Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

TESTING THE SPIRITS

1 John 4:1 Beloved, don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

How do we test the spirits to see if they are from God or not? There are many complex legal arguments for testing the spirits by doctrinal truth, but why if they are true, have so many been misled since the time of Christ Jesus, who adher to doctrinal truths?

What than are Christian's actually testing the spirits against, which indeed is important question, most would say God's word the bible, but again if that was completely true, why than have so many been misled in the history of Christian's religions?

Truth From an Evil Heart

Have you ever noticed that one person can say some thing, and it is the truth, while another person can say the same things is it sounds like a lie? Yes, we have all experience that, such as a salesman saying: “ I am concern that you get the best deal”, and a family members saying those words. There is a huge difference, is there not? The sales person is looking for common ground, a weakness in you to make a sale. While the family member has no motivate accept that you actually get the best deal.

So unequivocally, we can say the spirits of the two people are different, and we know it, if we test the spirits of each person according the our history with them; their motives are different.

Thus, motive is the engined behind all spirits, rather angels or demons, human or animals, there is a spirit which is motived by our desires, correct?

Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked fear, will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Micah 7:3 Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

Context of Apostle John's Letter

What indeed was the context of the apostle John's words, that is, for us to tests the spirits, what spirits was entering into the congregation of God's anointed? Some would say the world, the spirit of the world, but what was the world back than? Christ Jesus often spoken of the world, but when speaking of it. he was speaking to the Jewish world of his time, shocked!

Yes, he was speaking to a religious system who thought they were no part of this world because of God's righteous law, they certainly believed with a zeal they were God's people from Abraham.

John 8:39 They answered him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.

John 17:18 As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.

Matthew 10:5 Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, "Don't go among the Gentiles, and don't enter into any city of the Samaritans.

Matthew 15:24 But he answered, "I wasn't sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

John 8:23 He said to them, "You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.

John 13:1 Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

So the context of all biblical writing is the spirit behind the words used not nescessarly if a person has a bible truth, what does this mean? In John's writing he was dealing with those wanting to enslave the body of Christ Jesus back into laws of the flesh, as being more righteous than Christ Jesus righteousness. In other words, a person can quote a verse from the bible, and it sounds evil, while another person can say the very same verse and it is truth, what is the difference, it is the spirit of ones heart behind the words, correct?

The devil used the bible to enslave people, so it is the motive behinds the spirit of the words that make them truth or not, which is no great mystery; Satan himself used God's word in hopes of enslaving Christ Jesus into bondage of sin.

Luke 4:3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." 4:4 Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"{Deuteronomy 8:3} 4:5 The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 4:6 The devil said to him, "I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want. 4:7 If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours." 4:8 Jesus answered him, "Get behind me Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.'"{Deuteronomy 6:13} 4:9 He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here, 4:10 for it is written, 'He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;' 4:11 and, 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.'"{Psalm 91:11-12} 4:12 Jesus answering, said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"{Deuteronomy 6:16} 4:13 When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.

Spirit Behind the Words

A Christian's should not be deceived by biblical truth, what indeed does this mean? It means that just because the words are true, having a good motive placed upon; does not make them truth. OK what are you talking about?

Using the analogy of a salesman again, what does the salesman want, he/she wants to sell you something to support their life, they need money, and perhaps you need whatever they are selling, the words can be true, but are they the words whole truth, what is the motive?

Well, one would have to honestly examine their own motive first in order to answer that question; perhaps, the person wants identification by what he/she is buying, like a car, do they need the car or do you want too be accept as being somebody by what they drive? So why indeed, do they need a car? It is the motive behinds the words and the ears, which are hearing them?

Lies That Promote Lies

If a person is dishonest with their thoughts and feelings, and they are presented with an untruth that supports their unrighteous desire, their motive become truth for them. Hence, if person wants to do drugs, and another person sells them drugs it is because the person wants the drugs.

Subsequently, if a person desires the world, and Christ said we should not have those desires,thus, a person will seek out a teacher to support their hearts condition, which is wanting material things, and a justification in a blessing from God as proof of their being righteous favored by God, correct?

Jer.17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? 17:10 I, Yahweh, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

Testing the Spirits Against What?

So what are Christian's to test the spirits against, well, it is not their own heart. On the other hand, is it the laws or the commandments of God only? No! It is by Christ Jesus righteousness, not our unrighteousness, or our desire leaving us pray to every unrighteous person having the unrighteous desire that uses God's word the bible.

So how do we do know, and how do we test the spirits against Christ righteousness, what does this mean? First, Christ Jesus is the only righteousness accepted by God for eternal life.

Acts 4:12 There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!"

