Testing The Spirits

Though once a user of Facebook, I no longer pledge my allegiance to that social media giant. It became a virtual cesspool for drama. Between the whacked out rants of angry political views, the barrage of over-inflated ego's, daily bombardment of hateful comments, the silencing of free speech and slurry of woes and pitiful posts, I lost 100% interest. Eventually, any further investment of my time was not an option and I eventually left. The one thing I found most disturbing was the constant A thru Z fake news stories and it left me wondering who or what can you trust? I recall one story where my eyes were fixed on a particular video of a plane struggling during a huge thunderstorm. The plane did a 360-degree flip in the air before safely landing and letting out terrified passengers. I had never seen anything like that in my life. The interview conducted with the pilot was fascinating! It turns out that the video was total bunk, spliced together from a computer-generated clip and unrelated real news footage! Really? Even so, that didn't stop the Facebook post from arriving in my News Feed via a friend. It had nearly 14 million views! From looking at the comments, I wasn't the only sucker to fall for the lie.

Everyone knows or should know, the world-wide-web is full of lies. How is it that we can keep falling for such poppycock? Even SNOPES, a fact-checking web site, has been proven unreliable several times! How can we be so easily fooled? If we can be such suckers for fake news, what about spiritual things? How can we discern what is actually true regarding what we hear from preachers, pastors, or teachers? Did you know according to the apostle John we are NOT TO believe every spirit but are instructed to test/try every spirit to see if "that person" is of God? Not all individuals who claim to have spiritual insight are valid. We are living in an age of low level of spiritual discernment. John sent out a clear warning regarding deceivers and how to know if they are "fake news." 1 John 4:16 NKJV "Beloved, do not believe every spirit; but test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this, we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

What is so very sad is, people don't want to evaluate "truth claims" to see if they even line up with the infallible Word of God. Rather than investigating what they have heard preached or taught, it is easier for them to simply say what they heard is true or must be true because it sounded good. John has instructed those "of God," the true followers, believers, and lovers of Jesus and His Word to "test the spirits to see whether they are of God. Some versions say to test the spirits to see if the spirits are FROM God. I prefer the King James Version from the original Greek which says to test to see if the spirits are "OF GOD." Here's why. From God is where we all started - our beginning point as humans. Indeed we are all FROM God but we aren't all OF GOD! Big difference. The dictionary defines the word "of" as ... a relationship between a part and the whole. Believers are a part of the whole (God). So, John is warning that not every preacher, pastor, teacher, or person who is telling you about God is OF GOD. He goes on to warn that many false prophets (and people today) making false claims are out there in the world. Satan's falsehoods have been deceiving innocent and unprepared people for eons.

After John tells us to be perceptive and wise with what we are hearing, he gives us a simple test of how to "test the spirits." Here is that test: "every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist." You may be asking yourself, "and so, what does THAT mean?" You may not believe it but there are many people who say they are Christians but deny that Christ has come in THE FLESH, as a man. I've even heard people say Jesus was an angelic being, not really human like we are. No, John 1:14 says, "And the Word WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." There are millions who believe in the historical man, Jesus, the one who walked the earth in Israel 2,000+ years ago, but not many believe He is the second Person of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Jesus was both wholly God and fully man. There are scholars, false prophets and armchair philosophers who deny the humanity of Christ. John says, "They are of the world (NOTICE THE WORD "of" ... of the world) therefore they speak as of the world and the world hears them." What are you hearing? What do you believe?

Are you one that believes Christ did not have human flesh with lusts like ours or with lusts that could draw and entice Him. And if he did not have lusts, then He did not have flesh and blood like ours. And if He did not have flesh and blood like ours, then He could not have been tempted like we are, nor can He have compassion or understanding for us when we are tempted? If this is what you currently believe, this is that "spirit" of antichrist, one who opposes or denies Jesus for Who He was and is. This is the spirit that nullifies the entire work of Christ - His sufferings - His death - His high priestly ministry. Sadly, this is a prevailing spirit today! The Man, Jesus Christ, although He was the Son of God (God come to us in the flesh, our Emmanuel), scriptures testifies He chose to come to earth in the form of a man. It is written He had a human nature and a human will, but that He overcame and never sinned. He took on a body and felt everything we feel ... hunger, thirst, sadness, empathy, love, fleshy wants. But because of His overcoming life, He was able to overcome death and today is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven. As Christians, this is of paramount importance to us. Why? Because He overcame even though he was a man like us and it means that we can also live the same life that He lived through the power of the Holy Spirit He left us. He has made us overcomers! "What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3).

Jesus was a man like you or me, yet sinless. He is our foundation, our hope of glory. Below I have listed several biblical verses that testify of the truth -- Jesus was flesh just like we are and he lived on earth for 33 years to complete God's mission as our savior. If you can deny the following scriptures, then I pray that you examine yourself to determine if you have the Spirit of God or a spirit of error. Until next time. -Pat-

Hebrews 4:15 Testifies that Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses because He was tempted just as we are, yet without sin!
Luke 22:42 Testifies Jesus had a free will just like us, but His will was to obey the Father and deny Himself.
Luke 2:52 Testifies that Jesus Himself, as a man, grew and developed spiritually in wisdom and stature.
Philippians 2:5-8 Testifies Jesus humbled Himself and came in the likeness of men
1 Timothy 2:5-7 Testifies that the apostle Paul refers to "the Man Jesus Christ" and says he is speaking the truth.
John 8:39-40 Testifies that Jesus called Himself a man!
John 11:35 Testifies, "Jesus wept." so, He had feelings just as a man.
Luke 2:7 Testifies Jesus was born, just like a man.
Luke 2:40, 52 Testifies Jesus grew from a child, just as we did.
John 4:6 Testifies Jesus got tired and wearied from traveling.
John 19:28 Testifies Jesus had thirst.
Matthew 4:2 Testifies Jesus could also get hungry.
Matthew 4:11; Luke 23:26 Testifies Jesus became physically weak.
Luke 23:46 Testifies Jesus body died after the crucifixion.
John 11:33-35 Testifies Jesus had emotions -deeply moved in His spirit-greatly troubled.
Matthew 26:38 Testifies Jesus was very sorrowful even unto death.