Series: Things That Accompany Salvation
Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Message 11: Sixteen Signs of a True Believer (Part VII)
(2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Jn. 4:1-6)
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
• “Examine” - peirazo = to test, to scrutinize.
• We are to examine our faith.
• But with what are we to test it?
• We are to examine ourselves by the revealed word of God.
• 28 times in 23 verses John tells us that we can “KNOW” that we are saved!
• We cannot afford to ignore what John, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is telling us!
• There is the danger that we may be “reprobates.”
“reprobate” - to be tested by God and rejected as unapproved, found to be worthless and cast away.
ILLUS: These are the gauges on the dash of your life!
NOTE: These tests are not for you to judge your fellow church member’s salvation. They are to be applied by each person to himself!
REVIEW: Thus far, we have considered:
1. The Companionship Test: Do I demonstrate that I love the fellowship of the Father, the Son and the Saints?
2. The Comfort Test: Am I sensitive to sin?
3. The Cleansing Test: Have I experienced and accepted the forgiveness of God?
4. The Commandments Test: Am I keeping God’s commandments?
5. The Conformity Test: Does my life conform to the will of God?
6. The Conduct Test: Am I doing rightousness?
7. The Coming Test: Am I showing that I am looking forward to the coming of Christ by living in such a way that I would not be embarrassed by His coming? “He that hath this hope ... purifieth himself.”
8. The Conquering Test: Am I winning the battle over habitual sin?
9. The Charity Test: Am I demonstrating by my actions and attitude a genuine love for my brothers and sisters in Christ?
10. The Conscience Test: Am I free from the plague of moral guilt?
11. The Communication Test: Have I experienced true answers to prayer?
12. The Counselor Test: Do I show evidence that the Holy Spirit is present in my life?
• TODAY: Sign # 12: The Compatibility Test (4:1-6)
• Have I heard the Word of God in the Messages of Men?
• Or, Am I able to discern between true and false teachers?
Introduction:
• The mention of the Holy Spirit in 3:24 prompts John to inform his readers that those other spirits exist.
• There are demonic spirits, who produce false prophets and false teachers to propagate their false doctrine (see notes on 1 Tim. 4:1,2) MacArthur, J. J.
• Paul warned of this:
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
• From the very beginning, in the garden of Eden, Satan twists divine truth.
• He is the source and inspiration for every false teacher and every false doctrine.
• Today, we will learn what John, under inspirations, tells us to do that we might test the teachers.
I. The Caution (1 John 4:1)
1 John 4:1-6 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
A. John’s Commands (1A&B)
1. A Call to Be Suspicious (1A)
“Beloved, believe not every spirit”
• It can be a hard thing to tell someone that you do not believe them.
• Essentially, you must accuse them of suffering from delusion, dementia or dishonesty.
• From childhood, we have been taught to believe those that take a Bible and teach us.
• John says, that may not be wise.
• I sometimes get strange looks when I point out the errors of men or denominations!
• So be it. I will follow John’s advice, not man’s!
ILLUS: The United Methodist Church and Homosexuality
United Methodist Church (UMC) - Rev. Edward Johnson, pastor of South Hill United Methodist Church in Virginia, was placed on a year-long leave of absence by his UMC district superintendent. His ecclesiastical crime? He refused to allow a non-repentant homosexual into church membership.
Johnson's district superintendent, the Rev. William Layman, had twice ordered Johnson to accept the homosexual man into membership. Layman acted with approval from the head of the Virginia Annual Conference, Bishop Charlene Kammerer.
When the pastor refused, he was removed from his position without salary. Johnson, who has been in the pastorate for 24 years, had pastored at South Hill for six years.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Irene Stroud, who had lost her credentials last December following an ecclesiastical trial over her admission that she was in a committed lesbian relationship, will have a new day in court. In April, a UMC appellate court reinstated her ministry credentials after overturning her conviction on an 8-1 vote.
That case will top the docket of the UMC's supreme court, according to United Methodist News Service. http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/1356084.html
• Certainly we should not sit in judgment of our brethren.
• We are admonished to deal with the plank in our own eye before worrying about the splinter that is in our brother’s eye!
• But when it comes to teachers, there is a different standard proposed here!
• A true teacher from God will not mind the student verifying his teaching!
• If the apostle Paul did not mind, then surely I should not be bothered if someone says, “Let me think on that.”
Acts 17:10-12 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
• Note that taking time to verify Paul’s teaching did not prevent souls being saved!
• We must examine men’s teaching by God’s teaching – the Bible!
2. A Call to Scrutinize (1B)
Scrutinize - To examine closely and thoroughly. To take a long hard look at.
“but try the spirits whether they are of God”
“try” = “dokimazo - to put to the test. This is a term used in the test of metals and their purity.
• Elsewhere in the AV, the verb here is translated as “prove, approve, discern, examine.”
• This is the only time in the Bible that the apostle John used this word.
• Listen to a sample tour of this word in the NT:
Luke 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Luke 14:19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
1 Thess 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
1 Tim 3:10 And let these also first be proved ; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
1 Thess 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Cor 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
• So how do we scrutinize religious teachers?
