D-11. 1 John 4:1-6 What does TRY the spirits TRULY MEAN? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. D-11. 1 John 4:1-6 What does TRY the spirits TRULY MEAN?
Welcome to part 3 of this series of studies to learn the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church. In parts one and two we learned that the FOUNDATIONAL teaching of the church is that Jesus is the CHRIST, the Son of the living God. We also learned that we are to take heed HOW we build the church on the ONLY foundation that is already laid by Jesus and his Apostles during the first century church. And in part 3 our focus will be on the DOCTRINE of Christ to learn WHAT the doctrine of Christ truly teaches us. So let us begin this study in God’s word by reading 1 John 4:1-6 without any comments first. And then, I will add my comments to share what I have come to believe this passage of Scripture means when it is correctly interpreted in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
1 John 4:1-6.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2. Hereby, you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. 3. And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5. They are of the world: therefore. They speak of the world, and the world hears them. 6. We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby, we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
In this passage of Scripture we can see TWO groups of Christians.
Christians in group #1.
Christians in group #1 are described in 1 John 4:6 who are of God because they truly KNOW who God is. And every Christian who is of God will HEAR what Christians in group #1 have to teach concerning the “doctrine” of Christ. And Christians who are not of God will NOT hear what Christians in group #1 have to teach concerning who Jesus is, according to the Bible itself. And by understanding which Christians are of God, then we can KNOW the Spirit of TRUTH from the spirit of ERROR. Keep in mind that the phrase “NOT of God” does NOT mean that they are not true born-again Christians just because they are listening to the spirit of ERROR to not truly know God and His Son, Jesus. But rather, the phrase “not of God” simply means that they are not truly listening to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of TRUTH. Let us read verse 6 again.
1 John 4:6.
“We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby, we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
Christians in group #2. Christians in group #2 are Christians who use the philosophical reasoning of the world, which is why THEY are of the WORLD. Please read 1 John 4:5 again.
1 John 4:5.
“THEY are of the world, therefore, THEY speak of the world, and the world hears them.” In other words, other Christians who are of the world will HEAR the Christians in group #2 who are also of the world. So then, who are these other Christians of the world? Let us COMPARE Scripture with Scripture to find out who those “antichrist” Christians are.
Please read 1 John 2:18-29.
“Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists; whereby, we know that it is the last time. 19. THEY went out FROM us, but THEY were NOT of us; for if 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. (Here in verse 19, we see that some Christians SPLIT off FROM the one true church to form their OWN church denomination which I believe is referring to the Oneness Pentecostal Christians who do not TRULY believe that Jesus came in the FLESH. They were once a part of group #1 who correctly teach that Jesus came in the FLESH. But then they went OUT FROM Group #1 to form group #2 because they did not TRY the spirits to see which Spirit is of God and which spirit is of Satan, the Devil that teaches doctrines of devils) 20. But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21. I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22. Who is a LIAR but he that DENIES that Jesus is the Christ? He is an antichrist, that DENIES the Father AND the Son. 23. Whoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: (But) he that acknowledges the Son has the Father ALSO. (And Oneness Pentecostal Christians do not TRULY believe that Jesus is a SEPARATE person from the Father even though some may CLAIM that they do believe that Jesus is a separate person from the Father. I will explain WHY I say this in a moment, right after we finish reading this passage of Scripture) 24. Let that, therefore, abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall CONTINUE in the Son, AND in the Father. 25. And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life. 26. These things have I written unto you concerning them that SEDUCE you. 27. But the anointing which you have received of him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him. 28. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29. If you know that he is righteous, you know that every one that does righteousness is born of him.”
