Holy Wit – Reflections
#9 Test the Spirits
(Walking in the Light: Studies Through 1 John)
Scripture References: 1 John 4:1–6
The visitor arrived at the church carrying a large Bible, a polished smile, and the sort of confidence that made ordinary conversation seem too small for him. Before the meeting began, he told several people that God had sent him with “a fresh word for this congregation.” He said it quietly, but not so quietly that anyone missed it.
By the time he stood to speak, expectation had filled the room. He told stories of remarkable dreams, sudden healings, and distant places where crowds had listened to him for hours. His voice rose and fell at precisely the right moments. Even the ceiling fan appeared to slow down and pay attention.
Near the back sat Miriam, who had followed Christ for many years. She had no theological degree, no dramatic testimony, and no gift for making a room lean forward. She did, however, have a Bible with loose pages, crowded margins, and a binding held together by determined strips of tape.
The visitor began speaking about Jesus. At first, everything sounded familiar. Then the words shifted. Jesus, he said, had come mainly to show us the divine power hidden inside every human being. Sin was not guilt before a holy God but ignorance of our true spiritual greatness. The cross was an inspiring picture of sacrifice, not the place where Christ bore the judgment deserved by sinners.
People nodded. The speaker was sincere, impressive, and very difficult to interrupt.
Miriam looked down at her Bible. She turned to 1 John, then to the Gospel of John, then to several other passages. After the meeting, while others gathered around the visitor, she approached one of the church leaders.
“He says many beautiful things,” she said, “but I do not think he is speaking about the Jesus the apostles knew.”
The leader hesitated. “But surely you felt the power in the room?”
Miriam glanced at the ceiling fan. “I felt moving air. The rest we should test.”
That quiet answer brings us very near to John’s command: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.” John does not tell Christians to despise spiritual claims, nor does he tell us to accept them simply because they sound sincere. He commands us to test them.
Sincerity is not the same as truth. A person may be deeply convinced and deeply mistaken. Eloquence is not the same as truth. Error is often most dangerous when it is expressed beautifully. Spiritual intensity is not the same as truth either. Strong feelings may accompany what is true, but they cannot establish it.
John places the decisive test on Jesus Christ. Does the teaching confess the Son as He has truly come in the flesh? This is more than repeating the name “Jesus.” It means confessing the eternal Son who became genuinely human without ceasing to be God—the Christ proclaimed by the apostles, crucified for sinners, raised bodily, and reigning as Lord.
False teaching often keeps Christian words while quietly changing their meaning. It may praise Jesus as teacher, example, prophet, healer, or guide while denying His deity, His incarnation, His atoning death, His resurrection, or His exclusive authority. John does not permit us to replace the real Christ with a more fashionable one and then call the result Christianity.
This is why discernment requires Scripture. The command to test assumes a standard outside ourselves. Our feelings, private impressions, traditions, and admiration for a speaker must all stand beneath the apostolic Word. The question is not merely, “Did this move me?” but, “Is this faithful to what God has revealed?”
Discernment, however, should not make us proud or permanently suspicious. John writes to reassure believers: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Our safety does not rest on our cleverness. God preserves His people through His Spirit and His Word. We test humbly, knowing that we too can misunderstand and need correction.
Not every mistake makes someone a false prophet. Faithful believers can be wrong and then receive correction. The deeper danger is persistent teaching that claims spiritual authority while leading people away from the apostolic Christ. Such a voice may be popular, warm, and persuasive. It may fill a room. It must still be tested.
Miriam’s worn Bible was not impressive beside the visitor’s performance. But it gave her something far better than an impression: a trustworthy measure. True discernment does not extinguish joy; it guards the church’s joy by refusing to let a counterfeit Christ take the place of the living Lord who saves sinners. The church does not need colder hearts. It needs hearts warmed by truth, minds governed by Scripture, and eyes fixed on the Jesus who truly came in the flesh.
#HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #WalkingInTheLight #1John4
#9 Test the Spirits
(Walking in the Light: Studies Through 1 John)
Scripture References: 1 John 4:1–6
The visitor arrived at the church carrying a large Bible, a polished smile, and the sort of confidence that made ordinary conversation seem too small for him. Before the meeting began, he told several people that God had sent him with “a fresh word for this congregation.” He said it quietly, but not so quietly that anyone missed it.
By the time he stood to speak, expectation had filled the room. He told stories of remarkable dreams, sudden healings, and distant places where crowds had listened to him for hours. His voice rose and fell at precisely the right moments. Even the ceiling fan appeared to slow down and pay attention.
Near the back sat Miriam, who had followed Christ for many years. She had no theological degree, no dramatic testimony, and no gift for making a room lean forward. She did, however, have a Bible with loose pages, crowded margins, and a binding held together by determined strips of tape.
The visitor began speaking about Jesus. At first, everything sounded familiar. Then the words shifted. Jesus, he said, had come mainly to show us the divine power hidden inside every human being. Sin was not guilt before a holy God but ignorance of our true spiritual greatness. The cross was an inspiring picture of sacrifice, not the place where Christ bore the judgment deserved by sinners.
People nodded. The speaker was sincere, impressive, and very difficult to interrupt.
Miriam looked down at her Bible. She turned to 1 John, then to the Gospel of John, then to several other passages. After the meeting, while others gathered around the visitor, she approached one of the church leaders.
“He says many beautiful things,” she said, “but I do not think he is speaking about the Jesus the apostles knew.”
The leader hesitated. “But surely you felt the power in the room?”
Miriam glanced at the ceiling fan. “I felt moving air. The rest we should test.”
That quiet answer brings us very near to John’s command: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.” John does not tell Christians to despise spiritual claims, nor does he tell us to accept them simply because they sound sincere. He commands us to test them.
Sincerity is not the same as truth. A person may be deeply convinced and deeply mistaken. Eloquence is not the same as truth. Error is often most dangerous when it is expressed beautifully. Spiritual intensity is not the same as truth either. Strong feelings may accompany what is true, but they cannot establish it.
John places the decisive test on Jesus Christ. Does the teaching confess the Son as He has truly come in the flesh? This is more than repeating the name “Jesus.” It means confessing the eternal Son who became genuinely human without ceasing to be God—the Christ proclaimed by the apostles, crucified for sinners, raised bodily, and reigning as Lord.
False teaching often keeps Christian words while quietly changing their meaning. It may praise Jesus as teacher, example, prophet, healer, or guide while denying His deity, His incarnation, His atoning death, His resurrection, or His exclusive authority. John does not permit us to replace the real Christ with a more fashionable one and then call the result Christianity.
This is why discernment requires Scripture. The command to test assumes a standard outside ourselves. Our feelings, private impressions, traditions, and admiration for a speaker must all stand beneath the apostolic Word. The question is not merely, “Did this move me?” but, “Is this faithful to what God has revealed?”
Discernment, however, should not make us proud or permanently suspicious. John writes to reassure believers: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Our safety does not rest on our cleverness. God preserves His people through His Spirit and His Word. We test humbly, knowing that we too can misunderstand and need correction.
Not every mistake makes someone a false prophet. Faithful believers can be wrong and then receive correction. The deeper danger is persistent teaching that claims spiritual authority while leading people away from the apostolic Christ. Such a voice may be popular, warm, and persuasive. It may fill a room. It must still be tested.
Miriam’s worn Bible was not impressive beside the visitor’s performance. But it gave her something far better than an impression: a trustworthy measure. True discernment does not extinguish joy; it guards the church’s joy by refusing to let a counterfeit Christ take the place of the living Lord who saves sinners. The church does not need colder hearts. It needs hearts warmed by truth, minds governed by Scripture, and eyes fixed on the Jesus who truly came in the flesh.
#HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #WalkingInTheLight #1John4
Holy Wit – Reflections
#9 Test the Spirits
(Walking in the Light: Studies Through 1 John)
Scripture References: 1 John 4:1–6
The visitor arrived at the church carrying a large Bible, a polished smile, and the sort of confidence that made ordinary conversation seem too small for him. Before the meeting began, he told several people that God had sent him with “a fresh word for this congregation.” He said it quietly, but not so quietly that anyone missed it.
By the time he stood to speak, expectation had filled the room. He told stories of remarkable dreams, sudden healings, and distant places where crowds had listened to him for hours. His voice rose and fell at precisely the right moments. Even the ceiling fan appeared to slow down and pay attention.
Near the back sat Miriam, who had followed Christ for many years. She had no theological degree, no dramatic testimony, and no gift for making a room lean forward. She did, however, have a Bible with loose pages, crowded margins, and a binding held together by determined strips of tape.
The visitor began speaking about Jesus. At first, everything sounded familiar. Then the words shifted. Jesus, he said, had come mainly to show us the divine power hidden inside every human being. Sin was not guilt before a holy God but ignorance of our true spiritual greatness. The cross was an inspiring picture of sacrifice, not the place where Christ bore the judgment deserved by sinners.
People nodded. The speaker was sincere, impressive, and very difficult to interrupt.
Miriam looked down at her Bible. She turned to 1 John, then to the Gospel of John, then to several other passages. After the meeting, while others gathered around the visitor, she approached one of the church leaders.
“He says many beautiful things,” she said, “but I do not think he is speaking about the Jesus the apostles knew.”
The leader hesitated. “But surely you felt the power in the room?”
Miriam glanced at the ceiling fan. “I felt moving air. The rest we should test.”
That quiet answer brings us very near to John’s command: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.” John does not tell Christians to despise spiritual claims, nor does he tell us to accept them simply because they sound sincere. He commands us to test them.
Sincerity is not the same as truth. A person may be deeply convinced and deeply mistaken. Eloquence is not the same as truth. Error is often most dangerous when it is expressed beautifully. Spiritual intensity is not the same as truth either. Strong feelings may accompany what is true, but they cannot establish it.
John places the decisive test on Jesus Christ. Does the teaching confess the Son as He has truly come in the flesh? This is more than repeating the name “Jesus.” It means confessing the eternal Son who became genuinely human without ceasing to be God—the Christ proclaimed by the apostles, crucified for sinners, raised bodily, and reigning as Lord.
False teaching often keeps Christian words while quietly changing their meaning. It may praise Jesus as teacher, example, prophet, healer, or guide while denying His deity, His incarnation, His atoning death, His resurrection, or His exclusive authority. John does not permit us to replace the real Christ with a more fashionable one and then call the result Christianity.
This is why discernment requires Scripture. The command to test assumes a standard outside ourselves. Our feelings, private impressions, traditions, and admiration for a speaker must all stand beneath the apostolic Word. The question is not merely, “Did this move me?” but, “Is this faithful to what God has revealed?”
Discernment, however, should not make us proud or permanently suspicious. John writes to reassure believers: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Our safety does not rest on our cleverness. God preserves His people through His Spirit and His Word. We test humbly, knowing that we too can misunderstand and need correction.
Not every mistake makes someone a false prophet. Faithful believers can be wrong and then receive correction. The deeper danger is persistent teaching that claims spiritual authority while leading people away from the apostolic Christ. Such a voice may be popular, warm, and persuasive. It may fill a room. It must still be tested.
Miriam’s worn Bible was not impressive beside the visitor’s performance. But it gave her something far better than an impression: a trustworthy measure. True discernment does not extinguish joy; it guards the church’s joy by refusing to let a counterfeit Christ take the place of the living Lord who saves sinners. The church does not need colder hearts. It needs hearts warmed by truth, minds governed by Scripture, and eyes fixed on the Jesus who truly came in the flesh.
#HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #WalkingInTheLight #1John4
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