1 John 4:1-3
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits in order to see whether it is from God;
because 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 the Jesus is not from God.
Indeed, this is the spirit of the antichrist,
of which you have heard that it is coming,
and is now already in the world.
Introduction
Our text this morning continues our study of John’s first Epistle
Now remember, the Apostle John is writing to a group of churches under his care in order to counter the threat of false teachers who are troubling his flock.
Not only that, remember the false teachers who are troubling John’s flock are doing so by their living as well as by their teaching. That is, in addition to denying Christ, they claim that it does not matter how you live in the body or the way that you treat other people. Instead, for them salvation is a purely inward spiritual matter.
Therefore, in the previous section of his letter John showed us the way that we are to respond to the world’s false teachers and their teachings. John says that we are to abide in (remain faithful to) the Gospel and we are to love one another.
In our text this morning John opens the next section of his letter by reminding us that our response to the world’s false teachers requires an ever vigilant testing and discernment.
Verse 1
Notice at once, John instructs us not to believe (or take at face value) every spirit. In other words, John says that a key component of abiding in and faithfully walking with Christ involves the believer not being carless, naive, or gullible. Instead, John says we are to test, scrutinize, and examine every spiritual/religious teaching and claim. Notice then who John says we are to test before believing. John says we are to test every spirit. However, please note: John is not talking about testing phantoms in the night, or angles that appear to you, or demons that trouble you (granted what John says here will work in each of those cases. But that is not John’s focus here). Instead, John is specifically calling us to test men. That is, John is calling us to test every spiritual teacher and every spiritual teaching before believing or accepting its claims. Notice then verse 1 confirms our reading: How? Verse 1 does not warn us that ghosts and phantoms have gone out into the world. Instead, verse 1 tells us that we are to be vigilant because false teachers and false prophets have gone out into the world. However, please note: if this is what John means then why not just say test every teacher and would-be prophet? Why go round-about and call them spirits? The reason is this: John calls them spirits in order to draw our attention to the real root and spiritual backing behind all such claims. That is, by instructing us to test every spirit, John reminds us that behind each and every claim about God is a spiritual source, backing, and allegiance. It is either the Holy Spirit or a demonic spirit of deception. Therefore, verse 1 calls us to identify root of any claim/teaching before believing it. Notice then the singular point of our scrutiny: John says we are to test every spirit in order to determine if it is from God FN#1.
Verse 2
Next, notice John says, by this you know the Spirit of God. In other words, if verse 1 told us that we are to test every spirit, then verse 2 tells us how to go about conducting that test. Notice then how we can know for certain that a teaching is from the Holy Spirit FN#2. John says that every spirit (that is every teacher and teaching) who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is from God. Importance: at its root the Greek word that John uses here for “confess” means to say the same thing about something as another (in this case God). In other words, the one who is from God, who is sealed by the Spirit and who testifies by way of the Spirit will say the same thing about Jesus as the Holy Spirit does in His Word FN#3. Notice then what the Spirit together with all those who are from God say about Jesus: they testify that He is the Messiah, God sent by God who has come in flesh (i.e. the fullness of human nature) to redeem man FN#4. Notice the result: the proclamation that Jesus is God the Messiah, that He has come in the flesh, and that He is the only Savior given by God to man is God’s own testimony about His Son. Therefore, it is the means by which we know definitively all who are from God FN5.
Verse 3
Next, notice John shows us the inverse test. That is, John shows us how to identify every spiritual claim/teaching that is not from God. John says every spirit that does not confess (that does not say the same thing about Jesus as God does) is clearly not from God FN#6. Instead, notice their spiritual source and allegiance: John says this is the spirit of the antichrist. In other words, the same darkness that will send the antichrist at the end of times is at work in and through them as well. As such, they have the same spiritual source and carry forward the same dark agenda that the Antichrist will bring forth in full. Importance: remember the Antichrist will come at the end of times to discredit the Gospel, deceive the world, and offer an alternate version of God and salvation, which will lead man to misery and eternal doom. John says this is the very allegiance and ultimate objective of all who deny or alter God’s testimony about Christ.
Next, notice John says that God’s people have heard that the spirit of the antichrist is coming into the world. However, please note: John is not talking about the final Antichrist who will come at the end of the age. Instead, John is talking about the spirit of the antichrist. That is, John is talking about the false prophets and teachers who serve the same agenda and are agents of the same deception. Not only that, notice John says that His flock has heard that they will be coming at any moment FN#7. That is, John reminds his readers (then and now) that Scripture, Jesus, and the Apostles have all taught that Satin will respond at once to the Gospel by attempting to flood the world with false anti-Christian teaching. Notice then the point: as John calls his flock to be vigilant, he reminds them that they have been taught all along to expect these false teachers to arise. Finally, John says that they have also heard that these false teachers are now already in the world. Notice then the point: John alerts his flock that what they are currently experiencing with the false teachers of their day is exactly what they have been warned about all along. Why? John does not want his readers (then or now) to be surprised or caught off guard by darkness and opposition. Instead he wants us to be ready FN#8.
Bottom line: John reminds me that a large part of what is required to abide in Christ and faithfully follow Him involves a vigilant testing and scrutiny of all spiritual claims. That which says the same thing about Jesus as God does is from God. That which denies or alters Jesus is not from God nor will it ever lead you to God. Therefore, you are to know the source before you believe and embrace.