Now, the reason that I say that Oneness Pentecostal Christians do not TRULY believe that Jesus came in the FLESH is because they do not TRULY believe that Jesus is a SEPARATE different person from Almighty God the Father. But rather, THEY believe that Jesus is Almighty God the Father Himself in the FLESH having TWO natures at the SAME time, one divine and one human. Again, they may say or claim that Jesus is a separate person, but their CLAIM that Jesus is a separate person CONTRADICTS what they teach about the ONE TRUE God being ONE PERSON. For you see, how could Jesus be Almighty God Himself in the FLESH and also be a SEPARATE person from the Father. You cannot have ONE God in ONE person and ALSO believe that BOTH the Father AND the Son are the SAME Almighty God in ONE person when you CLAIM that the Son is a SEPARATE person from the Father. And when Christians in group #2, speaking of the Oneness Pentecostal Christians, finally figured this out, then THEY split off from each other and the doctrine of the Trinity was invented by THOSE Christians of the WORLD who used the PHILOSOPHY of the Greeks. And thus, the doctrine of the Trinity is ALSO an antichrist teaching that was NOT taught by Jesus or by his Apostles. And here is why I say this. Simply read for yourselves what the very Apostles of Jesus believed and taught us in SIMPLICITY in Hebrews 2:1-18. I will only quote Hebrews 2:1-14, and you can read the whole chapter on your own later.
Hebrews 2:1-14.
“Therefore, we OUGHT to give the most earnest HEED to the things which we have HEARD, lest at any time, we should let them SLIP. (In other words, we MUST give our most earnest HEED to what the Apostles of Jesus teach us in the New Testament lest the TRUTH slips away from us) 2. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; 3. How shall we escape, if we NEGLECT so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (And what did Jesus teach us in John 17:1-3 right before the cross and resurrection? Jesus taught us in SIMPLICITY that the Father is the ONLY TRUE God and that the Son was SENT or COMMISSION by the Father. And Jesus added that THIS teaching is ETERNAL LIFE. So how shall we escape judgment if we NEGLECT this great salvation by letting the TRUTH slip away from us?) 4. God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will? 5. For unto the angels He has NOT PUT in subjection the world to come, whereof we SPEAK. (But rather, God highly exalted and PUT His HUMAN Son in charge of the world to come. Jesus will rule in the FIRST DOMINION for only 1000 years and then step down from ruling over the earth. And from henceforth after the 1000 year reign of Jesus, Almighty God will rule, according to Micah 4:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-28) 6. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is MAN, that You are mindful of him? Or the SON of MAN, that You visit him? (Here we see the writer of Hebrews quoting a PROPHECY of Jesus from Psalm 8:4-6) 7. You MADE him a little LOWER than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, and did set him over the works of Your hands: (Now, simply ask yourself the question, “Are any of the angels EQUAL with Almighty God?” No! Absolutely NOT! So then, how could Jesus be Almighty God Himself in the flesh when His God MADE the Son of MAN to be a little LOWER that the angels? So we ought to give the most earnest HEED as to how we build the church. We must build the church on the TRUE FOUNDATION that was laid by Jesus and the very Apostles of Jesus. And according to Psalm 8:5 and Hebrew 2:1-14, the Apostles saw or understood Jesus to be MADE a little LOWER than the angels, and then, after the cross and resurrection God CROWNED him with glory and honor after. For you see, God set or put His human Son to be over the world to come after His SLAIN LAMB was found WORTHY to RECEIVE power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing) 8. You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see NOT YET all things put under him. (Now, if the Apostles taught that Jesus is Almighty God in the FLESH, then how could all things NOT YET be UNDER an Almighty God, the HIGHEST power and authority there is? The TRUTH is that the Apostles did NOT teach us that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the FLESH. But rather, the very Apostles of Jesus teach us the TRUE Jesus in the following verses of Scripture) 9. But we see Jesus, who was MADE a little LOWER than the angels for the suffering of death, CROWNED with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10. For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to MAKE the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11. For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN. 12. Saying, I will declare Your name unto my BRETHREN, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto You. 13. And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God has GIVEN me. 14. Forasmuch then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the SAME; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”
So then, clearly God CHOSE to use a MAN to suffer and die for the sins of the world to DESTROY that angel Satan called the Devil. But some Christians argue that if you do not believe that Almighty God Himself came in the FLESH then you are an antichrist. And that is due to Christians NOT being taught what the word “Christ” TRULY means. We have already learned that Christ means the Messiah and the Christ also mean ANOINTED. So instead of using the word “Christ” in those passages of Scripture that teach us about WHO the antichrist Christians are, let us use the MEANING of Christ to say Jesus ANOINTED as opposed to saying Jesus Christ. In other words, it is anti ANOINTING to teach that the ANOINTING did not come in the FLESH of Jesus. With that being said, let us read all three passages of Scripture teaching us about the antichrist Christians in group #2. But since we already just covered 1 John 2:18-29 you can replace the word Christ with the word ANOINTING on your own after we read 1 John 4:1-6 and 2 John 1:4-11.
