to come here to be the senior pastor, I had some good friends telling me I was making a mistake by leaving by career behind.  Their advice was well-meaning but wrong.

If someone advises you to do something contrary to the Word of God, it is terrible advice.  

Testing of the spirit must be considering the Word of God.  

Test the spirit (teachings) of the person in light of the Word of God

Notice these two groups that examined the Word of God in order to determine the truth.

Berean Christians

Acts 17:11 ESV “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.” 

Ephesian’ Christians

Revelation 2:2 ESV “¶ “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.” 

Not all advice is good advice!  Not all advice from Christians is good advice.  Too often, one gives advice from a worldly perspective, not a biblical perspective.  The question is, “What does the Bible say about this?”

The Word of God will never instruct a person to sin.  The Word of God never instructs a person to violate God’s Word.

This is why it is so important for Christians to be reading and studying the Word of God.

2Timothy 2:14 ¶ Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.

2Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2Timothy 2:16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,

2Timothy 2:17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

2Timothy 2:18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.

James 1:12–17 ESV “1:12 ¶ Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

1:14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

1:15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

1:16  Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Test the spirit (teachings) of the person in light of the Lord Jesus Christ

Positive test

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

Those that confess that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has come in the flesh is from the Lord.  This goes beyond a mere profession to a confession to two major doctrines concerning Jesus Christ: His deity and His humanity.  Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.  Jesus came in the flesh, became man in order to redeem man.

I was watching a historical movie the other day and one statement made about Christ was “Christ was a man who heard from God.”  Notice the slyness of the statement.  The implication is Christ was only a man who heard from God, not the Son of God who became man to save us from our sins.

There are teachers and preachers today who only proclaim the humanity of Christ and not His deity.  They teach Christ was a good man and a brilliant teacher, but not the Son of God.

If a person does not confess that Christ is both God and man, then he does not know Jesus.

Negative test

1 John 4:3 ESV “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.” 

Every spirit or teaching that does not confess that Jesus, the Son of God, came in the flesh as the Messiah is not from the Lord, but from Satan.  There are those today who teach that Jesus was just a man, an excellent teacher, a good person, but not the Lord.  Their teaching is false and from the devil.

They will either deny the deity of Christ or the humanity of Christ.  

The two must go together because God became man in order to redeem man from his sins.  You can not remove any part.

That is, this doctrine is essential to the Christian system; and he who does not hold it cannot be regarded either as a Christian, or recognised as a Christian teacher. If he was not a man, then all that occurred in his life, in Gethsemane, and on the cross, was in “appearance” only, and was assumed only to delude the senses. There were no real sufferings; there was no shedding of blood; there was no death on the cross; and, of course, there was no atonement. A mere show, an appearance assumed, a vision, could not make atonement for sin; and a denial, therefore, of the doctrine that the Son of God had come in the flesh, was in fact a denial of the doctrine of expiation for sin. = Barnes Notes on the New Testament

We can sum up the questions that should be asked concerning a person’s doctrinal position.

What is the authority of the Bible? 

Answer:  The Holy Scriptures are the authority in our lives and the church.  It is the Word of God, infallible, inerrant.

Who is Jesus Christ of Nazareth?

He is the Son of God who was born in a manger, became man so He might fulfill the Law and die on the cross as a sacrificial offering for the sins of the entire world.  He is born God and man.  His deity and humanity are crucial.  

If He was not the Son of God, then He could not fulfill all the Law and live the sinless life.

If He was not man, He could not take our place on the cross of Calvary.

Test the spirit within you.

1 John 4:4–6 ESV “4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

4:5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

You must ask yourself, “What is the spirit that is within me?  Do I have the Holy Spirit of the Lord living in my heart?”

Second question you must ask yourself is “Am I overcoming the world?  Do I have the victory in my life over sin and the allurement of this world?”

Do I recognize the false teachers who are teaching today?

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Holy Spirit is greater in the Christian than the spirits in the world.

The battle has raged from the Garden of Eden until now.  The evil forces are constantly fighting against the Lord and His.  However, John encourages the Christian by giving him another sign of redemption.  This is the sign that the Christian can know that he is a child of God because he has overcome the false teachers and spirits.  He has been given the strength and wisdom to gain the victory.

Second, the Lord that is with the Christian is greater than any false prophet or teacher.  Therefore, the Christian can have assurance and comfort that he is in the Lord.

False spirits teach from the world’s perspective.

1John 2:15 ¶ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

1John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

They are from the world, teach about the world, and those of the world listen to them.  They do not adhere to the Scriptures, but pervert the text in order to teach their own doctrines which are contrary to the Lord.

One must be very careful, because they will use the same terminology and words that the Christian uses, but they will have different meanings.  Just because a person uses words like confession, repentance, remission, and so forth does not mean that his definitions are the same as found in the Word of God.

A false teacher uses worldly philosophy and instructions, which are accepted by the world.  It appeals to the world.  He teaches that man reaches God by being good and doing good.  He excuses sin or redefines sin.  He exalts man over the Saviour.  He teaches each person has God in them and they need to exercise that power they already have.  He stresses success, power, finances, power, pleasure, money, position over holiness.  He teaches accepting your own weakness instead of repentance.  His teachings focus on man and not the Lord.

Romans 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Romans 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

1Corinthians 1:18 ¶ For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1Corinthians 1:19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

1Corinthians 1:20 ¶ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

What do you do when you see a preacher running up and down through money that has been taken up in an offering and thrown on the floor before the pulpit?  What do you do when you see preachers getting rich off the parishioners who are being taught if you give to the church, then you will be rich like me?  What do you do when you hear preachers proclaim if you just have enough faith, you will be healthy and wealthy?  What do you do when you see preachers living lavish lifestyles?

Quit listening to them!  Quit supporting them!  Get in a Bible teaching church that teaches the entire Word of God. 

Christian listens to the teachings of the Apostles.

John states that those who know the Lord adhere to the doctrine of the Apostles.  They do not go after false teachers.  

For example, many teachers want to tear the Scriptures down.  They do not believe in the infallibility and inerrancy of the Word of God.  They want the Scriptures to be seen as only a good book with no divine origin.  They want to say that the Scriptures only contain the Word of God and not is the Word of God.  By doing this, they can eliminate any passage that they do not agree with.

Things to Consider:

Do not be surprised that there are many different religions in the world today.  The world is full of false teachers and prophets who are deceiving others.

Who is a true teacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

1.  Teaches the Incarnation of God – virgin birth of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is both God and man. (Deity and humanity of Christ)

2.  Teaches the sinless life of Christ.  Righteousness of Christ.

3.  Teaches the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

4.  Teaches that Christ’s sacrifice as the Lamb of God was sufficient for salvation for man.

5.  Teaches the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses the sinner of his sin.

6.  Teaches that forgiveness of one’s sin is found in the blood of Jesus Christ.

7.  Teaches the resurrection of Jesus Christ that He gives those who place their faith and trust in Him will have victory over death and the grave.

8. Teaches that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is equal with the Father and Spirit.  He is the second person of the Trinity.

9.  Teaches that a person is saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

10.  Teaches repentance of one’s sin along with confession.

11.  Teaches that eternal life is found in Jesus Christ alone.

12.  Teaches that Jesus is coming back one day.

1Corinthians 15:1 ¶ Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,

1Corinthians 15:2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

1Corinthians 15:3 ¶ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

1Corinthians 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Question:  who or what is influencing your life?  Who do you listen to for advice on how to live and prepare for eternity?