After Doubt By A. J. SwobodaSample

Day Three: Discerning the Truth 

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-3, I Corinthians 8:6, John 5:39-40

No apostolic writer discusses discernment more than John. Perhaps the most important text on the topic, 1 John 4 reads, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test [dokimazō] the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (vv. 1–3). What can we learn from John about discernment?

Three core ideas are noteworthy. First, John portrays the universe as an entirely spiritual universe. “Many false prophets have gone out into the world,” John writes. It is as though he is saying, “They are here. Ours is a world bathed in spirituality.” This is a spiritual world in which we must learn how to discern that which is of God and that which is not.

The fact that the world is spiritual—John argues—doesn’t mean those spirits are inherently good or trustworthy. The common truism of our time is that everyone is spiritual but not religious. For John, what’s important is being born of the Spirit through faith in Christ. We are either spiritual or born of the Spirit. Nobody is not spiritual. But few are born of the Holy Spirit. For the person in deconstruction or doubt, it’s important to remember that just because something feels spiritual, enjoyable or liberating doesn’t mean it’s permissible, good, or wise. 

Second, John ardently distinguishes between the spirits (plural) and the Spirit (singular). This speaks volumes. Unlike God, the spirits of this age send a blizzard of conflicting messages, temptations, and ideas. The spirits of this age are not unified.

But the Holy Spirit is unlike the spirits. God’s Spirit is one, unified with the Father and the Son. This is a helpful framework for discernment. Put simply: the voice of God that we may hear in our hearts or minds will never contradict the words of God that have already been written. 

Third, and most importantly, John writes that the Spirit points to Jesus. John’s claim is clear and concise. If the spirits don’t “acknowledge” Jesus—that He came in the flesh, died, and resurrected—they aren’t to be trusted. The implication is that the spirits of the demonic will never point us toward Jesus. What a spirit points to matters. 

How does discernment help you to know what you can trust and what you can’t trust?