1 John 4:1-6.
“Beloved, believe NOT every spirit, but TRY the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (Or man anti ANOINTING deceivers are gone out into the world) 2. Hereby, you KNOW the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus ANOINTING has come in the FLESH is of God. 3. And every spirit that confesses NOT that Jesus ANOINTING has come in the FLESH is NOT of God, and this is that spirit of anti ANOINTING, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (Or because greater is the ANOINTING that is in you than the spirit of devils that is in the world speaking in the ears of them who are deceived that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the FLESH) 5. They are of the world: therefore, they speak of the world, and the world hears them. 6. We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby, we know the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
2 John 1:4-11.
“I rejoiced greatly that I found your children walking in TRUTH, as we have RECEIVED a commandment from the Father. 5. And now I beseech you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, that, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. 7. For many DECEIVERS are entered into the world, who confess NOT that Jesus ANOINTED has come in the FLESH. This is a deceiver and an anti ANOINTING. 8. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9. Whosoever transgresses, and abides NOT in the DOCTRINE of ANOINTING, has not God. He that abides in the doctrine of ANOINTING, he has BOTH the Father AND the Son. 10. If there come any unto you, and bring not THIS doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11. For he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
So then, ALL Christians confess that they sincerely believe that Jesus is the CHRIST, the Son of the living God, but yet, they wrongly teach AGAINST the ANOINTING by their teaching that ONLY Jesus can live without sin because Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the FLESH. They are so deceived that they have a hard time seeing that Jesus was TRULY 100% a HUMAN being during the days of his FLESH and that Jesus could do NOTHING of himself, according to John 5:19. They fail to understand that it was Almighty God the Father DWELLING in His HUMAN Son Jesus as the one doing the works THROUGH the OBEDIENCE of His human Son. They lack the understanding that God ANOINTED His human Son with His Holy Spirit and with POWER by coming and DWELLING in His human Son. For you see, they come out from among the very Apostles of Jesus but they were NOT teaching the SAME things as the Apostles of Jesus. They are anti ANOINTING because they WRONGLY teach that Jesus did the works that he did because Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh. And thus, they wrongly teach that ONLY Jesus can heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead, and live without sin, because Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the FLESH. They are anti ANOINTING coming in the FLESH of Jesus, because then they would have to live their lives WITHOUT sin the SAME way that the human Jesus lived his life without sin, THROUGH the power of the eternal Spirit who DWELT in him.
Please read Hebrews 9:14.
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who THROUGH the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Why would an Almighty God offer Himself up to Himself THROUGH the power of Himself? How is it that some Christians do not understand that Almighty God Himself can NOT be TEMPTED? How is it that some Christians blatantly ignore the Scriptures that clearly teach us that Almighty God is NOT a MAN and neither is He the Son of MAN? Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus. So, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading >>>D-0. THE BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of JESUS!<<< And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading >>>C-0. THE TRUE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH!<<< This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
VERSES USED TO TEACH THAT JESUS PREEXISTED!
To me, the best way to know the ONE true God in ONE person is to know who Jesus TRULY is according to the WHOLE word of Almighty God. So please read ALL of the studies under the heading >>>N-0. WHO is JESUS ACCORDING to the BIBLE?<<< and you will see that the Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was CREATED by his God and Father. And if you have any questions related to the correct meaning of certain verses of Scripture on this subject of who Jesus is please read all the studies under the two headings >>>U-0. VERSES used for THE TRINITY!<<< and >>>V-0. VERSES used to TEACH that Jesus PRE-EXISTED!<<< These two headings have ALL of the studies that I have on who Jesus truly is according to what the Bible itself teaches us in simplicity. I compiled these three headings to make it easy for my readers to send just one, two, or three links to those you desire to help understand what the Bible itself teaches concerning who Jesus is in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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