Let's look at this idea of testing the spirits because this idea is used to basically say, oh my skepticism is testing the spirits, but let's see what Scripture says about it:
1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for 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, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
Okay so here's what SCRIPTURE says about testing the spirits. Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God and it doesn't it's not from God.
And let's read on to understand the idea here:
4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
If you are from God, you have overcome the "spirits".
5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
So the "spirits" are not spooky "spirits", but actually worldly thinking. It is this CARNAL mindedness that is actually what John is speaking about by "testing the spirits". They SPEAK from the WORLD.
6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
John is explaining, look we know God, so listen to us. And if they don't listen to us, they don't know God. And then John states the biggest idea of the entire book of John and 1 Co 12-14!!!
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
TESTING the Spirits is testing if we have LOVE or not. John is writing about loving one another BECAUSE THIS is the COMMAND of Jesus Christ, who is the King of Love.
And this COMMAND goes into spiritual giftings here:
1 Co 14:1 (NLT) Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives--especially the ability to prophesy.
So yes, let us test the spirits! To see if they be FROM GOD or if they be FROM THE WORLD.
1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for 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, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
Okay so here's what SCRIPTURE says about testing the spirits. Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God and it doesn't it's not from God.
And let's read on to understand the idea here:
4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
If you are from God, you have overcome the "spirits".
5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
So the "spirits" are not spooky "spirits", but actually worldly thinking. It is this CARNAL mindedness that is actually what John is speaking about by "testing the spirits". They SPEAK from the WORLD.
6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
John is explaining, look we know God, so listen to us. And if they don't listen to us, they don't know God. And then John states the biggest idea of the entire book of John and 1 Co 12-14!!!
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
TESTING the Spirits is testing if we have LOVE or not. John is writing about loving one another BECAUSE THIS is the COMMAND of Jesus Christ, who is the King of Love.
And this COMMAND goes into spiritual giftings here:
1 Co 14:1 (NLT) Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives--especially the ability to prophesy.
So yes, let us test the spirits! To see if they be FROM GOD or if they be FROM THE WORLD.