How To Know You’ll Stay
1 John 4:1-6
• We would like to believe that we are freed from the threat of Gnosticism because of John’s clear message and stand for the truth.
• However, Gnosticism has risen anew. Satan has no new tricks.
• Today we are going to focus on the spiritual world and the truth.
• C. S. Lewis said that the two common mistakes of Christianity is either the overemphasis of the spiritual world or the minimization of it.
• John tries to bring into balance this topic, but let me explain how it sneaks in unnoticed.
• One of the teachings of the Gnostics, particularly the Zoroastrianism, a Persian Gnostic religion, was that Satan became legal owner of the physical world.
• The Zoroastrians taught that there were two major gods, an evil one who ruled the physical world and a righteous one who ruled in the spiritual world.
• This is still taught today by a group of metaphysical, mystic evangelists, but in a different form.
• According to Michael Horton in “The Agony of Deceit”, states: “In such a philosophy the problem of evil is solved by blaming everything that goes wrong on the bad god (the devil); the good god is seen as no more than a counterbalance. One is left with the impression that the two gods each possess equal power both in quality and quantity. Everything that is wrong in the world is the fault of the bad god. And it's up to the initiate or believer to make sure the good god wins.”
• How is this brought current by the mystic evangelists of today?
• “When Jimmy Swaggart defied the orders of the Assemblies of God to refrain from preaching for one year (after it was revealed about his moral failure), he assured the public that he was free of moral defect, for, he said, Oral Roberts had cast out the demons from his body over the phone. Oral Roberts confirmed Swaggart's report, insisting he had demons and their their claws deeply embedded in Swaggart's flesh. Now that the rascals were gone, Swaggart and Roberts asserted, Swaggart could get on with preparing the way for Christ's return. Evidently, personal responsibility for sin can be dismissed by blaming it on an external force. Yet Flip Wilson's famous quip, "The devil made me do it" is hardly comedy when we're talking about the biblical view of sin.”
• The idea that is being proposed by these want-to-be Christian mystics is that, though a Christian cannot be possessed by an evil spirit, we can carry a curse, perhaps a family curse, or a curse from a demon we allowed into our lives at an earlier age.
• Because we don’t want to take responsibility for our personal sins this makes this falsehood seem appealing, and the hope for a “quick fix” for our habitual failures makes us vulnerable to this deception.
• As we proceed through this passage, do not let the discussion of demons, evil spirits and Satan intimidate you.
• Please focus as much attention on the position and protection of the believer.
• Before we begin, let me lay down some principles that we will be considering foundational to this study.
• If you have questions concerning any of these, please write them on the “Questions and Future Topics” forms.
• I am not trying to avoid these questions, but we will be covering so much, I am afraid I will only partially answer these questions and further confuse the issues unless we present them with preparation.
• 1) For me to sin, I must be deceived.
• 2) For me to sin, I must resist the grace of God.
• 3) God has given me everything in this life I need to live victoriously.
• 4) Satan has no access to my spirit and his attacks must come from the external.
• 5) No curses or demons can be carried past the Cross of Jesus. Only my mind can carry sin into my Christian life.
• 6) Therefore, I am responsible for my sins and cannot blame them on the devil.
• 7) Still, Christ alone is responsible for my victories and must receive all the glory (credit).
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
• It is clear that there are spirits that claim to be from God but cannot be believed.
• Some commentaries suggest that there is a spirit attached to every false doctrine or teaching.
• This ties the false spirits to the false prophets.
• It also indicates that false spirits are lying. They profess to be what they are not; from God.
• Let me illustrate. Why are there so many Christian churches today?
• Because many lying spirits are believed by so many.
• 1Ti 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…”
• False religions come from demons.
• 1Co 10:19-20 “What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.”
• Idolatry is actually demon worship, not worship of stone, wood and jewels.
• It seems so difficult to be theologically pure. There are so many “so-called” doctrines that sound right, feel right, and claim to be right.
• 2Co_11:14 “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
• Yet we are warned again, “do not believe every spirit.” Do not believe every so-called Christian belief.
• Mat 24:4-25 “And Jesus answered them, ‘See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.’’
• How many will they lead astray? It says “many”. Who is at risk? All of us.
• How shall we defend ourselves? “…test the spirits to see whether they are from God...”
• Every claim of truth is to be tested.
• Consider this, who is offended by testing but him who cannot pass the test?
• I recently read to my wife, Laura, about a woman cult leader from the 1700’s, named Jemima Wilkinson from Cumberland, RI, who claimed she could walk on water.
• Raised a Quaker, this woman started her own religion.
• When pressed for a demonstration, she called upon her true followers.
• “Do you believe that I can really walk on water?”
• “Yes,” they cried to the top of their lungs.
• “You need no other evidence (than your faith),” she responded. (John H. Martin, Saints, Sinners and Reformers, 2005)
• She never did walk on water, by the way.
• She never taught her follower to “test the spirits”.
• The definition of a lie is “not the truth”. Therefore, there is no partial lie.
• The truth is absolute truth and all else is a lie.
1Jn 4:2-3 “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that 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.”
• There were those in the early Christian church who had the gift of “discerning spirits,” (Ref. 1 Cor. 12:10),
• …but it is not certain that the apostle refers here to any such supernatural power.
• It is apparent that the Apostle is referring to something to be done by all believers, based upon the doctrine of the preeminence of Jesus Christ.
• The doctrine of Jesus Christ is not to be tampered with.
• John identified the teachers with the spiritual world; an interesting concept.
