July 26, 2009, 1 John 4:1-6

July 26...  "The Giant in You" 1 John 4:1-6

 

                There is a danger that we might believe that everything claiming to be from God is from God. How do we know if we're being deceived?  John teaches us about a victory that is always available to us.

1 John 4

1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

                There are false cults and deceptions as well as the deceptions that creep into Christianity.  But here lies the victory God provides through the abiding Holy Spirit.

 

According to this passage, what is the litmus test for discerning and testing spirits?  (See 1 Corinthians 12:3)

 

 

 

V3 - By equating spirits with false teachers, what is it that John says drives, and is behind  false teachers?

 

 

 

 

What does Romans 8: 14-16 tell us acts as a check against false teaching? What does fear have to do with it? (In relationships between people, in relationship with God)

 

 

 

 

V5&6 - How does the church today get sucked into teaching similar to the world? (Consider influences, motivations, comfort, reward)

 

 

 

 

Read Revelation22:18 & 19. How important is it to be familiar with the Word of God? How important is knowing its origin, the authors, the context?

 

 

 

V6 - John assumes in this verse that someone is listening to us. By what means do you purposefully speak to others about the gospel? Is it enough, or should you be doing something more purposeful?