Testing the Spirit

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”-1 John 4:1

            The Apostle John wrote this 1^st of 3 letters to several Gentile congregations as a means of dispelling any doubts and build assurance by presenting a clear picture of Christ. The enemy (Satan) had been dispatching false teachers to infiltrate the local churches with the purpose of causing strife and division. These letters were referred to as ‘pastoral letters’. The letter more than likely was written between 85-90 A.D. from Ephesus.

            There were several ways for the believers to test the spirit of a teaching. One was to see if it lines up with God’s word. Another was to see what the individual’s commitment was to that body of believers. One could also look at their lifestyle. They could also be a fruit inspector and see what was born out of their ministry. However, the most important test was what they believed about Christ. Were they teaching that Christ was fully God and fully man? The world was then and still is now filled with people who claim to speak for God. We cannot be too careful when it comes to who we listen to.

            We must ask the Holy Spirit within to help us discern the true nature of the teaching being presented. It is so easy to be led down a wrong path if we are not close to the Lord. The enemy is relentless and will not stop trying to draw people away from God. We, as ambassadors of Christ, must never stop testing the spirits of others and continue to dig deeper into His word so we can know without hesitation who to follow this side of heaven. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries       

NOTE: Pastoral letters were written to no particular church. Whoever received the letter first was supposed to pass it around to the other churches in their area.