1 JOHN 4:1-6

ON GUARD

Real Christianity #14 (1 John)

Back in the days when kids traveled on trains to get somewhere with their parents, they didn’t charge for kids that were five or under. And so this six-year-old fellow was told by his mother, as they were carrying their bags to the train, “Tell ’em you’re five.” The little boy frowned and he got on the train and sat down. And the conductor came by and said, “How old are you, son?” And he says, “Ah, five.” So he didn’t pay anything. His mother paid her fare and the conductor left.

The conductor came back a couple of hours later just to talk to him—rubbed his hand in the little fellow’s hair and said, “Well, how are you gettin’ along?” The boy answered, “Really good.” The conductor continued their chat and said, “Let’s see, when you gonna be six?” And the little boy said, “About the time I get off this train I’m gonna be six.” ^[1]

a salesman was far away from home, driving down an unfamiliar country highway. All of a sudden he came upon a barn which had a huge bull’s-eye painted in the middle of it. He could hardly believe his eyes. There in the middle of the bull’s-eye were hundreds of arrows. Every arrow was inside the bull’s-eye. As he drove on down the highway, his curiosity got the best of him. He turned his car around and drove back to where the barn was, to take another look. He spotted a farmhouse nearby, so he drove to where it was and met the farmer. After they got acquainted, he said, “Say, could you tell me who the excellent marksman is who shot all those arrows inside the bull’s eye?”

The farmer almost laughed out loud, then he explained, “That was the work of the village idiot. He had shot all those arrows at the side of the barn, then he climbed up there and painted a bull’s-eye around all the arrows to create the false impression he was a great marksman.”— Dale Galloway, Rebuild Your Life ^[2]

The difference between a person who tells the truth and tells a lie is that the liar’s gotta have a better memory.— Mark Twain, quoted in Burton Stevenson, The Home Book of Proverbs, Maxims, and Familiar Phrases [3]

 

All of what I just shared has to do with lying in some form.

 

Why should we be on guard when someone is preaching, especially someone whom we haven’t heard preach before or some radio or television preacher that we know nothing about?

 

As we continue our study of Real Christianity in 1 John we return to a theme that John has elaborated on before.  It is a warning against false teachers, and it teaches us to be On Guard concerning them and their teachings.

 

BE CAREFUL - Vss. 1,5

 

“Be careful”– These are words I’ve heard all my life.

I’ve heard “Be careful” when I’ve taken the car out in bad weather.

 

I’ve heard the words, “Be careful” when my safety was being threatened.

Recently I’ve heard the words, “Be careful” concerning the use of my lame shoulder.

 

Usually, when we say, “Be careful”, we are concerned about someone’s well being.

When we use the words “Be careful” in conjunction with

1 John 4:1-6, we are concerned that somebody not be led astray by false teachers.

 

Just because a preacher sounds good, it doesn't mean the person is right. We must be careful to test the spirits to make sure we follow those teachers that are from God.

 

Vs. 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.

 

You have probably talked with people who believe everything they see on TV or hear on the radio. They are gullible.

My late Great Aunt was a Christian, but it seemed to me at least once she was almost taken in by a false teacher.

She was asking me about him, and she sounded sympathetic.

 

We are to try or test the spirits to see if they are of God.

The best way of testing the Spirits to see if they are of God is to compare what they say with what the Word of God says.

 

2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

 

2 Peter 1:20-21 - Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. [21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Because of the large number of false teachers in the world we have to be careful.

 

You have probably remember the parable of the “wheat and the tares”.  The farmer sowed good seed in the field, while his enemy secretly sowed tares or weeds.  The farmer did not rip out the tears for fear that damage would be done to the wheat.

 

Matthew 13:36-43 - Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. [37] He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; [38] The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; [39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. [40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. [41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; [42] And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 

John Phillips – “Historically, every time God sends His anointed servants into the harvest field, Satan sows a crop of his own deceivers behind them.

 

 “No sooner did God sow the apostles into thye world than Satan sowed a crop of Judaizers, legalizers, and Gnostics, along with a bevy of false messiahs…   

 

“No sooner did God sow Martin Luther into the world (1483-1546) than Satan sowed Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556),  the Jesuits, and the Countereformation.

 

“No sooner did God sow John Wesley into the world (1703-1791), than Satan sowed Deism – Voltaire (1694-1778), with his agnosticism and sneering hatred of revealed religion and biting ridicule: and the deist Thomas Paine (1737-1809) with his praise of the French Revolution and his appeal to England to throw off their monarchy. Both launched an uncompromising, ignorant, and daring attack on the Bible, and both were Satan’s tares.

