Facing Endless Possibilities
Discern Series
“Sometimes we can become overwhelmed with trying to discern what God is asking of us. However, we must remember that God has called us to peace in whatever situation we are in (1 Cor. 7:15). Thus, remember that God has gifted you with many possibilities, and we are called only to glorify him in whatever path that we take...”
“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. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 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. 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. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 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.”
Explanation:
Today, we live in what some call a post-truth world. Although the New Testament context was unique, there were just as many competing truth claims then as there are now. Sects, cults, and the state were all in competition for spiritual allegiance in ways that have parallels today. There are some key differences though. Whereas John's culture had many competing claims to ultimate truth, our culture is far more hesitant to make sweeping truth claims, believing them to be an affront to tolerance - the highest ideal of the secular world. Yet John's words still have the same application - any spirit - whether directly challenging the truth of Jesus or Insisting on his irrelevancy are equally of the spirit of anti-Christ, and thus we are wise to mark them as of the world. ¹
Connection:
It's not uncommon these days to hear Christians insisting that we are now in the last days. Pulpits are ablaze with sermons about preparing for tough times and ominous days ahead. Couple this outlook with the constant stream of fear and propaganda from the corporate media and you have a recipe for some serious spiritual malaise. What can one do when we are overloaded with so much anxiety and negativity - even from the Church?
John's letter helps to put things back in focus and to bring Jesus back into the center of our thinking. He knew what it was like to live in times of confusion - even confusion over the nature of Jesus himself, as there were teachers claiming that Jesus was not truly God and man. Although in a different context, he was dealing with the same questions of division, confusion, and obfuscation by those who would lead God's people into despair - this same spirit of anti-Christ that manifests itself differently in every age but whose origins remain the same. John helps us to remember how to discern spiritual matters in remembering the heart of Jesus and seeking It out In our everyday encounters.
Action:
1. Are We Testing the Spirits? -
In the Biblical worldview, there is an entire unseen spiritual realm where battles rage. However, we can discern what we see in the world by holding it up to the light of God's word and letting it illuminate our path forward.
2. Make Considerations -
Sometimes we can become overwhelmed with trying to discern what God is asking of us. However, we must remember that God has called us to peace in whatever situation we are in (1 Cor. 7:15). Thus, remember that God has gifted you with many possibilities, and we are called only to glorify him in whatever path that we take.
3. Pray Unceasingly -
God promises us that his word is "a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Ps. 119:105). Be confident in prayer, asking God to remove all doubt and confusion, but to turn your heart confidently toward him, that he may uphold you in all your endeavors.
¹Gary M. Burge, The NIV Application Commentary: The Letters of John (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1998), 244.