Identifies the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth, contrasting Him with the spirit of error and the spirit of Antichrist. It emphasizes that the presence of the Holy Spirit within believers is evidence of their belonging to God and provides the enablement to live for Him. The core lesson is that believers must test all spirits and teachings against the Word of God and the apostolic witness, particularly by examining whether they confess Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh and exalt His person. The sermon concludes by urging listeners to discern truth by testing whether teachings honor Christ and align with apostolic doctrine, recognizing that the Spirit of God guides into all truth and glorifies Jesus.
Restored with Diffio
Audio restored with Diffio. Diffio processed the original archive recording to reduce noise and produce a cleaner listening version; the original stays available.
Speech quality score (model-estimated, SCOREQ): before 2.22 → restored 4.16
of first John to the end of chapter three tonight in the beginning of our meeting the first epistle of John and reading in the last verse even the last fact of the closing verse in chapter three and hereby we know that he that is God abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try or test and prove the spirit, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the spirit of God. Every spirit and confessor that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit and confessor is not. that Jesus Christ is coming the place is not of God. This is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world. But ye are of God, dear little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
They... are of the world. Therefore speak me of the world and the world heareth then. We, and I believe the apostle is referring to himself and his fellow apostles, we are of God. He that knoweth God heareth or will listen to us. He that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. May God bless the reading and the hearing of his precious word tonight. And you may have noticed, for the first time in the letter, I believe, at the end of chapter three, that beloved Apostle John is led to write concerning the Spirit of God.
I bless the truth relating to the Spirit of God. May I repeat with emphasis, that all the letter that John has written, has written to the family of God, has been in respect to their responsibility to get the evidence that they are saved and that they possess eternal life. May I repeat with emphasis all that we have been studying all so far in the preceding chapters have been John's demands or God's demand for the evidence of being saved and having eternal life and being in fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Now in our portion tonight, he brings a relationship of the Holy Spirit in respect to who he is and what he is to us in the present world. And you may notice, let me just at the end of that reading, at the end of verse six, emphasize what he is bringing before us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. You can take those two words at the end of the last phrase there, the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. And he emphasizes within the world as we go through it, as his dear children.
There is the Spirit of Truth. And I'm sure you know who the Spirit of Truth is. None but the Holy Spirit. And he's called that by the Lord Jesus in John sixteen. But the Spirit of error. For there's much error. And there has been, even in the days of John and the early apostles, there was much error creeping into the church. And did creep. And it has abundantly crept in. And today... We can say safely not only on the conviction of God's word revealing it, but the evidences. There is much today that comes under the title, the spirit of error, meaning wrong teaching.
But there is the spirit of truth, none but the Holy Spirit. But note the end of verse twenty-nine in chapter three. Hereby we know that he that is God. Abideth in us, dwelleth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. How do we know God? Look at what John says. Because his Spirit is within us. The Holy Spirit, if you please. We well know from Scripture.
Unless we have the Spirit of God, we cannot belong to God and be saved. But may I re-emphasize, the moment you and I believed upon the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of God came in us and took his abode with us. You have that? On the authority of the Word of God, Ephesians one thirteen, upon believing that Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit. The pledge of our inheritance and the redemption that we have received.
May I repeat with emphasis, we receive the one who is the Spirit of all truth. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus in John sixteen. He will guide you, he said, into all truth. And so how do we know that God is in us? The Spirit of God came in according to the Word of God. And I tell you, you've got to go by the Word of God, not by the Word of man. He says it. And then also, the Spirit of truth not only reveals that we belong to God, but thank God he dwells in us that we may prove that God lives through us.
He came in us in order that God may live through us. And may I emphasize my own need of it in every one of us, please, let us ever remember. It is the Spirit of God who with his enablement helps us to go on proving and living, if we will, the God who is dwelling within us. Now look as we go to chapter four and recognize with me, first of all, the Spirit of God's twofold witness. Now rather, no, chapter four rather, verse one.
The Spirit of God, down through verse three, contrasted with the Spirit of Antichrist. In other words, to sum it up, chiefly, there's two meaning personalities. in the world. One called the Spirit of Truth, the other the Spirit of error, or the Spirit of Antichrist. Read verse two, if I may, or verse one rather, through verse three. Beloved, now note these exhortations. Believe not every spirit. May I pause for just a moment? Please let me say this. It will be developed.
You and I do not realize that there are false spirits, evil spirits. I don't mean human beings, but angelic beings, led by Satan and all of his hope. Let me quote the words of Ephesians chapter six, verse twelve. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of this world, against wicked spirits who were in high and heavenly places.
Beloved, please recognize and please take in what Paul wrote there in Ephesians chapter six. Our warfare is against not flesh and blood. Wicked spirits. Well, let's read on. beloved believe not every spirit, but try, meaning, prove the spirit, whether they were of God. Why? Because many false prophets, men who teach, should you please, just speaking of men that are wicked, morally or immorally, if the case may be, then it's speaking of false teaching, then it's contrary to the word of God.
And then he re-emphasized the whole word of God is before us as the word of truth. As the Lord Jesus said in John seventeen praying for us. So the Father sanctify them by the truth. And where is the truth? Thy word is truth. Now please let me re-emphasize. All the truth of God, where do you get it? Where should you get it? From His Word. By whom? The Spirit of God.
Can I re-emphasize? Not from a man. No matter who the man is. They may come through a man, but the truth in all of its accuracy comes from God through. and by the Spirit of God, whosoever he may speak truth, but from the Word of Truth the Bible. Can I re-emphasize it? Look, the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is your only guidebook, and you have to test whatever you hear. Is it according to the Word of God?
Well, let's read on. There are many gone out into the world as a false prophet. But hereby know ye the Spirit of God. And this is the test. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ did come in the flesh is of God. Now here is the sacred test. A true testimony by the Holy Spirit. Through whomsoever he may come, will confess the person of Christ. And it says that Jesus, and no, two things about him.
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, and he is of God. Beloved, let me just put it very simply in this way and how true it is. To test the teaching and the preaching of anyone and everyone supposedly being given as the truth is to be guided by this book. And, as you have it right here in verse two, the Spirit of God will confess the person of Christ.
And you know, his deity and his humanity, particularly. Jesus Christ. It's come. No, no. Where do you come from? Who was he when he came? The Son of God, equal with the Father, equal with the Spirit. And his deity is confessed. And then also, that he's a man that has come in the flesh. And may I humbly say, and sadly, there is much today in the testimony of Christendom where men preach and deny his deity.
And where men deny also his perfect humanity. And beloved, may I say to you, as well as to my own heart, whenever you hear a message that is supposed to be the truth, test it. Is this message exalting the person of Christ in his true character? And his true fleshness. The glory of his deity and the perfection of his humanity. belover please let me say the whole book of the Bible is about him and particularly the gospel about go back with me to chapter one please I remember that back in chapter one as the apostle began writing let me go back with you into chapter one and noted chapter one what he wrote saying in verse three.
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And that's where you have been brought and I have been brought as God's dear children. into that such. And look, wherever the person of Christ is not given is proper exaltation and recognition. Well, let's read on in our chapter four, please. We have in verse three the statement that every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God.
Where have ye heard? This is that spirit of Antichrist. Where have ye heard that it should come? May I point out very carefully again, with no apology for the repetition. There are two sources from which we receive all our teaching, according to what John is writing here. In this world, One is directly from the Spirit of God himself. The other is from a person who preaches under the Spirit of Antichrist. Now, let me remind you that you have in chapter two, John, when he was writing to the little children, in the family, he said, there are many Antichrists.
And he also emphasized there's one person coming who will be called the Antichrist. But wherever... Any person is not preaching the truth about the Lord Jesus. He's preaching the spirit of Antichrist, against Christ. But is the test of it? Every spirit that confesses not to Jesus Christ is come in the flesh? It's none of God. And this is the spirit of Antichrist. Now know what John adds. Whereof ye have heard that it should come? And even now already is it in the world.
Now look, John wrote a long time ago, nearly nineteen hundred years ago. And may I humbly say, and truthfully, there's more of a spirit of Antichrist manifested today than ever before, even in what is being taught in the realm of Christ and the Testament, the profession of Christianity. But now please note something in verse four through verse six, as you see. But I'd like to go on and note what we have here. And please let me emphasize again, before going further, the difference between the spirit of Antichrist and the spirit of God.
