Verifying That A Message Is From God

I John 4:1-8

During the Second World War, intercepted messages were sometimes changed before being sent to their intended recipients. As a result specific codes were employed to enable the recipient to verify that the message was legitimate. Several battles were lost because someone failed to verify that the orders received were valid. It is just as critical that we verify what we are told in our efforts to serve Christ. John warns of the need to check what we are told.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1)

Paul Reminded the Corinthians that Satan was originally an angel of light and still appears as such. As a result it shouldn’t surprise us that his servants and followers disguise themselves as ministers of the truth. II Corinthians 11:14-15 declares, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” II Peter 2 warns that they will be right among us, pretending to be part of us in their effort to destroy us.

John is specific that we need to test the spirit driving the speaker to see if it is of God, because Satan has so many false teachers and prophets. Because Satan is so deceptive, John gives several tests to identify false teachers. He teaches us how to fulfill Paul’s instruction in I Corinthians 14:29, regarding prophecy. “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.” The first test is what do they teach about Christ.

“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (I John 4:2-3)

Do they believe that Jesus Christ is only natural son of God come in the flesh to save mankind? If they do not, they are not of God. They can believe that Christ is a great teacher and prophet, but if they do not believe that he is the only way of salvation, they are not of God. They are against Christ.

The second test is of the power behind the life. Romans 8:2 tells us we are free from the power of sin “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” As a result, Romans 6:12 commands, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” We have the power to “Just say ‘No’,” as Nancy Reagan said.

II Peter 2:19 says that these false prophets promise victory over sin, but cannot attain it themselves. “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” The fact that they never attain victory is proof that it is not the Holy Spirit leading them. Following them will only lead to slavery. For example, Alcoholics Anonymous is often referred to as a Christian organization, but they tell people they will always be Alcoholics and must continue in the program to keep from drinking, making them slaves to the program. Check out the results of of the teachings.

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (I John 4:4)

Check out the message. Is it based on the world’s ideas? Many so called Christian Psychologists base their teachings on the world’s psychology, quoting scriptures that seem to support their teachings. What is the main emphasis of their teaching. If they are of the world, their focus will be on worldly things, because that is what they understand.

“They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” (I John 4:5)

Sometimes they are able to make their message so closely resemble God’s that we are unsure whether it is or not. If the teaching is popular among people who have little or no interest in serving God, it isn’t from God. Check out the followers to see what the message really is.

The fourth way of determining whether a speaker is lead by the Holy Spirit or an evil spirit is their response to the Word of God. If they reject the scripture for something else, John says we know they are not of God. The teaching is intended to promote wrong.

“We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (I John 4:6)

Someone who teaches that there is another way of salvation than through faith in Christ, rejecting John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,” is not of God, regardless of his titles or reputation. Neither is the spirit which insists on speaking in tongues contrary to God’s instructions in I Corinthians 14:27-28. If he can’t understand that it is God’s command, he doesn’t know what he is talking about, according to verses 37 and 38.

The final test to determine whether a message is from God is the attitude with which it is delivered. If it is not delivered with an attitude of love, it is not from God. Most of I John is devoted to the subject of Christian love, and John reiterates his comment that a lack of love clearly denotes a lack of knowledge of God.

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (I John 4:7-8)

I Corinthians 11:1-14 cites reasons why men shouldn’t have long hair and women should. Verse 15 stresses that although those reasons are true, God has not set such a standard, and his churches should not. We need to be sure that it is God’s message, not just whether it appears to be true. Even prophets of God can make false claims. In Deuteronomy, God gave a means of testing the Old Testament prophets. Here he has given a means of testing those in our day. Paul warned of false teachers and fake letters purporting to be from the apostles in II Thessalonians 2:2. Test the spirit behind the message for your own protection.