How to Test the Spirits (1 John 4:1-6)

Testing the spirits to see whether they are from God is clearly commanded in Scripture because of the grave danger of the reality of the multitude of false prophets that have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits to see whether they are from God is commended in Scripture when it is properly done so that false teachers are not allowed a platform in the church to spread their destructive heresies (Revelation 2:2). However, the question remains as to how we are to test the spirits to see whether they are from God.

Before I begin explaining how to test the spirits biblically I want to share the unbiblical way for testing the spirits that will have disastrous results if used:

It is unbiblical to test the spirits through judging by appearance (John 7:24). This is the deadly mistake of looking at results as the criteria for determining whether or not someone is from God. Many in our day believe that because a man is popular, inspiring, successful, and loved by almost everyone that he surely has to be from God. Such a pragmatic approach to discernment is rejected by the Bible (see Luke 6:26). Inference from observation of “positive results” that a man is from God is unbiblical. When a person tests the spirits in this manner, he has set himself up as the final arbiter of truth and is in essence claiming that he knows truth intuitively.

The Bible, which is truth (John 17:17), gives us several ways to test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1 John 4:1) and in so doing to make a righteous judgment (John 7:24). What I am going to share is not exhaustive on the subject but is sufficient for guarding against error in testing the spirits.

First, the Bible gives us the quantity verses quality test (Matthew 7:13-27).

Quantity! The false prophet interested in quantity (numbers are what matter) will use the wide gate that leads to destruction to achieve his pragmatic results (Matthew 7:13). The false prophet’s message is geared toward quantity. The false prophet, because he is interested in quantity and not quality, also is illustrated by Jesus as one who builds houses on the sand without taking the time to lay a solid foundation (Matthew 7:26-27).

Quality! The true prophet interested in quality (true conversions) will use the narrow gate that leads to life to achieve his Lord’s results. Logically speaking the narrow gate will not be as effective numerically as the wide gate but the effectiveness of its end result is worth it. The true prophet is the one who, interested in quality, builds his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-25).

Second, the Bible gives us the world verses the Word test (1 John 4:1-6).

The world! The false prophet, claiming that he is speaking from God’s Word, actually speaks from the world (1 John 4:5). The false prophet may quote lots of Scripture but he will twist it (2 Peter 3:16) and violate clear biblical principles. For instance, since the Bible says that the false prophets speak as from the world and the world listens to them (1 John 4:5), then to list Scripture to show that Jesus knew what unbelievers were thinking in order to teach that we are to learn to think and speak like unbelievers to attract them is to twist Scripture and violate the principle of 1 John 4:5 – failing the test and being shown to be a false prophet.

Test this statement according to 1 John 4:5: “If you want to advertise your church to the unchurched you must learn to think and speak like they do.” Does this pass the test as one who is a true prophet from God speaking from God’s Word or does this fail the test as one who is a false prophet speaking as from the world? Also apply the quantity/quality test to this same statement and see how it fairs.

The Word! The true prophet actually speaks from God’s Word (1 John 4:6) and does not twist the Scripture nor violate clear biblical principles. The true prophet ends up not being loved by everyone (Matthew 5:10), being falsely spoken evil of (Matthew 5:11), and being hated just like the prophets of old (Matthew 5:12).

Third, the Bible gives us the orthopraxy verses orthodoxy test (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Christian unity must be based on agreement in the orthodoxy (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Any disagreement in orthodoxy is grounds for separation. True prophets maintain this biblical principle and false prophets violate this biblical principle. The false prophets are interested in an ecumenical movement. In order to achieve their ecumenical movement, the false prophets seek to do away with doctrines that divide (orthodoxy) and unite over secondary matters (orthopraxy). The false prophet does not require agreement in orthodoxy for unity but instead seeks to unify over agreement in orthopraxy.

To see how this test works see Orthodoxy Determines Orthopraxy. Using these three tests will give you the biblical way to test the spirits to see whether they are from God and to be guarded from the many false prophets who have gone out into the world.

