v.1 – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

“Test,” Gk. δοκιμάζω (dokimazō), “to evaluate”

“spirits,” Gk. πνεῦμα (pneuma), “the underlying spirit of a teacher or preacher”

vs.2-3 – “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”

Truth: “If we don’t get Jesus right, we get everything else wrong.”

Gal. 1:8 – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

Two Important Distinctions Concerning the Identity of Jesus

1. Jesus is God

Jn. 1:1; Jn. 8:58; Heb. 1:8; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3; Is. 9:6; Rev. 1:8

1 Jn. 5:20 – “He is the true God and eternal life.”

2. Jesus is Human

1 Tim. 3:16 – “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

Jn. 5:30; 1 Jn. 4:2

Divine Impassability: God can undergo no change (Ja. 1:17).

Hypostatic Union: The union of the divine nature and the human nature in the person Jesus Christ.

“It’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship.”

v.4 – “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

1 Tim. 4:1 – “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.”

vs.5-6 – “They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

2 Tim. 4:1-5 – “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”