Goodbye with me to John's Gospel feed for just a moment. I think you've got a good emphasis that will help us, relative when we have to test the spirit who may be speaking. Let me give you the thought. Two sources of the teaching. One the spirit of God, the other the spirit of Antichrist. And they do come through human speaking. But one is of God and the other is unfortunately of Antichrist as we know. But look with me in John chapter sixteen. And here's the test that we can know that it is of the Spirit of God.
Chapter sixteen in John's Gospel, if you please. And I think, if I may read in this sixteen chapter, beginning at verse thirteen, the words of the Lord Jesus as he spoke then, beginning at verse thirteen, how be it when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come? He will guide you into all truth. Let me pause for a moment. It's not the preacher. It's not even myself teaching tonight. Who can guide you into all the truth? The Spirit of God. Make sure you're listening for his voice.
Paul, why? He shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear. that shall he speak and he will show you things to come. Now note the next frame. He shall glorify me. One of the great tests is when you hear the preacher, when you hear the message, did he glorify the Lord Jesus? And speak well of him. I remember a dear brother some years ago, not too many years ago here, a missionary brother visiting. I recalled the ministry that he gave on that occasion to us from the Gospels regarding the life of the Lord Jesus and one portion of it.
And my heart was thrilled because all of it proved he was exalting the Lord Jesus in who he was. in what took place in that event in the Savior's life when he was on the earth. And I tell you, I recognize it was the truth, and he exalted the person of Christ. And one of the great tests of what you listen to, whether on the radio, television, name it anywhere, what goes out, please, was Christ exalted. I remember hearing of a dear man who A traveling sailman in a strange town.
He had to go on that occasion. He had to spend Sunday there. And he went to a certain church. He didn't know anything about the churches in the town. But he went to one. And he came out as a farmer. And he gave the testimony. I never heard Christ name mentioned. And that's possible. But go back to our chapter in First John four. And I want you to note in verses four through six. what John goes on to say. Ye, my little children, you're of God. Note in verse five, please for a moment. They are of the world.
Go to verse six. We are of God. There are three particular people mentioned here. Ye are to whom John is writing, the children of God. In verse five, the ones that the false teachers. He, they are of the world. And then in verse six, we, meaning the apostles, include themselves, each other at the beginning of the book. We, the apostles, are of God. I recognize here at three particular people he's referring to. You to whom he's writing, you and I, they of whom he speaks of and writes about, and of himself with his companion of the teachers.
Now let's go and look at it together. Ye are of God, little children, and note that ye, and have overcome them. That is they that are against Christ. Because he is, the greater is he, that is in you. than he that is in the world. Now, beloved, let's think for a moment, please. Who's in the world? What kind of the world is he referring to? Well, let me go very carefully and very thoroughly. You might as well go to the one who's called the prince of this world and the God of this faith, none other than Satan himself.
He's running the world. We found that in chapter two. He's the God of this world. He's running the world. The whole world lies in the hands of the wicked one. You'll find in chapter five of this epistle. Look, let me put it this way. Where you and I want to grow in grace and follow the laws, where do we get our guidance? Don't get it from the world. Not even from the ecclesiastical world. The secular world. The scientific world. The economic. Look. I don't care what educational school and system you may go to in the world. Please. That's not your school and mine.
Your school and mine. Spiritually is the word of God. That's one dear lady. One time said to me many, many years ago. Mr. Grandma, what school did you go to? I said, please, sister, don't say that. I'm still in school. And you'll never graduate down here from the knowledge of the Word of God. Well, read on. Read on. Little children you've overcome them because greater, the Spirit of God, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Satan. Remember the Lord Jesus in John chapter eight in verse forty four?
Have the blessed Lord Jesus told you who Satan was and what he was? A murderer from the beginning and a liar from the beginning. In the preceding chapter of our epistle John mentioned no lie is of the truth and whatever comes from Satan He's been a liar from the beginning. And in relation to speaking of eternal things, what can Satan say? He can only lead you astray and will. And has been leading many astray. But please note again the statement in verse four.
But the Spirit of God that is in you, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Our blessed are the words of Romans saying, telling us that we overcome through Him the love of us. And beloved, we have many difficulties, but thank God, let me repeat again, we have a person in the Holy Spirit who is greater than all that are in the world. Then read further. Then he speaks in verse five particularly.
They, the false teachers, hear of the world. They haven't been born again. Therefore speak they of the world. And the world hear us then. Believe me, I say lovingly, and sadly, there are many today that stand up in focus and do their preaching from a worldly standpoint. instead of taking the book. And the Spirit of God speaking from the Word. But what a joy to read in verse six as the Apostle goes on to write.
