There is a Baptist church on the west side of Spokane, the pastor of which I tried to establish some fellowship. We were getting along fine for a year or so, having coffee once in a while, until several of us attended a meeting at his church in which there were several other preachers from his association. It hadn’t come out earlier, but listening to the visitors, it became clear that they were “New Lights.”
The term “New Light” has been around for at least three centuries, but it has morphed into different shapes throughout the years. These particular people have taken J.R. Graves and “Landmarkism” to its most extreme limits. They have “new light” to share with ignorant people like me and you. As with my Spokane acquaintance, they don’t reveal their true colors quickly or clearly. As a result I may not have some of what they believe exactly as they might express it.
But these “New Lights” appear to believe that to be in Christ one must be a member of a scriptural church. It has to be a Baptist church, but not just any Baptist church; you must belong to one of their churches. You see, the church is the body of Christ, so to be in Christ’s body you must be in the right church. And their’s is the only scriptural church. Furthermore the Holy Spirit ministers only in a true church, so He can’t be found in any but their churches. And only members of their churches possess the Spirit, and He may not minister through them outside of their church services. Since salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit, the only evangelism which is effective in their church. And ultimately, there are no true Christians outside the membership of one of their churches. Fortunately, they have some sort of Baptist purgatory: an “outer darkness” to eventually help you and me. I have read that some believe that only in their churches can a person even pray, because only there can the Holy Spirit be found.
I doubt that this kind of heresy was found in John’s day, but this is just one form of many around today. So John tells his readers, and the Holy Spirit tells us: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Let’s briefly consider John’s warning. He says, beloved, believe not every spirit. Beware, because you are being besieged with lies.
Beloved.
John likes to employ the term “beloved.” He uses it eight times. There are modern preachers who say “beloved” almost as often as they say “amen?” “AMEN?” Many of them use those words out of habit – or for effect. And you are probably aware that I don’t use either very often.
But when John says “beloved,” it is almost always at the introduction of an important statement. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.” “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.”
When John writes “beloved,” he wants to get people’s attention. “Beloved, this is important.”
Believe not every spirit.
When I was first saved, I was as hungry as a new born baby. I read just about anything with the word “Christian” on it. The Lord was kind to me and didn’t let me get below some moderately good material. But it would have been helpful for me to hear: “Beloved, believe not every spirit,” and then to be given some doctrinally sound literature which took me back to my Bible.
John has just referred to the Holy Spirit in chapter 3 without the adjective “holy.” Here he uses the same Greek word, but it is no way related to the Holy Spirit. And while it is not incorrect to think he is referring to demonic spirits, John specifies his warning. “Beloved, believe not every spirit… because many FALSE PROPHETS are gone out into the world.” Would it be improper for me to say, “Beware of the prophets with new light to share?”
You are probably familiar with the last few words of the Word of God. (Please turn to Revelation 22.) John, the writer of our epistle, closes the Revelation of Jesus Christ, saying, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” The final words of God’s Word remind us to watch for the return of the Saviour. I, personally, am not looking for the seven year, or the three and a half year, tribulation. I am looking for the return of Christ. After that, John concludes with the usual apostolic benediction: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
But notice what he says just prior to that in Revelation 22:18: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” This is not the only place in the Bible where we have warnings and commands like this. We don’t need “new light” to take us beyond the light God has already given us. Just because someone claims to be a prophet of God doesn’t mean that he is. He may be a liar or he might be deceiving himself.
John reminds us that we’ve been warned about these people before. And one of those warnings comes from the lips of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:15. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Beloved, believe not every spirit; put them to proper tests – “try” them before you believe them. This Greek word is translated “try” four times, and “prove” or “approve” more than three times as often. How can we do that? What sort of tests should we apply to the preachers and prophets we hear? Thankfully, it is not up to us to devise the test; it is not about our knowledge of the Bible or our ability to think. The primary sphere of testing must come from the Word of God, as applied by the Holy Spirit.
One problem we have is that there are so many different kinds of false prophets. In John’s day there were heretics and heresies which are almost unheard of today. Why does John refer to the test: “that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?” It is because he was in battle against Docetic Gnostics and the followers of Cerinthus. Some technical commentators describe these heretics in detail. But, while interesting, spending much time on these would not be profitable to most of us. Suffice it to say that people have denied that Jesus was the Christ and others denied Christ became flesh.
