I John 4:1-6
Try The Spirits

Introduction
1. Do you know that we live in a dangerous world?
2. In I John 4:1-6 John gives us 3 dangers to beware of in the church of Jesus Christ. A key
expression in vss 1-6 is Of God…Of is the Greek word ek “Out of”. Of God is used 6 times.
Out of…God is the Source.

Do you know that we live in a dangerous world?
I. THE DANGER OF THE WRONG CONFIDENCE 4:1
A. The Recipients of the Wrong Confidence
1. Beloved in the Greek is agapetoi (agape love) These are loved by God in a very
special way.
2. Christians, who are loved by God, can be gullible and misled.
B. The Rule for the Wrong Confidence
Believe not (stop believing) every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they be of God.
1.There are those that believe that healing is in the atonement and will not go to the doctor. Last week a woman died eaten up with cancer.
2.There is a preacher in Haiti who has become very wealthy by charging for ‘healing’. He has three pools in which to baptize.
3.Some spirits claim prosperity. They may use the name of Jesus, Gospel, salvation, born again. Just because they pray and invoke God…but they are not of God.
4.There are good angels that serve God, but 1/3 of the angels fell and serve Satan.
5.Try…put to the test. Test for approval and God’s Word is the standard.
C. The Reason for the Wrong Confidence 1c
Because many false prophets are gone into the world.
1.There are two spirits (one false and one true). There are two prophets (one false and one true.)
2.They had naively been assuming the genuineness of every teacher, preacher or prophet who claimed to be from God.
3.Behind every preacher, teacher or spokesman is a spirit. Each spirit is either from God or Satan.
*It is possible to be sincere and seeking and be misled.
*Don’t be taken in by everyone who comes along and says that he or she is a Christian because many of them are not. Many are deceiving and many are deceived.
*There is a lot of hocus/pocus going on that has nothing to do with the power of God. Test the spirits. Follow the money.

Do you know that we live in a dangerous world?
II. THE DANGER OF THE WRONG CREED 4:2, 3
A.The Confidence 2
1.Know…At the beginning of the Apostolic Age an apostle or New Testament prophet had signs, wonders, and miracles to confirm their ministry. (Heb. 2:3b-4)
2.By 95 a.d. confirmation was not by signs, wonders and miracles, but by their doctrine.
3.Here is an acid test: It is not the only test or doctrine that is important, but this test was needed for John’s hearers.
B.The Confession 2b
1.Confess is to speak the same thing.
2.Jesus Christ (Savior/Messiah) is come in the flesh is out of God…born of God.
C.The Conclusion 3
1.Those who say: Jesus Christ is not come in the flesh is not born of God.
*Jesus Jehovah saves…the emphasis is on Savior is come.
*Christ is the ‘anointed One’…the Messiah is come.
2. “The God of the Old Testament who in the person of His Son became incarnate,
in human flesh without its sin, died on the cross to satisfy the just demands of
His Law, which man broke. He raised Him from the dead in the body in which
He died. He will become the living Savior to those who place their faith in
Him.”
3.The teacher, preacher who does not believe that is not out of God. He possesses the spirit of antichrist.
*Do they deny the deity of Jesus Christ? That does not mean that they do not say nice things about Jesus…a remarkable youth, a religious genius, good man, great teacher, good example but not that He was God and the only way to God.
*A person cannot be saved and not believe that Jesus was God in the flesh. If Jesus were not God, He could not be our Savior.

Do you know that we live in a dangerous world?
III. THE DANGER OF THE WRONG CRITERIA 4:4-6
Again, God’s Word must be our authority. We are given 3 persuasions:
A.Power Persuasion 4
1.Our Source You are of God, little children
*You are out of God…born ones…(John 1:12)
*John 3 You must be born from above…
2. Our Supply You have overcome them.
3. Our Surplus Greater is He that is within you than he that is in the world.
*The Spirit that is within each child is greater than any of Satan’s helpers.
*Listen…His Witness…subjectively His Holy Spirit.
*Listen…His Word…objectively The Word of God.
*You do not listen to one without the other!!
B. Popular Persuasion 5
1. They are of the world…No matter the marketing…sales…what they say or how
many times they say it.
2.They speak of the world…They form their thoughts, habits, teaching from the world.
Bless me…Give me…Make me. The world focuses on I, me and my.
3.The world hears them. Popularity is never a criteria. It will draw a crowd…that which appeals to the flesh. That which appeals to the flesh won’t last! In times of trouble or crises we need something that will last!
C. Positive Persuasion 6
The Word of God is our criteria…Absolute Truth!
1.The Contrast We are out of God (John and those who are with him.)
2.The Communication He that knows God hears us. He that does not know God does not hear us.
*Today, it is the written Word of God…Divine Revelation.
*The Bible is my Geiger counter.
*God’s people will respond to it. Don’t expect the world’s crowd to want to hear it.
*Where do those speaking place God’s Word? Is it the inerrant, inspired Word of God? Something is wrong if you do not want to hear the Word of God.
*God’s Word is absolutely essential as our ultimate authority. It is the Absolute Standard to measure any movement, man or message.