Test the spirits to see whether they are from God!

One of the things that amazes me about God’s creation is the inherent ability of a calf to find its mother. This wonder of creation especially hits me when looking at a field of Red Angus, Black Angus or Charolais because all the cows look exactly alike and they all sound exactly alike. Yet, each calf that look just like the other one hundred calves was able to find its mother who looked exactly like the other one hundred cows. I do suppose if I spoke ‘cow’ that there would be a difference between all the mooing to explain this wonder. It is easier for me to understand how kids find their moms because I can hear the difference between mothers. Kids are wary of a voice claiming to be their mother that does not sound like their mother.

Throughout history there have been voices claiming to speak the truth about God but using the wrong words to describe him. One example is a man named Arius who lived in the early fourth century. Arius was an elder at Alexandria in Egypt. He began teaching that Jesus was like God, but not God like the Father is God. He taught that God the Father had no beginning, while the Son did have a beginning, making him the first and greatest created being. This teaching also meant Arius denied the Trinity. These teachings went against the clear words of Scripture about who God is, so the early church leaders gathered in the Greek city of Nicea near the Black Sea and in modern Turkey to stop this false teaching. The church council that met there added phrases to the Apostles’ Creed to make it clear who Jesus is according to Scripture, some of which were “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.” The work of the men at Nicea is known as the Nicene Creed and is a summary of what the Bible reveals to us about God. The words of the Nicene Creed allow believers from different places to recognize one another as those who believe in the one true God.

God makes it clear in his Word that having a true understanding of him is vital. In John’s first letter, he made sure all who believe in God would keep themselves from false teachings about God writing, 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” God wants you to know that many of the message you hear about God come from false prophets. False prophets are a threat to your faith. Their false message will pull you away from faith in the true God to put your faith in something that does not exist. They will rob you of your home in heaven, eternal life and forgiveness of your sins, and leave you bound for death, hell and the anger of God for all eternity.

Your life depends on recognizing a spirit of falsehood. God gave John these words as an example to show what false teachings sound like, 2 “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.” One major red flag for false teachers is the denial that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary a fully human being. This is just one example, others would include teaching that our good works help save us, we must decide to follow Christ or in double predestination, that God had chosen some to be saved and chosen some to be condemned. You can listen to the message of a spiritual teacher to determine whether they are from the Spirit of God or from the devil and the unbelieving world.

You can also determine whether a spiritual teacher can be trusted by looking at who is listening to that spirit. John continued in his first letter, 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” Speaking to and observing the lives of the followers of any given pastor, religious leader or church allows you to see whether they are from God. If the followers live or approve of things the Bible teaches are sinful and are not repentant, then you must question their leader. All believers do still sin, but they admit their sins and acknowledge that they are evil, wrong, and deserving of punishment. They also trust only in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, forgiveness and free gift of righteousness to have eternal life in heaven. God wants you to know there are spirits of falsehood in your life every day so that you are on your guard against them. He has equipped you to recognize them by filling you with his Sprit of truth and by giving you his Word as the one and only standard by which to judge all teachers and teachings.

The basic truth that is under attack by false spirits is how God showed his love for you and the world. John wrote, 9 “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” The love of God is not an emotion expressed over and over with empty words. Instead, God’s love for you is constant activity that keeps you protected and preserved from deadly harm. God protects you with his angels, his Spirit living in you and his Word all to be used when the lies of the world and devil threaten you. God preserves you for his kingdom with the unchanging work done, accomplished, and finished by Jesus on the cross and at the empty tomb to give you life. John continued, 10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” It was not something God saw in you or your hard work to live a good life that keeps him loving you. You were lost to the world and falsehood, to sin and death, until Jesus stood in the path of God’s anger toward you. It is God’s love given out of mercy, undeserved and blind to your sins that has saved you. God loves you and his Spirit of truth who is in you in greater than the worldly spirits of falsehood. Continuing to believe and share this truth of Jesus is at the heart of what makes someone a Christian. In Acts 11, we read that 26 … “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” This was a true compliment and testament to their lives and message.

You are equipped to be a spirit of truth. God has filled you with his Spirit of truth to recognize falsehood and cling to what is right, but that does not mean you are to sit in judgment of those lost to falsehood and barricade yourself behind truth with the other believers as if waiting for God to come destroy the bad and save the good. You have been called to trust in the one true God and with that trust in him also comes his love. John wrote, 11 “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” We also heard in John 15 Jesus’ words, 17 “This is my command: Love each other.” As you recognize the difference between truth and falsehood, share and teach what you find with others. Love your fellow believers and rejoice in your Savior Jesus. Also, love the lost around you by telling them what Jesus has done for them. Tell them that you have the same problem of sin and you both need the same forgiveness from Jesus. Tell them that God loves them and heaven is open to them. Tell them to come and hear the good news here in worship, at our Bible Study’s and with pastor who will get them reading their Bibles, not just taking his word for it. Love one another by reminding and encouraging one other with the Word of God so that you can all recognize the voice of your Savior Jesus when he returns to take you home to heaven.

A calf finding its mom is one of the things that amazes me about God’s creation. However, there is nothing else in all creation that compares to the amazing wonder of God calling his children to faith, to recognize his voice, to turn away from the world and keep their eyes on their Savior Jesus. Brothers and sisters, test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Amen.