READ: Hosea 9-10; Proverbs 6; 1 John 4
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4: 1 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.
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the
spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is
already in the world.
OBSERVATION: Earlier (in day-261),
we saw about individuals who claimed to be Christ. But, no one has ever claimed
that I am an antichrist. Interestingly, many have been alleged as antichrists
in the last 2000 years. According to the Bible, the antichrist or false messiah
is a person who would appear at the end-times. Our Lord Jesus has already warned
us to beware of the deception of the last days (Mt.14). Apostle Paul cautions
about “deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” that would lead Christians away from Jesus Christ (1 Tim.4:1).
Here, Apostle John tells us to test the spirit behind any teaching before we
believe in it “to see whether they
are from God.” In Deut.18:21-22, God tells us the two ways to recognize false
prophets. In line with that, Apostle John says that accepting Jesus Christ's
humanity and divinity is a criterion to recognize the “Spirit of God.” In
John’s days, a heretical teaching (an early form of Gnostics), which accepted
Jesus’ divinity but rejected his human nature, was circulated among Christians.
Confessing Jesus’ incarnation that
“Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” is a fundamental doctrine of the
Church. The dual nature of Jesus, that he was fully human and fully divine, is
crucial for our salvation. Any teaching that accepts only Jesus’ divine nature
or human nature is not from God.
In the New
Testament, John exclusively uses the word “antichrist” to denote the spirit
that denies Jesus’ true identity (1 John 2:18; 2:22; 4:3; 2 Jn.1:7). John says
that the antichrist is a liar and deceiver who denies the Father and the Son. The
spirit of the antichrist promotes and propagates false teaching, doctrines, and
false Jesus. Eventually, it misguides people to believe something that is not
true according to the bible. People may say that we, too, believe in Jesus and
invite us to join with them. However, as John Stott says, “True faith examines
its object before reposing confidence in it.” So We must exercise our spiritual
discernment to ascertain whether their belief is from God. We should avoid
uncritically and blindly accepting any teaching or being too suspicious to
believe anything. A well-known preacher or pastor or even if “an angel from
heaven” preaches a different gospel or another Jesus, we should not accept it. The
Spirit of truth lives in us and helps to recognize the spirit of falsehood
(Jn.14:17). Let us be careful about the spirit of the antichrist that exists in
the world.
APPLICATION: When I hear
or read any teaching about Jesus, I will check whether the teaching glorifies
God the Father, God the Son who appeared in the flesh, and God the Holy Spirit.
I will test how it helps me remain in Christ and commune with God and whether
it leads to a godly and holy life to love God and his word and show love to
others. My goal is to see the truth of God in the light of God’s word with the
help of the Spirit of truth and believe in it.
PRAYER: Father God,
thank you for the warning and teaching to test the spirit of the antichrist. Jesus,
help me stand against any deceiving teachings that aim to separate me from you.
Holy Spirit, help me discern the spirit of the antichrist and strengthen me to
remain in the truth of God. Amen.
- Arputharaj Samuel
+91 9538328573
Day – 339
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