Don’t Be Deceived
P. T. Barnum once said, “A sucker is born every minute.” More and more
unsuspecting people are being deceived [scammed] every day. The Internet
has only made things much worse. Most of us have received E-mails from
Nigeria promising millions of dollars.
What is worse are spiritual scams – our nation and the world are filled with
false religions and cults. (I
Timothy 4:1)
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from
the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”
NKJV
These try to lure people in with false promises. No wonder the apostle John
gave this warning in
I John 4:1-6.
We simply cannot believe everything we hear or read. We must be a
discerning people because our souls are at stake.
Text:
I John 4:1-6
Body:
I.
The Need for Discernment
I John 4:1
“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.”
NKJV
·
“Spirit” – the spirit of man – the inner being – mind, character,
disposition. John warns, “Do not believe every spiritual teaching you come
across.” It makes a difference what you believe! (Ephesians
4:14)
“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning
craftiness of deceitful plotting,”
NKJV
·
We must “prove” the spirits – put to the test, scrutinize. To discern is
not just to tell the difference between right and wrong, but to tell the
difference between right and almost right.
See I John 3:10.
“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest:
Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does
not love his brother.”
NKJV
·
Reason – “many false prophets have gone out into the world.” False teachers
do not necessarily look evil or sinister. They may “appear” very loving and
spiritual. (Matthew
7:15)
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
they are ravenous wolves.”
NKJV
They
disguise themselves as devout servants. (II
Corinthians 11:13-15)
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves
into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms
himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose
end will be according to their works.”
NKJV
·
So how do we see whether they are false teachers or not? What standard do
we use?
II.
The Basis for Discernment
I John 4:2-3
“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not
confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is
the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now
already in the world.”
NKJV
·
This confession is much more than simply saying, “I believe that Jesus came
to the earth in the flesh.” It means one is faithful to God’s commandments.
(I
John 5:1-2)
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who
loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we
know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His
commandments.”
NKJV
·
To deny either Jesus’ deity or his humanity is to deny He is our Savior.
(Hebrews
2:17)
“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might
be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people.”
NKJV
·
The “spirit of the Antichrist” denies the authority of Christ – denies His
Word. (Ephesians
1:21)
“far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
NKJV
This spirit is rampant in our world.
·
Hebrews 4:12
describes how the Scriptures are the scalpel God wants us to use to base our
discernment, to see if someone has the spirit of the Antichrist, to tell the
difference between right and wrong. (Hebrews
4:12)
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
NKJV
(Titus
1:9)
“holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able,
by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”
NKJV
III.
The Evidence of Discernment
I John 4:4-6
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is
in you is greater that he who is in the world. They are of the world.
Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of
God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By
this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
NKJV
·
John rejoiced with the brethren who had overcome [prevailed] over the false
teachers. They had resisted the false teaching and not been led away or
deceived by them. Some of the Christians in Galatia had been led astray.
(Galatians
1:6-9)
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the
grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are
some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we
have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now
I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have
received, let him be accursed.”
NKJV
·
The reason these brethren had overcome was because the Word of God dwelled
within them. (I
John 2:14, 24)
“I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the
beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and
the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
24
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what
you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son
and in the Father.”
NKJV
As a result, God was in their hearts. (II
John 9) “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ
does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the
Father and the Son.”
NKJV
·
The false teachers are of the world – spiritually dead and of the devil. (I
John 5:19)
“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the
wicked one.”
NKJV
John didn’t want the true followers of Christ to be alarmed at how popular
these false teachers were. They were telling the world what they wanted to
hear. Today we should never judge a church or a ministry by its size.
Rather judge it by its faithfulness to the truth.
·
To “know God” is to abide in His Word, to obey His commandments. (I
John 2:4)
“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him.”
NKJV
“Hearing”
implies understanding and obedience. Those who live righteously [according
to God’s Word] are of God. They have the spirit of truth. Once again, the
Bible is our only standard to discern truth from error.
Conclusion:
Especially when it comes to our eternal destiny, we cannot believe
everything we hear or read. There are many false teachers out there leading
people to hell itself. We must apply God’s Word to their teachings and
discern right from wrong.
Bobby Stafford September 15, 2019
