Sue J Love
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- Mar 27, 2015
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Before I get into this passage of Scripture, I want to encourage all who are reading this to please take the time to read all of 1 John so that you read this section in the appropriate context. For context is critical to correct biblical interpretation, as well as we must be guided by the Holy Spirit.
“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. 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. 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. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 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.” (1 John 4:1-6 ESV)
Now, in order for us to properly test these spirits, to see whether or not they are from God, we have to have the right measurements, and this section of Scripture, in the English language, is not a sufficient measurement alone to get an accurate and biblical assessment. So we need to read this in context.
For one, the word translated here as “confesses” is the Greek word homologéō, and it means to speak to the same conclusion, to agree, to align with (endorse). So if we confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, we are doing so in complete agreement and alignment with God, that when Jesus Christ lived on the earth that he was both fully man and fully God (God incarnate, in the flesh). But this goes much deeper than a mere verbal consent or acknowledgment of Jesus as the Christ, who was God incarnate.
Beginning with 1 John 1:6-7 it says, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” And in 1 John 2:3-5 it says, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.”
So, what is that teaching us? Words can be cheap, right? It is not enough to just mouth words of confession, but those words have to be backed up with our actions. So if we truly believe that Jesus is the Christ, who was God in the flesh when he lived on the earth, and who is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and this confession is in harmony, in agreement, and in alignment with God, then we will be people of God who will bow the knee to Jesus as Lord and Master of our lives.
We will not be people who will be continuing to live in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, without conscience, and without genuine repentance (a change of direction). And we will not be people who will feel as though we don’t have to obey the Lord’s commandments but that God is still going to accept us into his heavenly kingdom because we mouthed the right words. But we will honor Christ as Lord by how we live in submission to him and in surrender of our lives to him to do his will and his purpose for our lives.
And how will we know and recognize who or what is antichrist? By comparing what is being taught and put into practice in the name of Christianity, and in the name of Jesus Christ, against the teachings of the Scriptures taught IN CONTEXT. For many liars are spreading lies about Jesus and about his gospel message by teaching Scriptures out of context and perverting them to make them say what they do not say if taught in the appropriate context. So lip service only is not a sure test of anything.
So just because someone calls himself (or herself) a Christian, it does not necessitate that person is of genuine faith in Jesus Christ. So we have to search the Scriptures to learn what the marks of true believers in Christ are. And they are that we are those who have died (and who are dying daily) to sin and who are walking in obedience to the Lord in holy living, in practice. That does not make us perfect, but we should not be those who are deliberately and habitually sinning and not practicing obedience to God.
So calling oneself a Christian does not mean that one is a Christian by biblical standards. We have many ungodly and worldly people here in America, anyway, claiming to be Christians but who are not, but who use the title of “Christian”, perhaps, as a means to influence others, and perhaps to take advantage of them, too, like “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” And they are in our government and in the institutional church serving in positions of power and influence and rule over the people. And many trust them fully.
So test them all! Don’t go by just what they say, but by what they do. Test their words and their actions against the teachings in the Scriptures with regard to what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ. Some of their teachings and philosophies are opposed to the teachings of Christ and of his NT apostles, and they are opposed to the biblical doctrine of salvation and to the necessity of obedience to our Lord’s commands in holy living. And many are teaching you can live in deliberate sin and still go to heaven. Not true!
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Create in Me a Clean Heart
By Keith Green
Based off Psalms 51
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
Caution: This link may contain ads
“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. 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. 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. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 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.” (1 John 4:1-6 ESV)
Now, in order for us to properly test these spirits, to see whether or not they are from God, we have to have the right measurements, and this section of Scripture, in the English language, is not a sufficient measurement alone to get an accurate and biblical assessment. So we need to read this in context.
For one, the word translated here as “confesses” is the Greek word homologéō, and it means to speak to the same conclusion, to agree, to align with (endorse). So if we confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, we are doing so in complete agreement and alignment with God, that when Jesus Christ lived on the earth that he was both fully man and fully God (God incarnate, in the flesh). But this goes much deeper than a mere verbal consent or acknowledgment of Jesus as the Christ, who was God incarnate.
Beginning with 1 John 1:6-7 it says, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” And in 1 John 2:3-5 it says, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.”
So, what is that teaching us? Words can be cheap, right? It is not enough to just mouth words of confession, but those words have to be backed up with our actions. So if we truly believe that Jesus is the Christ, who was God in the flesh when he lived on the earth, and who is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and this confession is in harmony, in agreement, and in alignment with God, then we will be people of God who will bow the knee to Jesus as Lord and Master of our lives.
We will not be people who will be continuing to live in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, without conscience, and without genuine repentance (a change of direction). And we will not be people who will feel as though we don’t have to obey the Lord’s commandments but that God is still going to accept us into his heavenly kingdom because we mouthed the right words. But we will honor Christ as Lord by how we live in submission to him and in surrender of our lives to him to do his will and his purpose for our lives.
And how will we know and recognize who or what is antichrist? By comparing what is being taught and put into practice in the name of Christianity, and in the name of Jesus Christ, against the teachings of the Scriptures taught IN CONTEXT. For many liars are spreading lies about Jesus and about his gospel message by teaching Scriptures out of context and perverting them to make them say what they do not say if taught in the appropriate context. So lip service only is not a sure test of anything.
So just because someone calls himself (or herself) a Christian, it does not necessitate that person is of genuine faith in Jesus Christ. So we have to search the Scriptures to learn what the marks of true believers in Christ are. And they are that we are those who have died (and who are dying daily) to sin and who are walking in obedience to the Lord in holy living, in practice. That does not make us perfect, but we should not be those who are deliberately and habitually sinning and not practicing obedience to God.
So calling oneself a Christian does not mean that one is a Christian by biblical standards. We have many ungodly and worldly people here in America, anyway, claiming to be Christians but who are not, but who use the title of “Christian”, perhaps, as a means to influence others, and perhaps to take advantage of them, too, like “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” And they are in our government and in the institutional church serving in positions of power and influence and rule over the people. And many trust them fully.
So test them all! Don’t go by just what they say, but by what they do. Test their words and their actions against the teachings in the Scriptures with regard to what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ. Some of their teachings and philosophies are opposed to the teachings of Christ and of his NT apostles, and they are opposed to the biblical doctrine of salvation and to the necessity of obedience to our Lord’s commands in holy living. And many are teaching you can live in deliberate sin and still go to heaven. Not true!
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Create in Me a Clean Heart
By Keith Green
Based off Psalms 51
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
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