The Spirit of Truth
Brian Fletcher
1 John 4:1-6
Intro: Can you tell if a person is lying?
There are some tell-tale signs like, a pause before responding to a question, sweaty palms, clearing the throat, avoiding eye-contact, fidgeting. These signs are usually magnified when it's a toddler lying about something they did and know is wrong.
This passage talks about false spirits. Yes, there are people who claim to be Christians, who claim to speak the truth but are teaching false doctrine or simply trying to deceive people, usually for personal gain. I know it's not easy to hear but sometimes, people lie to you.
This can be especially tricky in the theological world when you really think you should be able to trust the person teaching. I mean, they are teaching about the Bible, and the Bible is clear about lying being sinful, so of course, whatever this person says is true...right? Not always.
How to Spot a False Spirit or Teacher
Verse 4 seems to use the words, spirit and false prophets interchangeably. The idea is that a false prophet is being led a by a false spirit.
''Wait, are you saying that there are actually false spirits going around trying to deceive people?'' Yes, absolutely. The Bible is very clear about the reality of a spiritual world that we cannot see. It is talked about throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. You can go back and read stories of Elisha and the chariots of fire, or Job and the dialogue between God and Satan. The birth of Jesus was announced by an angel of the Lord, Jesus was tempted in the dessert by the devil, Jesus casts out evil spirits from people, and of course the well-known passage in Ephesians 6 where the apostle Paul tells us that we ''do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.''
So, the spiritual world is real and there is a battle of good against evil.
So, how do we spot a false spirit or false teacher?
1. They do not confess ...
Brian Fletcher
1 John 4:1-6
Intro: Can you tell if a person is lying?
There are some tell-tale signs like, a pause before responding to a question, sweaty palms, clearing the throat, avoiding eye-contact, fidgeting. These signs are usually magnified when it's a toddler lying about something they did and know is wrong.
This passage talks about false spirits. Yes, there are people who claim to be Christians, who claim to speak the truth but are teaching false doctrine or simply trying to deceive people, usually for personal gain. I know it's not easy to hear but sometimes, people lie to you.
This can be especially tricky in the theological world when you really think you should be able to trust the person teaching. I mean, they are teaching about the Bible, and the Bible is clear about lying being sinful, so of course, whatever this person says is true...right? Not always.
How to Spot a False Spirit or Teacher
Verse 4 seems to use the words, spirit and false prophets interchangeably. The idea is that a false prophet is being led a by a false spirit.
''Wait, are you saying that there are actually false spirits going around trying to deceive people?'' Yes, absolutely. The Bible is very clear about the reality of a spiritual world that we cannot see. It is talked about throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. You can go back and read stories of Elisha and the chariots of fire, or Job and the dialogue between God and Satan. The birth of Jesus was announced by an angel of the Lord, Jesus was tempted in the dessert by the devil, Jesus casts out evil spirits from people, and of course the well-known passage in Ephesians 6 where the apostle Paul tells us that we ''do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.''
So, the spiritual world is real and there is a battle of good against evil.
So, how do we spot a false spirit or false teacher?
1. They do not confess ...
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