1 John 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.
We dove into 1 John 4 today. Since our bible is in book form, I always remind myself these were letters, and the verses/chapters came after. Verse 1 is a continuation from the final verse of chapter 3, where we're told we know He abides in us by the Spirit whom he has given us.
The very next sentence in the letter, for us it moves to a new chapter, but it says not to believe every spirit for there are false prophets/teachers about, and we must test them to see if they are from God.
For many when it comes to things of the spirit it moves directly into feelings, emotions, or emotional knowledge only. God created us with emotion and there is a great deal of it involved in our relationship, our walk and living out our lives for Him, but God, as He pointed out back in 1 John 3:20, is greater than our hearts/emotions/feelings.
Now anytime feelings and emotions are involved they tend to come in, set up shop and take over everything. The problem with that is God is perfect, which means He is perfectly balanced and doesn't operate in feelings/emotions only. This is the danger for some who chase after worship experiences, or prophetic and healing experiences all the time. These areas become the only place they feel God, feel peace, or feel happy. When those things end, they immediately begin seeking out the next worship night or the next prophetic healing meeting. All along God sits patiently by waiting to walk with them daily and get to know them, teach them to have peace and power in every moment of every day.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying worship nights. I'm not saying that at all. It's when feelings/emotions are leading/guiding and there is no grounding or balance of God's word or actual relationship with Him that is a deadly danger.
All feeling/emotion and no real reading of God's word blinds people to John's direction and warning here in this verse. False prophets/teachers, even the devil, all use God's word, or slightly twisted grains of it as the basis for their deceptions and schemes. The devil used scripture against Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11. If they did not use some grain of truth, or a close mimic of God's truth, then everyone would immediately know it's a lie. This is the danger of those who are caught up in emotional feeling driven christianity as it overrides head knowledge and all the things God's told us in His word.
That is, told us if we're reading God's word. It's easy to live in emotional knowledge, I don't have to do much other than show up. It's hard to be consistent in reading, studying God's word. Even in that there can be danger of all knowledge, no application to the heart. In the end, it's making the sacrifices, putting in the effort, choosing to take both sides together, that allows us to get to know the Lord in relationship. To really KNOW His voice, what He stands for and what He doesn't...to properly test the spirits, teachings, prophecies, etc...
Here's the ultimate thing though, GOD IS GREATER than our hearts, emotions, and feelings. If you do not know the word of God, if you do not read the word of God, if you do not sacrifice time in your life to hear/see God in the word, you will not stand a chance against false spirits, false teachers, and false prophets.
I always say, be the Berean, which comes from Acts 17:11. They were from a city called Berea and it says they received Paul's teaching with great eagerness. Remember Paul was teaching the Gospel. This had never been heard before. The One True God sends His only son, Jesus, as a man, lived a sinless life, was crucified, was resurrected 3 days later, was seen by many alive, then ascended to heaven. The Bereans were eager to hear this. They were open-minded to this new teaching. HOWEVER, it says they went home every day and examined the scriptures to see if what Paul said was true.
They tested the spirits. They tested what Paul had taught them. They didn't sit around paranoid or bitter towards this new message, they were eager to hear it but wise enough to make sure it lined up with God's written word.
Will you do the same?
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