Prohibiting Faith #2
1 John 4:1-6

The main thrust of this passage is that it is the duty of all Christians to test the teaching of all who profess to be teachers of God’s Word.
That is not a popular concept today. In fact it’s considered to be rude and politically incorrect.
a. John says it is what God requires of you and me as His children. And the purpose of this
testing is to keep New Testament doctrine pure and free from impure teaching.
You do not let every preacher and Bible teacher in the brotherhood tell you what the Bible says without examining it by the Bible itself. Why this warning?
Satan has filled the world with false teachers and false doctrines.
This is not unexpected. Christ warned us about it before He ascended back into heaven, Mark 13:22-23.
And as the apostles carried out the Great Commission they encountered false teachers and false doctrines everywhere they went.
They even warned that false teachers would arise from among the ranks of leaders and members in the church.
Speaking to the elders of the Church at Ephesus, Acts 20:28-31.
Jesus warned about it, Paul warned about it and you sat and watched it happen in this congregation as a preacher, an elder and a couple of influential members did exactly what Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Paul and Peter warned you about apostasy, false teachers and false doctrine.
The main thrust of this passage is that it is the duty of each Christian to try or test the spirits.
Whether the world likes this or not, whether you think it’s politically correct or not, this is about our duty to discern between truth and error based on the basic commitment to stand up for God's truth and reject all contradictions to that truth.
Jude 3.
You are to stand up, expose and fight against those who would prohibit the faith being taught exactly as God has given it. That’s why this series is entitled, “Prohibiting Faith.”
It’s about people of whom Paul speaks in 2 Tim 3:8, “..who resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith.”
You can't survive spiritually without paying attention to God’s Words.
Eph 4:1?6.
There is only one Body (Church, Gal. 1:22-23), one Holy Spirit, One way to be Called (Rom. 10:17), one hope offered, one Jesus, one Baptism, one God—There is only ONE that is true. All others are false and will not bring salvation.
You can't abide in the truth if you don't bother to discriminate between truth and error. (A)That’s why John says: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,
whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the
world."
Over and over, the Bible tells us to believe. In the Word of God. And this belief is
presented as a positive imperative; something we are commanded to do.
Belief is not a suggestion. Belief is a commandment.
1 Jno.3:23, says “This is His commandment; that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ."

The Bible tells us to believe; believe in God; His Word; His Son, and we should do just that.
But here ? in 1 Jno. 4:1, We are told "DO NOT BELIEVE." John is serious about this: "Do not believe every spirit." In our vocabulary, we have the word, "GULLIBLE," and it means: "able to be easily deceived or duped.” A gullible person will believe just about anything; the gullible person doesn't practice discrimination and objective study of God’s Word and they will believe just about anything.
And here John is saying: “Don’t be gullible; Don’t believe everything you hear.” Teachers of religion may be educated, sound scholarly, have a popular reputation, and they may be eloquent, charming and pious.
But, don't believe anything they say unless they show it to you in God's Word. We are to try or test the spirits because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
(2) 1 Jno. 2:26, John had said, "These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you."
(1) We are to believe God’s Word, but we are not to believe anything that contradicts God’s word in any way.
(2) If it’s taught by Jesus and His apostles, Believe it, obey it and you will be saved.
If it’s not taught in God’s Word, do not believe it. It will cost you your soul.
(1) "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
(2) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 10/21 /2001 am