Spiritual road test I John 4:1-6

 I John 4:1-6  Spiritual Road Test.  An elaboration of the Belief, (Doctrinal ) Test.

    What do we do when trying to buy a car?  ---Look at it carefully? Take a road test?  Take a person along who knows about cars before laying down any money?  Or as the old Baptist Chaplain in the Army used to say, " Look under the hood, and kick the tires!)

    Should we not be as careful and discriminating as when we look at the place that teaches spiritual truth that affects our families and our souls?

4:1  I John-  " Beloved, believe not every spirit..."   " If you don't behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave." Bishop Fulton Sheen

Test - dokimázō (from 1384 /dókimos, "approved") – properly, to try (test) to show something is acceptable (real, approved); put to the test to reveal what is good (genuine). See 1384 (dokimos).

1381 /dokimázō ("to approve by testing") is done to demonstrate what is good, i.e. passes the necessary test. 1381 (dokimázō) does not focus on disproving something (i.e. to show it is bad).  from  biblehub.com

Test the spirits-prove . 

I. Ck out their origin.  

   A.  From God?  4:1 " Test the spirits to see whether they are from God.."

     1.  4:6  The Apostle John is saying he is "from God"   " He who knows God listens to us" 4:6    The we is the Apostles.  

What person can make such a claim? to have the " spirit of truth?"

   a.  The Apostles made such a claim because Jesus had chosen them personally.  Mt 10 " He called unto Him His disciples"  ; Luke 6:12  "He named those He called ...He named them apostles"

   b.  Did miracles 2 Cor 12:12 " The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles."

  c. Authority. " Remember the words that were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ" Jude 17

  d. Church is founded upon the foundation of the apostles Eph 2:19-20

  e. Rev. 21:14 " And the wall of the city had 12 foundation stones , and on them were the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb"

   2.

A. Believers too are from God.  4:6  " He who knows God listens to us---believers listen to the words of the Apostles"  John 8:47 " He that is of God hears God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God"  ( scribes and the Pharisees)  By what we listen to we show our true allegiance.

4:4 An encouragement to us.---remember this when the world tries to squeeze you into its mold.  " You have already overcome them ( perfect tense) ---because greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world."

We are under God.  Who is going to abandon us if He is with us?  We do not have to fear anyone then.

B. of the world?

4:5-6 " spirit of error" The spirit of error is of the world .  The world has no standard.  The world listens to itself 4:5 No wonder there are such big crowds.  It is like the fellow who laughs at his own joke.

II. Ck out what is being taught.  Be careful and discriminating.

4:2-3  Must confess Jesus as the eternal Son  of God.

 Antichrist is already here. 4:3  So are the false teachers.  2 Peter 2:1 " But there were false prophets also among the people"

Conclusion--- John's spiritual road test is for us too.

Ck to see you are from God . 5:1

What and who are we listening to?  He who knows God listens to us.

Ck the teaching of others including this person standing here now by the Apostles' doctrine in the Holy Scriptures.

It matters what we teach.  The Church can make mistakes, but the Bible has never been wrong.