• We could look at their life.
• We could look at the same tests for salvation that we have been studying in 1 John.
• But John does not leave us to guess.
• In just a moment, we will look at the three criterion that John gives for testing a religious teacher.
B. John’s Concern (1C)
“because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
• John is not over-reacting!
• He knows that whereof he speaks.
• Jesus Himself had warned that such would come.
Matt 24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
1. Their Enumeration - Many
• In every town, you will find one.
• It is not an occasional threat.
• False prophets are in all likelihood, the majority.
2. Their Designation - False Prophets
• Like a true prophet, they claim to have a revelation from God.
• Unlike God’s prophets, these prophesy falsely.
• In just a moment, we will see their error.
3. Their Propagation - they are “gone out” into the world
QUOTE: A lie can run around the world twice while the truth is getting it’s shoes on!
II. The Criteria (1 John 4:2-6)
A. A Confession of the Word (Christ)
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1. True Teachers Declare the Incarnation
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
• We must confess the deity of Christ - Jesus Christ is come.
• We must confess the humanity of Christ - is come in the flesh.
• This is what we celebrate at Christmas.
• It is not just that we admit that Jesus was born.
• No, we confess that Jesus Christ is come!
2. False Teachers Deny the Incarnation
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
QUOTE: A particularly widespread false teaching, later called Docetism (from a Greek work meaning "to seem"), held that Jesus was actually a spirit who only appeared to have a body. In reality he cast no shadow and left no footprints; he was God, but not man. Another heretical teaching, related to Gnosticism (from a Greek word meaning "knowledge"), held that all physical matter was evil, the spirit was good, and only the intellectually enlightened could enjoy the benefits of religion. Both groups found it hard to believe in a Savior who was fully human. — Life Application Bible Notes
• Notice the use of the term spirits.
• John has just warned of false prophets.
• Now he tells us that “spirits” will confess.
• The discerning believer will recognize the spirit behind the statement.
ILLUS: I wonder about those that would oppose every step of growth in our church. What spirit is at work?
• The same spirit that will inhabit THE Antichrist is at work in all those who oppose Christ.
• As in 2 Thes. 2, the AntiChrist is yet to come, but the mystery of iniquity is already at work!
B. A Conquering of the World
• One of the tests of a false teacher is to watch how the world responds.
• The media will be kind to men such as Robert Schuler, as they were to Norman Vincent Peale, etc.
• But they will do everything possible to harass and silence a true teacher.
1. True Believers are Victorious over False Teachers
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
• True believers must be made AWARE of false teachers.
• But they do not need to be AFRAID of false teachers.
• Yes, these teachers are active.
• But nothing can take us out of the Lord’s hand!
ILLUS: Something within the true believer, will bear witness to what is being said by the true preacher. That is the Holy Spirit!
2. False Believer’s are Victims of False Teachers
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
• All you need to do is turn on the local religious television station.
• Huge facilities are converted into worship centers.
• And they are filled.
• But they are empty of truth!
ILLUS: If I wanted our church to grow at all costs, I know how to do it. Stop preaching against sin. Demand no standards for membership. Turn the morning worship into a party of loud music with driving beat. Be silent about the compelling sins of society. Put up colorful lighting and stage props. The church would fill up overnight! But it would be empty of everything that we know makes up a true NT church!
ILLUS: Psychic lines.
C. A Compatibility with the Witness
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
• In the previous test, we looked at how the world responds to the teacher.
• In this test, we look at how the Christian responds to the teacher.
• The reality is this: when a true preacher speaks, his message will ring true in the hearts of Spirit-filled Christians!
• John’s message is BOLD! We know that we ARE of God!
CONCLUSION:
• At times, I feel sorry for those who must listen to me.
• When I go to another church, and hear a preacher preach, I am aware of his curious facial expressions, odd manners, strange expressions, poor grammar, etc.
ILLUS: I have a hard time selecting a Bible on Cassette or CD. (Zorsky) I have a hard time listening to commercials and news commentators. So I understand if you have a hard time with my habits, manners and expressions.
• I have served under pastors with whom I had a wonderful relationship and I have also served where there was stress in the relationship.
• I have listened to men hack, and I have listened to them in a monotonous whisper.
• I have watched some stand in stately fashion, well dressed and polished.
• I have had others to throw off their coat, run around the church and sweat like race horse.
• But all in all, I will tell you that I have never failed to hear the message of God in the message of men!
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
ILLUS: Dr. Sightler, even as KJV issues raged on, I loved to watch the brother take a text and, even as an old man, preach the dickens out of it! I sat in the choir and watched him lean over that pulpit and kick up his back leg and preach up a storm!!! Is it any wonder that Tabernacle has sent out more missionaries to the field than any church I know of. My differences with Dr. Sightler did not diminish my love for that brother, nor did it hinder me from having my soul fed by God while he preached. God bless his memory!
ONE FINAL WORD
• In both the Old and New Testaments, the standard was always conformity to the Word.
• True teachers will line up.
• False teachers will deny, change or twist the Word.