• He indicates that anyone who teaches in religion or theology does so under the influence of some spirit.
• This concept raises the stakes for truth. No neutral ground.
• We either teach under the Spirit of God or some evil, deceptive devil.
• Every Sunday School Teacher teaches under the influence of the spiritual world.
• Every pastor preaches under the influence of the spiritual world.
• Every childrens church teacher teaches under the influence of the spiritual world.
• There is nothing as sobering as the realization of this truth. It is essential that we are under the control of the Holy Spirit.
• See, there is no such a thing as a gray-area spirit.
• We are either operating under the Spirit of God or under the control of a deceiving, lying, destroying devil.
• The Apostle recognized the influences of his day and the damage they were doing to the message of the Savior.
• They were teaching that Jesus was a spirit and not really flesh, for how could godliness wear the sinful flesh of humanity?
• John answered this lie specifically and forcefully. It was an attack on the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
• However, today there are other spirits of lies attacking the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
• They all attack some point of who Jesus said he was or an incomplete understanding of the work He did to purchase redemption for mankind.
• Who is Jesus? This is a non-negotiable in light of this and other passages.
• He is the eternal God, creator of the universe and sustainer of all things.
• He became flesh by being born of a virgin.
• He lived a perfect, sinless life.
• He was falsely tried and found guilty of trumped up charges.
• He was crucified and died while carrying the sins of the whole world.
• He rose again after three days, defeating death and sin.
• He now sits in His glory at the right hand of the Father.
• The sacrifice He made is all that is necessary for salvation once received by faith through the grace of God.
• And He is coming back at a time uncertain to us, but well-known to himself.
• There can be no compromise in these teachings.
• These are the tests of truth and the way to reveal the spirits of evil in teachings.
• Every Christian cult attacks and denies one or more of these uncompromising truths.
1Jn 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
• One Spirit of Truth and millions, possibly hundreds of millions, possibly billions of spirits of lies.
• The odds would appear to be against us.
• John wraps his arms around us and comforts us, as little children. “Don’t be afraid or worried.”
• You have the truth. You have the test. You are from God.
• With these truths, the doctrine of Jesus Christ, you are overcomers.
• Granted, we are surrounded by evil spirits.
• Though they cannot possess one of the saved, none of us could in our own strength overcome the weakest, wimpiest, smallest demon.
• But it is not about the fight in us or strength in us, but about the Savior in us.
• He has already defeated the enemy.
• We have that which overcomes the evil spirit world, and He who is in us is greater than all those outside of us.
• This also raises the stakes concerning allowing Christ to live through us.
• The alternative is too costly, too dangerous, and too defeating.
• It is imperative that we know the truth and teach the truth.
• It is just as imperative that live in dependence, daily, on Jesus Christ and allow His life to live through us.
• Have you considered the worth of a soul?
• Our souls are the only eternal part of us because of the spirit, and since the soul of man is eternal, it is beyond understandable value.
• Mat_16:26-27 “ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”
• Notice that the worth of the soul is tied to what a person has done.
• What we do affects others, and others are invaluable souls.
• I mention that mankind cannot grasp the true worth of a soul for this reason.
• Everyone we impact in this life is as valued by God as we are.
• Only God understands the worth of the eternal soul.
• When we are not allowing Christ to live through us, we are sending the wrong message to the souls around us, souls of infinite value.
• We either help each soul move closer to God, or by poor actions, allow them to slip further away.
• This is a serious matter.
• Someday our values will align with God’s values, and only then will we understand the cost of an idol word or deed.
• Mat 12:36-37 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
1Jn 4:5-6 “They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
• Oh, the glory of being a Child of God.
• These cults and false teachers are not of God. They are of the world so they speak of the world, to the world and from the world.
• This is why Joel Osteen is so successful. He appeals to those who desire the trimmings of this world.
• I realize that we have members who listen to and read after Mr. Osteen.
• I know some of his teachings are motivational and encouraging. However, they are carnal.
• God’s purpose is not to make your life easy, wealthy and healthy (what is often confused as “blessed”) in this world.
• Such teachings are “from the world” and are contrasted from those which are “from God.”
• I realize that my strong teaching is not going to be heard by some.
• “Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us.”
• How can I be so confident, or as some may say, “arrogant?”
• Because I believe and teach, as clearly as I can,
• Jesus is the eternal God, creator of the universe and sustainer of all things.
• He became flesh by being born of a virgin.
• He lived a perfect, sinless life.
• He was falsely tried and found guilty of trumped up charges.
• He was crucified and died while carrying the sins of the whole world.
• He rose again after three days, defeating death and sin.
• He now sits in His glory at the right hand of the Father.
• The sacrifice He made is all that is necessary for salvation once received by faith through the grace of God.
• And He is coming back at a time uncertain to us, but well-known to himself.
• “By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
• A.W. Tozer. “We have gotten accustomed to the blurred puffs of gray fog that pass for doctrine in churches and expect nothing better. From some previously unimpeachable sources are now coming vague statements consisting of a milky admixture of Scripture, science, and human sentiment that is true to none of its ingredients because each one works to cancel the others out. Little by little Christians these days are being brainwashed. One evidence is that increasing numbers of them are becoming ashamed to be found unequivocally on the side of truth. They say they believe, but their beliefs have been so diluted as to be impossible of clear definition. Moral power has always accompanied definite beliefs. Great saints have always been dogmatic. We need a return to a gentle dogmatism that smiles while it stands stubborn and firm on the Word of God that lives and abides forever. “
