673 - Les Feldick Bible Study - Lesson 1 Part 1 Book 57 - Believe Not Every Spirit

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 1 * PART 1 * BOOK 57 Believe Not Every Spirit I John 4:1-10 We’ve come all the way up through the Scriptures, pretty much chapter and verse, and now we’re in I John chapter 4. Now with that, let’s just begin with verse 1, and notice John begins with the word "beloved," because he calls his flock "little children." I John 4:1a "Beloved, believe not every spirit, (what a warning, even for today) but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God:…." Now you’ve got to realize the world has been pummeled with false teaching ever since Paul was beginning his ministry. All right, so he says to test the spirits because so many false prophets, or as we saw earlier in II Peter, false teachers, have gone out into the world. Matthew 24:1a "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple:.…" Now verse 3. Matthew 24:3 (age) Now verse 4. Matthew 24:4 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man (underline that next word. deceive you." Deception. Give people about 80% of truth and then slip in 20% of abject error and it’ll win every time. All right, now let’s show you how Paul warns us in II Corinthians. II Corinthians chapter 11, and what a warning! Jesus said, "Don’t be deceived." John says, "Test the spirit" so that you know you’re not listening to a false or a counterfeit spirit. Now here’s how Paul puts it. Drop down to verse 13. II Corinthians 11:13 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, (same word Jesus used in Matthew 24, don’t be deceived) transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." What are these false teachers going to do? Oh they’re going to talk about Jesus. The Law. Leviticus 5:2 "Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase (that is a dead animal) of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty." All right, come on down to verse 5. Leviticus 5:5 Leviticus 5:6 Now goodness sakes, that’s biblical. It’s Scripture. All the rest of Scripture is profitable if you use it in the right way, but you can’t just open a verse of Scripture and say, "Well, that’s what the Bible says, and that’s what I’m doing." All right, back to II Corinthians so that you see how the Apostle Paul is writing to his Gentile believers. II Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 14 is the key. The "god of this world" as Paul calls him in chapter 4 in this little book. The "god of this world" is an expert on confusing the issues. He’s an expert at using the Word of God to send people off in the wrong direction. God is particular. God is an exclusivist. God expects us to hit the bulls-eye. That’s why we have the Word of God. Satan is a master at getting people to miss the bulls-eye. All right, so read it again. Sounds so good, but it’s deception) 15. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers (those people under his control and they’re legion. That word just throws a curve at us. Satan will promote the most beautiful things on earth if it will get people’s attention to come his way instead of God’s way. Beautiful buildings. Libraries. Parks. Things that you cannot point from Scripture and call them wicked. But the end result – Satan’s the winner. Okay, back to I John chapter 4. Verse 1 again. I John 4:1a Line them up with the Book) but try (or test)the spirits whether they are of God:…." Test the spirits whether they are of God. I John 4:1b-3 "...because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of anti-christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." What is the true anti-christ? All right, reading verse 3 again. II Thessalonians chapter 2 and come down to verse 7. already work:.…" It was already out there doing its work, even in Paul’s day. In verse 2 he’s speaking of the positive side, those who have recognized that Jesus is the Christ - they are of course being influenced by the true Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will make it manifest that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. "Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of anti-christ…" Not with blatant opposition necessarily, but underhandedly deceiving the people. And that’s the way Satan likes to work. Are we listening to the Holy Spirit? Or are we listening to one of Satan’s spirits? Every day people are calling, and I have to tell them to run from that false teaching! Just simply search the Scriptures, and when you hear something, see if it lines up with Paul’s teachings. If not, run from it. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible