1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit. Test the spirits to see if they belong to God. Many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2Here is how you can recognize the Spirit of God. Every spirit agreeing that Jesus Christ came in a human body belongs to God. 3But every spirit that doesn’t agree with this does not belong to God. You have heard that the spirit of the great enemy of Christ is coming. Even now it is already in the world.
4Dear children, you belong to God. You have not accepted the teachings of the false prophets. That’s because the one who is in you is powerful. He is more powerful than the one who is in the world. 5False prophets belong to the world. So they speak from the world’s point of view. And the world listens to them. 6We belong to God. And those who know God listen to us. But those who don’t belong to God don’t listen to us. That’s how we can tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of lies.
1. What warning does John give in verse 1 regarding the spirits?
o Why is it important for believers to test the spirits?
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2. In verse 2, John provides a way to recognise the Spirit of God. What is the key test mentioned in this verse?
o How does this test help distinguish between true and false spirits?
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3. Verse 3 speaks of a spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus coming in the flesh. Why is this such a critical issue in discerning truth?
o What does this reveal about the nature of false prophets and their message?
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4. In verse 4, John encourages believers by stating "the one who is in you is more powerful than the one who is in the world." Who is the "one" in this verse, and what does this tell us about our security in Christ?
5. How can we practically "test the spirits" in our daily lives, especially in our interactions with various teachings or ideologies?
6. John states that the world listens to false prophets (verse 5). What are some modern examples of teachings or ideologies that might be aligned with the spirit of the world, and how can Christians stay alert to them?
7. In what ways can you be a witness to the truth of the Spirit of God, particularly in a world that often rejects or distorts the message of Jesus Christ?
