Radio Sermon 90 <Back to Table of Contents>
Don't Believe Everybody -- or Everything
Do you believe all that you hear about the cure for cancer? Have you heard all those remedies people say are absolutely a sure cure for insomnia? Do you believe everything you hear about a sure fire investment for your money that will bring you in millions of dollars without any chance of financial loss? Surely all of us are aware of the scams, the hucksters, and shysters that thrive off the gullibility of people. If not, it is time to get educated.
But what about religion? We hear people say, "Well, everyone has a right to believe anything they want to believe -- after all, this is a free country." With that sentiment there is no dispute. But with the right to believe whatever you want to believe, comes also the responsibility of being able to defend that belief -- especially (or above all else) in religious matters is it true. Listen carefully to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. From John's letters we read:
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because 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 of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the {spirit} of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak {as} of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error" (I John 4:1-6).
Today on our broadcast we will continue to study the lovely letters of the apostle John. And we will examine this passage closely and hopefully learn that it is not right to accept everything one says who appears to be some kind of religious authority. Please stay tuned.
When John said, ""Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." the solemn charge rests on each one of us. The charge is serious. Many false teachers are afoot. They peddle their doctrines as if they were the true gospel. "Peddle" is the correct word, friends. Hardly can one of those false teachers speak publicly without making a very fervent and emotional appeal for your money. They continually beg you to pay them for their efforts to preach. They want you to donate to their work, their so-called "ministry." I urge you very strongly to ignore any appeal any radio or TV preacher makes for money. Those who cannot financially support their own work ought not to expect those whom they seek to teach to support it. Persistent begging for money to "stay on the air" is a mark of a false teacher. Beware -- very ware of such.
At the end of chapter three, John had said, "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." One might logically ask, "Does that mean that if a man says he has the Spirit of God, I am to believe him? Is the fact that he claims God's Holy Spirit is dwelling in him enough for me to simply believe him?" John's answer is clear. John says, in effect, "Absolutely not. Do not believe everyone who claims to be under the directing power of the Holy Spirit!" If you believed every person who claims they have the power of the Holy Spirit abiding in them, you would believe a grotesque menagerie of doctrines and beliefs that are beyond absurdities. One simply cannot believe everyone who claims to have the Holy Spirit.
"But, what if someone speaks in tongues? Doesn't that mean they have received Holy Spirit baptism?" Certainly not -- for no man alive has the power to speak in tongues, as those of the first century did. The gift of tongues served its purpose and has passed away. "But, I hear men speak in tongues," you might say. No, dear friend -- you don't hear tongue speaking today -- you hear something that sounds like, "Habba sila, consila depicia, non quilla, lohima, lohima, lohima." Now -- was that tongue speaking? What do you think? Did I speak with some Spirit given power? No, that was mere gibberish. And that is exactly what you hear when men pose today as tongue speakers. A tongue, in the Bible, is a language -- not some unintelligible abracadabra or hocus pocus. Remember what occurred on Pentecost? On that day the Bible tells us, "Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). Later, in the same context, we are told, "And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?" (Verses 6-8). Those who spoke in tongues actually spoke a language that others could understand. Today, the incomprehensible sounds people make, under the guise of speaking in tongues is understandable to no one. I make this offer. Anyone who thinks to have the gift of tongues today please submit it to any linguistic expert to determine what language is actually being spoken. If indeed it is a language from heaven, someone somewhere on earth ought to be able to understand it. If not, it is mere pretense -- and in John's words, "Do not believe them. dear friends."
The mere profession, "I have received the Holy Spirit, therefore believe what I am telling you," is as empty as the claim that the earth is flat. There is a divine litmus test by which we may know whether one has the Spirit or not. John gives it in this text. Those who confess that Jesus is come in the flesh are those who come from God. Mind you, this has direct and specific reference to those claiming to be directly sent from on high with a message to mankind. Some false teachers in John's day claimed that Jesus did not actually come in the flesh. They denied any humanity at all to Christ. They said that He was more of an angelic being than a human being. Some, in John's time, argued that Jesus only appeared to be a human. It is also noteworthy that they did admit that He was "the Christ."
Claiming to believe in Jesus's name, or in Him as the Christ is too little. It is insufficient. It will not avail. Please listen carefully to the astute comments of Henry A. Sawtelle, contributing writer to the American Commentary Series, published by Judson Press. He wrote: "The matter of the confession is not the mere name of Christ, which even the errorists confessed; but it is Christ in His genuine nature and office, having a particular history, and embodying a particular system of truth. It is that He is Jesus, and therefore the Savior of a people. It is that He is Christ, and therefore the Anointed of God. It is that this Christ Jesus has come from God in the flesh, in a real, not a seeming humanity, with the soul and body of human nature."
The confession that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh demands full acceptance of His deity, incarnate in flesh. It also demands acceptance of everything Jesus taught or authorized the apostles to teach. Listen to R.C.H. Lenski. "Confession is open evidence for the invisible union with God. Its substance is 'Jesus Christ having come in the flesh,' and this is proof that one is 'from God,' 'born from Him,' or in other words, 'that Jesus is the Son of God.' Here belongs all that we have to say on "Son of God' on denials of His deity, on all that lies in the Sonship, namely the entire gospel with all its facts ('doctrines' when the facts are adequately and correctly worded)." It is as important to believe what Jesus taught, what His authorized apostles taught, as it is to believe He is from God. In fact you cannot legitimately believe He is from heaven without accepting His teaching.
There are those who say, "Doctrine is not important." What is important, to them, is Jesus. "All I want is Jesus," some affirm. They want no church, no doctrinal requirements, no necessity of full obedience to His will -- just Jesus. My friends, listen carefully. There is no salvation in a Jesus whose church you disregard, whose doctrine you discredit, and whose authority you ignore. The very words of Jesus demonstrate this. "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23). Those who profess great things such as divine healings, tongue speaking, exorcism of evil spirits today make a claim that is iniquitous, according to Jesus. Don't believe anyone who makes such pretentious and fantastic claims. Jesus does not authorize men to heal the sick today but He does require them to put Him first in life, believe everything about Him, and everything He teaches. He asked, "But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).
You can fully believe anyone who claims to have the Spirit of God, who can verify what he teaches by a careful comparison with the written record, the Bible. If one cannot find biblical support for anything claimed, that individual is motivated by a spirit of error and not the Spirit of God. You see, anyone can claim, "I have the Spirit." Few there be that can prove it by what they teach, preach, and practice. That is why churches of Christ do not make foolish claims they cannot prove. That is why we urge everyone to believe and accept only what you can read in plain language from the Bible. We urge you to reject us as an authority in religion. We urge you to critically expose anything we teach that you find out of harmony with the Bible. Dear friends, do you realize just how few preachers there are in our own area who are willing to make such an offer? Do you realize just how few preachers, pastors, or priests in our own community would be willing to enter a dignified and intelligent investigation of what they are asking people to believe is truth? If you are thinking that there are many who would be willing to defend their teaching and practice, please -- please, send me their names and addresses. I want to contact them.
If you would truly have the Holy Spirit of God your only real assurance is the application you make right now of what the Holy Spirit has revealed. He revealed the gospel plan of salvation which requires your faith in Christ, the Son of the Living God, your true repentance from past sins, an oral confession that He is the Christ and then water baptism into the sacred and holy name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I hope you will examine what has been said today.
But, time is gone for today. If you have a question about this, or would like to have a copy of this lesson, contact us.