So if we are testing spirits against our own standards of righteousness, or even God's commandments, which are truth, we will be mislead, how can that be?

The Spirit in Christ Jesus Body

What is the spirit within the spiritual body of Christ Jesus, fair question; if we knew that, we could test all motives by Christ Jesus righteousness, or his spirit, which is also the spirit of his body, and its members, correct?

John 4:23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers.

John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,{or, faithfulness}

Colossians 1:8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

What is the Spirit within the body of Christ Jesus, what is its motive, is it too enslavement you, or too empower you in love, but why love? Well, it is love, because there is no gain of the flesh in love, love, that is, God's love. God's love gives, that hopes all things, believes all things, and endures all things, but is that true of religious doctrines promoting love by words?

Testing the Spirit by the Law of Freedom

What is the law of freedom, it is a law that set a person free from the judgment of our flesh, it is freedom because it does so by pure motive, without some hidden agenda to gain control over us. Subsequently, that is why it is freedom and the truth.

The law of freedom is Christ Jesus righteousness, Christ has no hidden agenda; hidden agenda's are unrighteous which use God's word to enslave us into some group or their desire to gain something from us, but not so with the law of freedom, why?

The Gift Vs. the Spirit of Gain

What motive did God have in giving us the precious life of His own Son?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 3:17 For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

God gave us the free gift of His love in Christ Jesus that we might have eternal life, what is His motive? Is it to enslave people too Him; does God lack power to enslave people if that was His motive? Did He give us Christ Jesus to judge us as wicked, too condemn us, or to give us eternal life?

So what is our motive in preaching, is it to make someone accept our religion, to become some one like us, believing only our doctrine, or empowering them with God's love? Moreover, are we confused with some truth(s) as good motive; do we believe God's love is only doctrinal truth? Do we test the spirits or religious motive? Do we test the spirits in this manner,or do we become judgmental in hating others by our religious testing of spirits?

How do we Tests the Spirits?

Many judgmental Christian's live in fear of God, so they test the spirits from a heart of fear in being misled, which is hate for the misleader, correct? But those in Christ Jesus do not want to be misled either, but their motive is much different; they test the spirits by the law of freedom, which is God's love, found in the body of Christ Jesus. They do so not to save this life, no! But rather because they love their neighbor as themselves, what does this mean?

Romans 13:9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not give false testimony," "You shall not covet,"{TR adds "You shall not give false testimony,"}{Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deuteronomy 5:17-19,21} and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."{Leviticus 19:18}

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.

1 John 3:18 My little children, let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

It means they have no fear in love, they have no agenda in judging others righteous and unrighteous because they have no personal righteousness outside of Christ Jesus righteousness, which they have become a part of. Subsequently, they don't live in fear that the God of love has made it so difficult they must hate living in fear of being misled too have eternal life. hence, thinking we must somehow have special effort, or knowledge to unlock every bible verse by legal explanation not too be mislead.

No the correct spirit is we believe God so loved the world that He wanted to give mankind a gift of His love without evil motives, that is, we have life by faith just as Christ Jesus promised us, this is the spirit we test words against, rather quoted from God's word or not. We test the spirits of the words against Christ Jesus righteousness, in the free gift of God's love by unmerited kindness extended too all that would who put faith in God's Son Christ Jesus.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God.

1 John 4:8 He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:9 By this God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice{"atoning sacrifice" is from the Greek "hilasmos," an appeasing, propitiating, or the means of appeasement or propitiation--the sacrifice that turns away God's wrath because of our sin.} for our sins.

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.

Testing the Spirits Against the Spirit of law

Testing the spirits against the spirit of the law is judgment and condemnation, a curse for us and those we are testing by law, but why?

Rom. 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.{NU omits "who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit"}

Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."{Leviticus 19:18}

Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who doesn't continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them."{Deuteronomy 27:26}

When we judge others by laws of the flesh, that is, doctrine, instead of the law of freedom, love, we step out of the spirit of the body of Christ Jesus, and see others as wicked, because the law is for the wicked.

Titus 1:9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 1:10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine.

Matt.7:1 "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged.
7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? 7:4 Or how will you tell your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;' and behold, the beam is in your own eye? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.

We ourselves are mislead by our own judgmental spirit, which creates a lie; believing one can be righteous by the law, giving us a right to hold a debt of payment for mistakes, or sins of others, subsequently, enslaving them too us, instead of Christ Jesus under the law of freedom.

Rom.13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

James 2:8 However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself,"{Leviticus 19:18} you do well. 2:9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 2:11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"{Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18} also said, "Do not commit murder."{Exodus 10:13; Deuteronomy 5:17} Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 2:12 So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom.