Footnotes
1] Importance: notice at once the wisdom of John’s focus: Guru Dave may indeed be a peaceful person; Pastor Randy might be a great guy and so involved in the community. However, John moves our assessment off of the likability of the messenger and puts it squarely on the source and content of the message.
2] Importance: remember it is the Holy Spirit’s role in the work of the Godhead to disclose God’s Word, work, and presence. Think about it: it is the Spirit who gave utterance to the prophets; it is the Spirit who anointed Christ’s earthly ministry thereby certifying that He was God’s true Messiah; and it is the Spirit who has breathed out God’s Word thus preserving God’s definitive self-revelation for man. Notice then in contrast to the many spirits and many claims in verse 1, the singular source of all truth about God is God.
3] We can add to this: all who belong to God will say the same thing about Jesus as the Holy Spirit has said in His Word and in His collaboration of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Question: what do we mean by the Spirit’s corroboration of Jesus’ earthly ministry? Remember the title Christ/Messiah means the Anointed One and thus points to the one who is anointed by the Holy Spirit thereby confirming/certifying that He is the promised one from God. Thus the Holy Spirit’s anointing and role in Jesus’ earthly ministry along with the Scripture that the Spirit has breathed out all testify that Jesus is the Messiah, God sent by God as man to redeem man. Notice then those who are from God will say the same thing about Jesus as the Holy Spirit has said both by His anointing and in His Word.
Luke 4:17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Jesus. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are downtrodden…..21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
One final point: remember the Spirit’s testimony/anointing of Christ’s earthly ministry is preserved for us by the Spirit in His Word. Simply put what the Spirit’s anointing verified has been inscribed in the Spirit’s Word.
4] Notice then the vital importance of both aspects of this testimony: unless Jesus has come in the flesh and is fully human, His sacrifice has no relevance to us. Jesus must be man to fulfill for man all that God requires of man. In turn, unless Jesus is fully God His sacrifice has no value for us. Jesus must be fully God to offer a sacrifice of infinite value for all the sins of all who believe.
5] Notice the polemic/correction: remember the false teachers in John’s day (like those today) deny Christ. For them a god in the flesh is an utter contradiction and impossibility. God is spiritual and is opposed to, offers escape from, and is contrary to all things corporal. By contrast the God of Scripture created finite material as well as the finite spiritual aspects of this world. They are both equally from Him, equally marred by the fall, and equally reclaimed by redemption. Thus Jesus comes to His creation as man that He might fulfill for man all that God requires of man.
Notice the result: it is clear that the false teachers confronting John’s flock deny that God’s Messiah will come in the flesh or that salvation could ever be accomplished by flesh (flesh and material are the very things from which their version of salvation provides escape). Thus, they deny that Jesus is God’s Messiah and that the Church’s claim about salvation is legitimate. Instead, for them God’s Messiah will be a purely spiritual entity who will offer escape from the confines of material life. Thus, for them, the true Jesus/messiah/salvation is apprehended through spiritual enlightenment which they alone know in its purified form.
6] Note the Greek actually reads: every spirit that does not confess the Jesus is not from God. Importance: this is the only case in the whole New Testament where the name Jesus is accompanied by the definite article (proper nouns are definite by nature and thus do not require the article). By contrast, throughout Scripture we see the article used with with the Son, the Christ, the Spirit, the God; but besides I John 4:3 we never see the Jesus. Importance: John’s unconventional construction immediately draws attention to and underscores the emphatic nature of the point he is making. John uses the article to underscore the singularity of the Jesus of Scripture as well as the definitive/essential nature of what we say about Him. There is no other savior, there is no other way to the Father, there is no other truth about God but this Jesus, who is alone is eternal God in the flesh; who alone is God sent by God as the only savior of man. As such, it is the Jesus of Scripture who is the singular focus of our faith and confession; it is not others who claim to be Jesus, or who claim to know the real spiritual Jesus, or who have their own version of who they think Jesus is. God has made God know. Therefore we are to say the same thing about His Son, the one and only Jesus of Scripture, as God does.
Correction: there are actually several occurrence of the definite article being used with the name Jesus (ὁ Ἰησοῦς occurs in some 279 verses). Likewise, the article is commonly used in Greek with proper nouns when the person is well known, thus specifying that it is this particular person in view (e.g. the John, Matt 3:4). However, none of this changes John’s use of this construction to emphasize that the singularity of our concern is with the Jesus of Scripture (even if it is not a rare construction).
7] Importance: the verb that John uses here “is coming” is a less common Futuristic Present. The futuristic present speaks of a future event as if it were already happening. As such, it underscores the imminent, at hand nature of the event being discussed. In other words, the very grammar that John uses here further underscores the fact that John is not talking about the far off arrival of the final Antichrist who is to come at the end of the age. Instead, John is talking about the many false teachers who will arise immediately (and continue through history) to try and distort the Gospel.
In the end, John’s point is to remind his flock that they have been taught all along to expect these false teacher. Thus, false teachers, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and tears among the wheat will come and try to discredit the Gospel and deceive the world. (e.g. Matt 7:15; Acts 20:29; II Tim 4:3).
8] Verses 1-3 remind me that there is no benign, harmless, or neutral spirituality. Instead, it either serves Christ and seeks man’s salvation; or it denies/alters Christ and work for man’s ruin.