Jesus Is Concerns about What You Believe: Be Open and Closed (1 John 4:4-6)

The false prophet said that the people were being "slain in the spirit." But there is no such term as "slain in the spirit" in the Bible. Anyone who had really been 'slain' by the Spirit was Ananias and his wife (Acts 5:1-11)... but they died.

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people [false prophets], because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception”

(1 John 4:4-6, NLT, bracket mine).

[Read previous posts to know the context of this text]

The Apostle John now turns to talk about the audiences that listen to true and false teachers. Each verse in this text begins with a strong word: “You” (verse 4), “They” (verse 5), and “We” (verse 6). Here John reminds his readers that they need not fear the heretic or the false prophets with the false spirits, since Jesus Christ has all power over evil. Because of Jesus we “already won a victory” and through Him, the Holy Spirit lives in us. As for now, the false teachers are flourishing. Why? Because they “speak from the world’s viewpoint” mixed with Christianize messages. Because the false prophets speak what people want to hear, “the world listens to them.” But not so with us – we “belong to God.” We only want (and should) listen to “the truth about Jesus” of the Bible (4:3). In the long run, the false teachers cannot win. We have the greater power in us, greater than the one who rules the present world.

False teachers are obviously not of God but are of the world. Such people may act well and look religious. They sometimes act like good people (some even quite sincere), speak nicely, and well behave externally. But on the inside, they don’t know God and are full of lies. It’s all a cover-up, temporary masks designated to fool people. They preach “prosperity”, “hyper-grace,” “health and wealth”, “positive confession” and the opposite of them all – “legalistic Law.” False teachers appear to look like men and women of God, but actually they have “the spirit of deception”! They are only interested in your money, applause from people, fame, and names for themselves. People who are not true believers will flock to listen to these false teachers because they rather “follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). On the other hand, those who believe in God will listen to the sound and wholesome Christian message (as opposed to 2 Timothy 4:3). They are open to the truth because God’s Spirit helps them to listen and understand it.  

So we can test the spirits (1 John 4:1) not only by their message but also by the kind of audience that listens to them. If people who are not interested in God or His Word are following a particular person of belief, the teacher is probably not of God. But if the followers are open to God’s Word and want to learn more about God and His Son, Jesus Christ, it is more likely that God’s Spirit is involved. ”That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.”

To sum up, the Apostle John is telling us how concerned he is – because Lord Jesus is concerned –that we must be very careful about what we believe. There are all kinds of faiths and religions in this world – from those that mostly talk only to those that mostly emphasis on feelings, from the most simpleton to the most complex and bizarre. Thus, if we are open to learning we may find ourselves being led astray from what is true since some false religions try to look and act so much like the true Christian faith. Friends, we must be careful not to be gullible – believing everything we hear and see. “You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God” (1 John 4:1) or not. Just as there are fads in clothing and gadgets, there are fads and cults in religion. They are not all to be accepted or believed. Again, put everything to the test – be careful about what you believe. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Don't Wants Us to Believe Every Spirit but to Test Them all (1 John 4:1-3)

Only iPhone experts and careful users know which one is a real or fake/cloned iPhone.

“Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here”

(1 John 4:1-3, NLT).

We know that the Holy Spirit is from God. And, since the times the Bible was written, some people claim that they alone can show God’s Spirit. The Apostle John here was writing to people who were dazzled by the unusual and the spectacular. They were misled by people who promised all kinds of miracles and wonders. Soon the Christians became confused about whether these wonders were from God or not. So we need to apply a test since not every spirit comes from God. Some spirits come from Satan rather than from God. So we must “test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God.”

What is the test? John says that we know that the Spirit is from God “If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.” Jesus Christ really became flesh. Such Spirit is from God and will honor Him. Jesus “the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14).

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament comments 1 John 4: 1-3 (page 743):

“Judaism especially associated the Spirit of God with prophecy but acknowledged the existence of false prophets, who John says are moved by other spirits. His readers would understand his point; Jewish people were familiar with the idea of other spirits besides the Spirit of God. There were many pagan ecstatics in Asia Minor, as well as Jewish mystics claiming special revelations; the need for discernment would be acute.

            The issue may be the secessionists’ denial that Jesus has come as the Christ (if the opposition is Jewish); more likely it is a Docetic denial that Jesus was actually human and actually died, a heresy an eyewitness would be well positioned to refute. It may simply be a relativizing of Jesus’ role to the position of a prophet like John the Baptist, which allows enough compromise to avoid persecution. Whatever the error, the secessionists are claiming the authority of inspiration for it, as do some similar cults today. John does not deny the reality of inspiration; he merely denies that the spirit working in them is God’s Spirit.”

So, when we are talking with someone who claims to have “the truth about Jesus” or promises amazing results because of believing in particular teaching, we need to ask: “Where is Jesus in all of this? What do you really believe about Christ?” If a straight answer that shows honor and love for Biblical Christ is what we hear, then there’s a pretty good chance that the other person is a real Christian. But if the person gives indirect answers and avoids dealing with the question, be very careful; for such a person may be trying to lead you into false teachings. Avoid these people! Test the spirit! 

You will know false teachers by their fruit (the patterns of their lives).

But most important of all: Get to know the real Jesus.

Soak your mind and spirit with Jesus and His Word until you're so familiar with it,

that you can instantaneously know if the spirit is from God or not.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus is Testing Your Faith (Trust the Impossible to Him)

“After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration). Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, ‘Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?’ He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do”
(John 6:1-6, NLT).

Jesus didn’t seem to be bothered about the pressure of the crowd (Luke 9:11 says, “He welcomed them”), his workload, and the hours consumed by teaching and healing. Understandably the disciples asked Jesus to stop, to send the crowd away (see Luke 9:12). They may have been genuinely concerned for the people – at least that’s what they expressed. On the other hand, they may have been tired, wanting to resume their close fellowship with just Jesus. Still, they did not see the crowd as Jesus did.

Philip would have known where to get food, if anyone had, because he was from Bethsaida (John 1:44), a town about nine miles away from where they were. Jesus was testing Philip to strengthen his faith. By asking for a human solution (knowing that there was none), Jesus highlighted the powerful and miraculous act he was about to perform. As in other tests, God allowed the test to occur, not expecting failure, but placing the person in a situation in which his or her faith might grow stronger. Jesus did not want Philip and the others to miss what was about to do.

So Jesus tested them all. Jesus knew the people were hungry; he knew the disciples’ resources were scarce and that they were far from any places for buying bread, even if they had the money. Did Philip and the others believe Jesus could actually feed all these people? Did they believe he could solve this problem? Or did they believe only in what they could see and touch – the physical realities of their situation? After administering the test, Jesus gave the answers (read on to John 6:7-13).

Think about this: We can limit what God does in us by assuming what is and what is not possible. Remember who Jesus is, his power and resources. Ask the Lord to help you trust him with every area of your life, even with financial, studies, relationships, tasks, or problems that seem impossible. Through all of these, Jesus wants to show his goodness and greatness. Trust the impossible to Jesus. Let your faith be increase and strengthen. May in all things, King Jesus be glorified. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.