In God's Word: Test the Spirits

August 5, 2019 - Every day all people are bombarded with all manner of evil. Much of which is disguised as being the word of God, brought to all by the self-professed champions of light and preachers of the gospel.

Yet, the Bible tells us about those who would deceive and draw away from the true gospel.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone into the world.” (1 John 4:1)
 
The apostle Paul cautions us at length about this as well as John the Beloved, both letting us know that we are not to blindly follow the teachings of man without first testing to see that it is truth and not deception.

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

Because of the doubts of people, because of their failure to trust, by faith, in the power of Christ Jesus as Lord these false teachers and false preachers are able to draw man away from the truth of the gospel, that Jesus Christ died on a cross for the sin of all people and that he now offers the free gift of salvation from sin to all who will simply trust in him. 

And so Paul being a very learned man realized the difficulty many would have in believing the gospel message, the message of the cross. And he even said of the gospel; “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.” 1 Corinthians 1:18) 

And so he preached to those of the church at Corinth of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)

And I, when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. (Of which Paul was fully capable for he was highly educated) “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) 

And the words of John the beloved echo the words of Paul when he says; 

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation (an atoning sacrifice) for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) 

WOW!!! How beautiful is that, love is that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to die for the sin of all people. There is no love greater than giving one’s own life for others.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:11-12)

May all whom I meet each day see in me, through my life, the goodness, love, grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and may the Holy Spirit of God convict them of their sinful ways and may they accept Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior. Amen…