Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | 1 John 4:1 Beloved, 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world. |
Bible Question: My church teaches us to "test the spirits" when we encounter someone, or something, to be sure it's God guiding us or speaking to us. But I'm missing the instruction on "how" to test the spirits. |
Bible Answer: Hi, God's student! I remember one time meeting this lady from a local congregation that taught something to that afinity... she pronounced that one particular person had a demon in him... this went on for a few weeks... then, one day she was in desperate need of assistance! Take a gander? ...this same person whom she had attested that he had a demon reflecting on his face was the one person that relieved her--his previous sin? He did not go to her place of worship! Granted, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to measure others, but this according to God's Word... when we use our human intellect and prejudice to determine who is in God and who is not we fall prey to our own fallacies and we err not on the side of Christ but on the side of humanity! Besides 1 John 4:1-3 here's another gauge to test the spirits: You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Life by the Spirit So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:13-26) When we rely on the Word of God to test the spirits (including ourselves) the Truth is plainly manifested! God Bless! Angel |