In our world of religious confusion, it can be quite daunting for the honest seeker to arrive at the truth of God’s will. So confusing is the task that many have decided that truth is in the mind of the individual, so whatever conclusion one draws is not subject to cross examination by any other person. The result has been devastating and will cause many souls to be lost eternally because they cease to strive to do God’s will.
To clear some of these muddy waters, we must heed the apostle John’s advice in 1 John 4:1 when he told his readers, “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.” In a similar statement, Paul told the Thessalonians to “Test all things, hold fast what is good” (1 Th. 5:21). Both statements demand there is an objective body of truth which is the standard against which we may test the things taught by various teachers.
Jesus told the Jews who believed Him, “…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). In John 12:48 He makes clear the standard by which we all will be judged. It is the word He has spoken which will judge us.
With these clear-cut statements in plain sight, how do so many professed believers in Jesus draw such drastically different conclusions? The truly mind-boggling thing about all this is that so many who differ so greatly on fundamental issues claim they received their message directly from the Holy Spirit. This idea seems to come from a misunderstanding about the Spirit’s work and the promises connected to His coming. If He is whispering different things in different people’s ears, it is impossible to achieve the unity the Bible demands. How do we “test the spirits”?
We must know where the authority lies. Jesus made it clear that He was going to send the Holy Spirit to guide someone into all truth (Jn. 16:12-15). Most students of the Bible assume all the promises found in this context apply to all disciples of all time. However, a careful examination makes clear it was only to a select group and for a limited duration. This is the key to avoiding misconceptions about God’s revelation.
If we back up to John 15:26-27, we learn these promises were made to those who “…have been with Me from the beginning” (vs. 27). This reality sheds a whole new light on the work of revelation. The process of revelation was limited to the apostles, and by extension to those on whom they laid their hands (Acts 8:14-19).
Because God knows all things (1 Jn. 3:20) He cannot make a mistake. Because He is unchanging (Heb. 13:8), the message given is the same. Because the word lives and abides forever (1 Pt. 1:22-25), we may rest assured it is still relevant today. Because God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11), we may know His will is not different for different individuals. Putting all this together, we may test the spirits by knowing that anything which conflicts with that which was given by the apostles is not from God (Gal. 1:6-9; Rom. 16:17-18)
To clear some of these muddy waters, we must heed the apostle John’s advice in 1 John 4:1 when he told his readers, “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.” In a similar statement, Paul told the Thessalonians to “Test all things, hold fast what is good” (1 Th. 5:21). Both statements demand there is an objective body of truth which is the standard against which we may test the things taught by various teachers.
Jesus told the Jews who believed Him, “…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). In John 12:48 He makes clear the standard by which we all will be judged. It is the word He has spoken which will judge us.
With these clear-cut statements in plain sight, how do so many professed believers in Jesus draw such drastically different conclusions? The truly mind-boggling thing about all this is that so many who differ so greatly on fundamental issues claim they received their message directly from the Holy Spirit. This idea seems to come from a misunderstanding about the Spirit’s work and the promises connected to His coming. If He is whispering different things in different people’s ears, it is impossible to achieve the unity the Bible demands. How do we “test the spirits”?
We must know where the authority lies. Jesus made it clear that He was going to send the Holy Spirit to guide someone into all truth (Jn. 16:12-15). Most students of the Bible assume all the promises found in this context apply to all disciples of all time. However, a careful examination makes clear it was only to a select group and for a limited duration. This is the key to avoiding misconceptions about God’s revelation.
If we back up to John 15:26-27, we learn these promises were made to those who “…have been with Me from the beginning” (vs. 27). This reality sheds a whole new light on the work of revelation. The process of revelation was limited to the apostles, and by extension to those on whom they laid their hands (Acts 8:14-19).
Because God knows all things (1 Jn. 3:20) He cannot make a mistake. Because He is unchanging (Heb. 13:8), the message given is the same. Because the word lives and abides forever (1 Pt. 1:22-25), we may rest assured it is still relevant today. Because God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11), we may know His will is not different for different individuals. Putting all this together, we may test the spirits by knowing that anything which conflicts with that which was given by the apostles is not from God (Gal. 1:6-9; Rom. 16:17-18)