Please One Another: The Savior's Example (Romans 15:1-3)

Romans 14:1 – 15:7 is dealing with what we could call the gray areas of the Christian life. These are the nonessentials that have no bearing on whether or not someone is saved. These are matters that are strictly between the child of God and his Lord. Since this is true then Christians can and will disagree in the nonessentials.

Since these are gray areas of the Christian life, we are not to judge one another nor hinder another’s obedience to the Lordship of Christ. The weak in the faith are not to be bossy, trying to impose their beliefs on the strong and the strong in the faith are not to be bullies, trying to force-feed their beliefs down the throats of the weak. This is what this section is about and it gives us three principles to maintain unity when Christians disagree:

(1) Accept one another (Romans 14:1-12). When Christians disagree in the gray areas of the Christian life we accept one another because God has accepted us (Romans 14:1-3); we accept one another because Christ is Lord of each and every child of God and we are lord of none (Romans 14:4-9); and we accept one another because God is judge and we are not (Romans 14:10-12).
(2) Build up one another (Romans 14:13-23). When Christians disagree in the gray areas of the Christian life we build up one another because we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Because we are brothers and sisters in Christ we don’t cause a child of God to stumble (Romans 14:13); we don’t hurt a child of God (Romans 14:14-15); we don’t forfeit our witness to a watching world through family quarrels (Romans 14:16-18); we don’t tear down the work of God in a child of God by hindering his or her walk with the Lord (Romans 14:19-21); and the strong Christian does not flaunt his liberties (Romans 14:22-23).
(3) Please one another (Romans 15:1-7). When Christians disagree in the gray areas of the Christian life we please one another and not just ourselves. This third principle for maintaining unity when Christians disagree is our subject under investigation. There are three aspects to this principle that we will take one at a time in separate posts.

First, we are to please one another on the basis of the Savior’s example (Romans 15:1-3).

The strong are to have regard for the weaknesses of others (Romans 15:1). The strong are not to just think of their rights and their own pleasures but are to think of how they can use their strength to help others. Those without strength need help and the strong can either give them the help they need or selfishly only help themselves. The Bible says that “love does not seek its own” (1 Corinthians 13:15) and that “love bears all things” (1 Corinthians 15:7). The strong Christian who does not have regard for the weaknesses of others is unloving and not following the Savior’s example.

Think of our Lord’s example in this area. For our sake, while we were helpless (without strength or ability to help ourselves), at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). To accomplish our salvation, the Lord “did not look out for His own personal interests but also the interest of others, and although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped [utilized], but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:4-8).

Let’s make some application with this. The strong Christian knows that eating meat is not condemned in God’s Word. The weak Christian believes that eating meat is condemned in God’s Word. The strong Christian then is to lay aside his liberty for the sake of the weak Christian. The strong Christian is to have regard for the weaknesses of his brothers and sisters.

The strong Christian knows that drinking wine is not condemned but that getting drunk is condemned in God’s Word. The weak Christian believes that drinking wine is condemned in God’s Word. The strong Christian is to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and he is to lay aside his liberty for the sake of the weak Christian.

The strong are to have regard for the weaknesses of others.

The strong are to have regard for the good of others (Romans 15:2). Isn’t this very logical? Not having regard for the weaknesses of other family members is to not have any regard for their good either. Having regard for the weakness of other family members is to have regard for their good also. If one believes that it is wrong to drink wine and a stronger Christian disregards that weakness, will he not cause the weaker Christian to either judge him as an unbeliever (which is sin) or to violate his own convictions (which is sin).

Knowing that something is not condemned in Scripture does not mean that it is commanded in Scripture. This simply means that Christian liberties can be set aside for the good of others and to build them up rather than tear them down. Improper exercise of Christian liberties will indeed tear down others who believe that those liberties are wrong.

The strong are to have regard for the good of others.

The strong are to have regard for pleasing others (Romans 15:3). Pleasing others entails self-denial. However this is a characteristic of the strong that have a heart of love. The strong are never more like Jesus than when they are not seeking their own pleasure but instead are laying aside their privileges to have regard for the weaknesses of others and the good of others.

The strong are to have regard for pleasing others.