We don’t need to understand those heretics, but we do need to know “that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” It was necessary that the Son of God become flesh to become one of us and thus a worthy substitute for us. It was in the flesh that God’s anointed servant, the Christ, died for us. And there is a sense in which Christ’s human love blended with the divine love to produce our salvation. In other words, the incarnation of the Son of God is essential doctrine. He had to become the Son of Man as well as the Son of God. Perhaps you don’t need to fear of someone taking that from you, but at the same time it is something worth studying and cherishing.
So John tells us that one test to apply to these wolves in sheep’s clothing is the Doctrine of Christ. But in order for us to use that test properly we need to be in close fellowship with the Lord. And that involves abiding in the Word of God, and abiding in the vine, the Lord Jesus. A couple weeks ago, Judy and I visited a replica of the fort built by Daniel Boone in central Kentucky. If there had been gaping holes and logs missing from the exterior walls, the Shawnee would have been more successful in their attacks. We need to shore up our defenses with God’s Word, God’s Spirit and more fellowship with God’s Son.
John says, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God…” We might say, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, and the spirit of antichrist…” “Every spirit that says baptism is a means to salvation from sin – is not of God.” “Every spirit that says only the members of my particular church are children of God – is not of God.” “Every spirit that says only I can properly interpret God’s Word for you – is not of God.” On and on we could go.
Beloved, understand and beware that you are being besieged with false doctrine.
“Many false prophets are gone out into the world…” Once again, John makes reference to “the world.” “Love not the world, neither the prophets and doctrines of the world… For all that is in the world… is not of God the Father.” Oh and by the way, “the world passeth away and the heresies thereof, but he that doeth the will of God and believeth the truth of God abideth for ever.”
“This is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” Notice that John uses the word “already,” which is elsewhere rendered “now,” and “even now.” First John was written somewhere between 85 and 110 AD: less than a century after the crucifixion. It did not take Satan long to get into the “Christian false doctrine” business. And he has been perfecting his craft for more than two thousand years. Beware, beloved.
“Many false prophets are gone out into the world…” “Gone out” is a word that can mean “expelled” – like an exile, or it could refer to a willing departure. But some scholars say it can also mean “sent out” – like an evil ambassador or missionary. From day #1 and now for two millennia Satan has been sending out his evil ambassadors. And just when we think we have identified one variety of heresy, here come two more. Just when we believe we can recognize the false doctrine in that other religion or sect, here comes a heretic claiming to be a fundamental Baptist. My acquaintance from the west side of Spokane is not the only “Baptist” with false doctrine. We also know another on the east side of Spokane.
But why hasn’t God stopped this onslaught of heresy? He certainly could have done that. There must be a purpose for letting it go on. There are probably many reasons. But I think that one reason could be His testing of our willingness to test. “Ye are of God, little children, and have over come them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” The indwelling Holy Spirit is greater than any infidel. But how is our fellowship with the Spirit? Remember: one of the reasons John wrote this letter is to give us various tests to apply to ourselves that we might know that we are children of God. Certainly, it is not true of everyone, but I John 2:19 applies to many who have passed through these doors: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
As John tells us, we all have a personal responsibility to beware and be wary of misleading spirits. But I Corinthians 12:10 reminds us that the Lord has placed people in His churches whose commission is to discern spirits on behalf of that church. “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” You need to pray for me, as your pastor, as I pray for you. “Beloved, believe not every spirit.” Pray that I’ll be able to see and that I’ll be bold enough to point to potential problems, applying the proper tests. Believe me, I do not profess to be immune from temptations to following fads, popular ideas and false doctrines. I need the Lord’s direction and therefore I need your prayers.
Satan is most likely aware that his time is short. He is fighting against God Himself. But with no ability to touch the Lord, he focuses on you and me. And he knows that if he can destroy the Lord’s churches, he stifles evangelism and silences saints. “Beloved, believe not every spirit,” because as ye have heard, “the spirit of antichrist” is working in the world, even as we speak.