I John 4:1-6
I John 4:1-6
We are most certainly living in the last days. Jesus is coming soon! The greatest danger the church faces in these last days is deception. Jesus, Peter, John Jude and Paul all warned of the growing and dangerous deception we would all face in the days just prior to the return of Christ. It is so easy for us to get caught up in the political, economic and social issues of our day. Yet the real danger slithers into the church unnoticed and unchallenged. Deception is Satan's weapon of choice, and he wields it against the church at every opportunity.John approached these false teachers with great authority. He allowed no room for compromise. He was not gentle with the ministers of Satan. They are enemies of the cross and must be identified as such and treated accordingly. In this passage, John commands (not a suggestion) everyone who names the name of Christ to test the spirits against the word of God. This is not an option. We are never to assume that a "Christian" book, music, ministry, teacher, radio station or anything else that labels itself as Christian is in fact Christian until we test it against the word of God.
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Chapter 4
1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5
They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.