 

“No sooner did God sow C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) and D.L. Moody (1837-1899) into the world than Satan sowed another crop of tares – Robert Ingersoll with his oratory and his bitter hatred of Christianity; Joseph Smith (1805-1855) and the even more formidable Brigham Young (1801-1877) and the Mormon cult; Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) and the Jehovah’s Witnesses; Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) and the so-called Christian Science…

 

“God sows good seed, Satan sows tares. God sowed Billy Graham into the world, giving him audiences beyond all those of history, along with the ears of kings and world leaders. At once a counterreligious movement arose, one infatuated with the Holy Spirit, careless of, if not avowedly hostile to, sound doctrine, and marked by outrageous forms of excess…” Phillips, John, The John Phillips Commentary Series, Exploring the Epistles of John  (Grand Rapids Michigan, Kregal Publications, 2003) pp. 126-127

 

It’s no wonder Christians need to be careful.

 

1 John 4:5 - They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

 

False teachers are "of the world". They follow the “world system” of thinking and acting.

Worldly teachers accentuate the things of the world.   

 

1 John 2:15-17 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [17] And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

Can we assume that because a person has a large following he is right?  Of course not! Many false teachers have large followings because they appeal to worldly people.

Hitler drew large crowds and was wrong.

 

10 spies brought back the majority report after going into the Promised Land and they were wrong!

 

False teachers are of the "world". Because they are worldly, those who love the world want to hear them.

 

BE CAREFUL - Vss. 1,5

BE COGNIZANT - Vss. 2-3, 6

 

1 John 4:2 - Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

 

We must be cognizant or aware of what comes from the Spirit of God.  We should be able to tell when someone is speaking for God.

 

A person who believes that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh must believe in His eternal deity.

 

Colossians 1:15-17 - Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: [16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 

The word Jesus means "Jehovah saves".  If a person truly believes that Jesus came in the flesh, he must believe in Him as Savior.

 

The word Christ means "anointed one".  It is reference to Jesus as Messiah.  If we believe that He's Messiah, He is our Lord!   

 

We must believe that He came in the flesh.  Jesus Christ is not just a spirit, but He became God in the flesh!

 

Philippians 2:5-7 - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

 

When a person "confesses" that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, he is making testimony of his own salvation. He is “of God”.  

 

Romans 10:9-10 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

1 John 4:3 - 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.

 

Be aware that if a person does not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, he is not of God.   

Listen to what people are saying. If they are not confessing Christ as Savior and salvation through faith in Christ alone, they are false teachers.

If they are not saying that Jesus is God who has come to earth literally in a human body, they are false teachers.

 

A false teacher is anti-Christ.  He is against Christ.

1 John 2:18 - Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

 

Although the anti-Christ has not yet made his appearance, there are many today that have his Spirit.  

Be aware of the spirit of anti-Christ that is in the world.

 

1 John 4:6 - 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.

 

John and the Apostles were of God.  The writings of Scripture are from God.

 

Those who know God through Christ, especially preachers and teachers, will hear and adhere to the Word of God, which contains the teaching of John and other Apostles.

A true teacher will present God's Word accurately.

 

Be aware that those who are not of God will not adhere to or teach the true doctrine of the Word of God.

 

Because of this awareness it is not as hard as it would seem to tell if someone has the spirit of truth or the spirit of error.

If a person teaches accurate Bible doctrine he has the spirit of truth.

If a person teaches heresy he has the spirit of error.

 

BE CAREFUL - Vss. 1,5

BE COGNIZANT - Vss. 2-3, 6

BE CONFIDENT - Vs. 4

 

1 John 4:4 - 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.

 

While God wants us to be careful about the teachers we follow and cognizant of the difference between a true teacher and a false teacher, he doesn't want us to worry.

He wants us to be confident that we will be able to tell the difference.

 

John tells us who are Christians that we are of God.  That's very assuring! John likes to call us little children, and that's appropriate.

 

John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

1 John 3:1-2 - Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. [2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

     

Because we are "of God", children of God, we have overcome the false teachers.  We don't have to be fooled by their false teachings.

Who is it that in us who is greater than he that is in the world?

It is the Spirit of God who is greater than Satan.

Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit.

 

1 Corinthians 6:19 - What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

 

John 16:8-13 - And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: [9] Of sin, because they believe not on me; [10] Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; [11] Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. [12] I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. [13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 

For detecting the false teachers, greater is he that is in you than he that is the world   

 

In what other ways is the Spirit of God helpful in our lives?

·        For power to witness

 

Acts 1:8  - But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

     

·        For victory over sin -

Romans 6:14 - For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 

·        For Fruitfulness

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

·        For strength in prayer

Romans 8:26-27 - Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. [27] And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

 

·        For Assurance of Salvation –

Romans 8:16 - The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

 

Indeed, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

So we can be confident.   

 

So let's be on guard:

BE CAREFUL - Vss. 1,5

BE COGNIZANT - Vss. 2-3, 6

BE CONFIDENT - Vs. 4