Before I get to that though, a quick update. My interview in Dallas yesterday seemed to go pretty well. I'm interested in the job, but it would be a very different position for me. Essentially it is a consulting/sales position with no technical or accounting responsibilities at all. While that seems like a nice change of pace, it would definitely be a challenge as well. The job is a very goal-oriented, performance-based position. Along with goals and performance evaluation comes some pressure, so please pray for wisdom in the decision making process, along with grace and strength to accomplish any new challenges ahead. Right now I am strangely calm in the process and trusting in the Lord. He has led us with amazing clarity to this poing, and we are trusting that He will continue to do so. Cheryl is a tremendous encouragement in that regard. She seems to trust the Lord in a way that inspires me to do the same. We appreciate all of your prayers.
Now to I John. The passage that caught my attention the first time through is I John 4:1-6, "1Beloved, 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. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and 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. 4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6We 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."
This is certainly one of the most familiar passages in I John, and many people that are far more insightful than I have applied their expositional skills to it. I certainly don't expect to add any new insight to anything that has already been taught by faithful scholars on this passage. However, since we are in the age of mass proliferation of bad doctrine and false teachers on TV and radio and in local pulpits, I figure a little simple repetition of simple teaching in this passage surely cannot hurt.
The first thing that I would point out is that this passage is confronting two things that serve as a strong reminder for the church today as it did when John wrote. The first is stated directly and the danger is obvious. There are many false prophets that have gone out into the world, and their teaching is harmful. This is no less true today than it was back then. In fact, it may be more true today than it was back then. This will become more clear when we list the marks of the false prophet. The second thing that John is confronting is less obvious, but it is not less prevalent, and certainly not less dangerous. This is the lack of discernment in the church. John opens this passage with, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God." This is an excellent reminder for the church today that the mature Christian is the Christian that is full of grace and truth. Personally, I think that it is a natural tendency for Christians to slide into the "all grace" mode. We all want to be more loving and more accepting and more kind and more gracious. But we must strive for the place in our lives where we can be gracious in our demeanor so that we can accurately reflect the kindness of the Lord, but never do that in such a way that we compromise the truth. The simple fact of the matter is that we cannot believe every spirit. Just because it is taught on a "Christian" program, or in a church, or sold in a "Christian" bookstore, doesn't mean that we have to accept it all. In fact, John seems to be so practical in this passage as to say that if we do accept it all, we are the ones in error.
All Christians need to be careful that we avoid the subtle drift into the "all grace" mode, and thereby accept erroneous teaching. In order to do that we need to ask ourselves at least six questions (there may be more, but these are a good starting point). Cheryl says my blogs are too long, so I'll take the first three today, and come back another time with the next three.
1) Do they confess Christ? v. 2
- This is the first and most important question to ask when evaluating any teaching. I know it seems like a no-brainer, but the sad fact of the matter is that things that are this obvious are often the first things that we take for granted. I just watched a movie that I was very much looking forward to watching because it was supposed to be a Christian movie based on historical facts and characters. The movie was okay, I suppose, and some might think me harsh for criticizing it, but the most glaring thing that stood out to me about the watered-down retelling of the powerful affect that Christ can have on a life is the fact that it NEVER mentioned Christ! I think that this would sicken the actual historical figures if they were to see their lives depicted in a strictly moral and sanitized retelling while removing the saving influence of Jesus Christ. John says that this is the first thing that we should notice, but if you read the Christian movie reviews, they never mention that the name of Jesus Christ is entirely omitted.
- I don't mean to pound the pulpit here over a movie when the point is much larger. The absolute number one goal of every Christian's life should be to get the name of Jesus Christ to the forefront as often as possible. We didn't "find God" or "get religion". Jesus Christ saved us. We are not about taking moral stands or fighting social injustice (though a natural outflow of the grace of God in our lives should be increased goodness and kindness as the fruit of the spirit). We were creatures of wrath, saved by a man named Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, who stood in our place and took the punishment for our sins on an actual cross so that we might have a right standing before an all-holy God and live with Him in eternity. Any retelling of our own lives that leaves this fact out should make us sick. Any teaching that leaves this out should make us pause with great caution. Do you confess Jesus Christ in your life? Do you name the Name that is above any other? Do the teachers that you follow talk more psychology, self-help, self-improvement, or personal success than about the shame and rejection of the cross of Christ? All other teaching must flow in an obvious and blatant way from this core. Any teaching that doesn't has stooped to the level of motivational speech while leaving out the greatest source of motivation--the saving, amazing grace of Jesus Christ.
- John says, "every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." There are great doctrines that have developed from this verse, but I will leave those for the more articulate minds than mine. What strikes me about this statement is the fact that John is writing this letter no more than 60 years after the death of Christ, and already the historical veracity of Christ has come into question. Now we are 2,000 years after he lived, and the questions have intensified exponentially. What is amazing about this is how consistently John argues for historical certainty in this letter and in the Gospel account. Over and over John stresses the validity of the eye witness account. Over and over he shows that the miracles that Jesus performed were confirmations of the fact that Jesus was fully God and fully man. Two times a voice from Heaven was audible so that there would be no doubt as to who Jesus was and where He came from. Never doubt that, and never believe any teacher that does.
- John says plainly that one of the clearest marks of the Christian is that they have overcome the world. An excellent cross-reference for what it means to overcome the world comes from this same letter in 2:15-17, "15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
- Desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes and pride in possessions. That's the byline for the American dream. So much so that we have embraced it when "Christian" teachers appeal to these things with their teaching. Unfortunately, it is also the byline to the sinful nature. If you allow your sinful nature to be fed by false teaching that is entertaining and charismatic you are in great danger of losing sight of your own sin. When you lose sight of your own sin, losing sight of the Savior is soon to follow.
- Listen to Paul's words to Pastor Titus (Titus 2:12-15), "11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority."
Soli Deo Gloria!
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