We, the Apostle, let me say this. Well, let me read it first of all. I want you to know that as we read the whole verse. We are of God. He that knoweth God. will listen to us. He that is not of God here is not of us. I don't just thought the apostle mean when he says we. The apostle. Now please let me say it reverently. The truth that you and I must follow must come from apostolic teaching. Apostolic teaching.
Now let me ask you the question. What kind of men were they? Do you remember in chapter four of the book of the Acts? Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin. And after they had Sanhedrin, listen to them. You know what they decided? They were ignorant men. Unlearned. But they took knowledge of them that they'd been with Jesus. Now please let me say, eloquence, reputation for being a great speaker doesn't necessarily mean it's the truth of God that they're giving them.
But it's only by the Holy Spirit. They were the apostles. None of the apostles came from any rabbinical school. The blessed person of Christ attracted them. And to him they were drawn, as John says it, the only part of his letter. We heard him. We saw him. We gazed upon him. And our hands even handled him. In other words, look. I can't say it more clearly. All the message that you and I need and the help we need is always to have more of Christ.
And the truth will always bring us nearer to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. But we find that hymn tonight. Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way. Thou art the potter. I am what? The clay. Mow me and make me after thy will. While in thy presence, he lived and still. And my beloved, please let me say it again. In all your Bible study. In all your prayer means. And in all your Bible readings. And Sunday school classes. Whatever may be your class. When the word of God is of. Your desire and mind. You say no more with him. Because the apostles teach you.
They speak of him. And they speak of him well. And then you know what he says in verse six. The one that knows God will listen to us. You know when you think of it. If there was an educated man among the apostles, the only one I could ever say was with the dear apostle Paul. You read chapter three of Philippians. He said, all that I had before meant nothing. It was rubbish. Until I found him. I found him. My beloved, all the truth in the Bible, the doctrines of the Bible, they bring you when you follow them to the person of Christ to know him better.
This is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast met. And then as the Apostle goes on, he then knows God will listen to us. And I say, this, my beloved, bluntly, to your heart as well as to mine. Let us listen to the Apostle's teachings. Not the teaching of me and man. Test the teaching of man. The best of them. Please go back to verse one. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test, try, prove the spirit whether they are of God.
And they say lovingly, you and I have every responsibility to test the preaching of heaven, anyone and everyone. Is it according to the truth? Now go to the end of verse six. He that is not of God, here is not us. They won't follow the apostles' teachings. And if you want my humble opinion is one beloved apostle, many will not follow, even some Christian. And that's the teachings of the apostle Paul in his great doctrine. But in verse, at the end of the verse, is the substance. In this way know we what? The spirit of truth and the spirit of error. To sum it all up, what I hear in my teaching, what I find from my my teaching and whatever teaching I get, wherever whence I may get it, does it honor and exalt the person of my blessed Savior?
Second, does it agree with the teaching of the Apostles? That's all. And surely John, you know sometimes I've often thought John must have been from Missouri. He said, Friend, show me that you have eternal life. Show me that you have eternal life. And is one of the evidences. We listen only to the voice of the Spirit of God and the teaching of that blessed Spirit through his service. Shall we pray? Beloved Father, we thank thee. Oh, we must say, Lord.
In the words of an old hymn, all hail to the Father. All hail to the Son. All hail to the Spirit. Bless three in one. We are saved by the blood of the two crucified ones. And Father, we thank thee for the Spirit of God. We bless thee. We know we're saved. Well, we cannot be saved if we don't have him. But when we are trusted Christ, Thy word says, he comes in. Any man that knows not the Spirit of God knoweth not Christ is the sum of thy precious word in Romans eight.
But oh, everyone that believes upon the Lord Jesus Christ receive the Spirit of God. Oh, we pray for the young believers and our young Christians, Lord, who have confessed the Lord Jesus. May they realize they've got a teacher, a revealer who knows everything and who can teach them and guide them into all truth and will never leave them away by the spirit of error. And we ask that for each one of us tonight in thy company as we bow. Lord, we ask you for our little assembly as a whole.
made us by the Spirit of God, according to the truth of thy word. And we'll glorify the Savior as we should. We ask it in the Savior's name, giving thanks. Amen. Amen.