Conclusion of the Matter

How do we judge, by the law of freedom, or God's love expressed too us in Christ Jesus, or by our hearts motive to support our religious groups ideology? Do we test every spirit by the words of our group, rejecting and judging others as evil?

Do we believe the good our group has done is reason enough to enslave others to it, or doe we test the spirit by the very spirit expressed too us by God's love? Do we believe in a lesser love, or our own love to test the spirits, or do we go to the superior love of God, expressed in Christ Jesus righteousness?

If so we cannot be mislead for long, we will always come back to good, and not evil, we will give like God gives too us in the freedom of love.

1Cor.13:1 If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don't have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don't have love, I am nothing. 13:3 If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing. 13:4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, 13:5 doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 13:6 doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 13:8 Love never fails.

Matt.5:42 Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you. 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor,{Leviticus 19:18} and hate your enemy.{not in the Bible, but see Qumran Manual of Discipline Ix, 21-26}'
5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 5:45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 5:47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Righteous as He Righteous

To test the spirits a Christian's as discussed above we must be righteous as Christ is righteous, what does this mean? Really, there is no testings the spirits outside of Christ Jesus, each person in Christ Jesus are his body members, receiving the life of Christ Jesus just as our hand receives the life, of our own body, so to, each body member receives the life of Christ Jesus, which a righteous life. Hence, Christ Jesus righteousness in them, is a force for righteousness, in all matters of their life, but it is found in love the royal law of freedom which is Christ righteousness expressed towards our brothers and sister, and our neighbor.

In fact, it is the life of the faithful witnesses in us that we test the spirits if they are from God or not. Those worshiping in spirit and truth of our Father, have His righteous Spirit which knows us and them as belonging to Christ Jesus, but those speaking from their own hearts righteousness, we reject, as corruption of truth and darkness, not the righteous light of Christ Jesus.

In other words, those that would Lord it over us, wanting power to control what God controls in us by free conscience created in us by the law of love, have the wrong spirit.

Those wanting and demanding too be our teachers rather than leading us to our teacher the Holy Spirit have evil motives in using our freedom for their personal gain, and/or glory.

1John 2:19 They went out from us, but they didn't belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us. 2:20 You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.{Or, "know what is true." Or, "know all things."} 2:21 I have not written to you because you don't know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

These assume a position of superiority over others demanding respect and honor by their own personal goodness and righteousness, but they are not in the body of Christ and his righteousness, where there is no competition in love; where there is no vivifying for personal glory through pride of their flesh,

Their motive speak hate instead of a slaves formed within Christ walking in love that God placed in the body by no goodness of their own, they instead steal Christ glory b bragging and lying against this truth, claiming special attention for some goodness in self done in Christ Jesus name.

As we started this conversation with testing the spirits by hearts motive, we now have come upon the action of love in a body members within Christ Jesus righteousness, which can only be explained spiritually in what Holy Spirit produces on the tree of righteousness, Christ Jesus, note we did not say, there are many trees of righteousness, why?

Because there is but one tree of righteousness for Christian's and that is Christ Jesus and all members therein having been graft into the big tree of righteousness Christ Jesus, not many trees, or many seeds, but one seed, and we all become a part of him by his righteousness, this tree produces no evil fruit.

Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn't say, "To seeds," as of many, but as of one, "To your seed,"{Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7} which is Christ.

Which means, he does not produce evil fruit of self-seeking motives for personal glory, Christ glory was a gift given in God's love, as are all members of his body.

There is no personal glory, but God's glory given too Christ Jesus to complete His Fathers work, when that work is completed Christ hands over his Father power, and glory so his Father YHWH, so He may be all things to every one of us having no sin of corruption, but righteous life transfer too us by the one seed of life Christ Jesus.

But the truth of testings the spirits must meet the test of Christ Jesus own righteousness as God's one tree of salvation, by fruit of God, on its branches, the body members of Christ Jesus:

Matt.7:18 A good tree can't produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that doesn't grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.

Gal.5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,{or, faithfulness} 5:23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Doctrine or laws of the flesh are dead works to God's Spirit, they have no good fruit, no matter how one justify their fruitage; the Spirit of God rejects the motive of self-righteousness as evil fruit of the flesh.

Gal.5:19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, 5:21 envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Gal. 5:24 Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let's also walk by the Spirit. 5:26 Let's not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.

So we can say truth is not enough without Spirit coming from Christ Jesus righteousness, it will enslave us to human being offering us freedom while existing in fleshly desires, denying the very power of Christ Jesus righteousness by God's unmerited kindness in the free gift of eternal life.

Romans 11:16 If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

Romans 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree;

Romans 11:18 don't boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.

John 15:5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

See also: nu-truth.com